Page 144 of A Tale of Ice and Ash

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She shuffled forwards towards the panel and peered through with him. A bolt seared passed Janus’ shoulder, splitting his flesh. The old god seethed, clutching at the wound.

“He can bleed,” Cole gaped. “He should be immortal, right? How can he–”

But as soon as he said it, the wound started to close. Eirwen let out a sharp cry.

“What? What is it?”

She glanced up at him, her eyes wide, and peeled back the fabric covering her shoulder. A thin red line cut through the flesh, still bleeding.

“How did you–”

Eirwen scrambled for the latch. “I need a weapon.”

“Of course you do.”

She slipped back into the fray, sliding under one of the tables and snatching up a loose shard of glass. Cole skidded out after her. “What are you–”

She tugged the sharp edge down the back of her hand, glancing at Janus in the centre of the room. His flesh was torn too. Her eyes fixed on the wound, waiting for it to heal. It took a lot longer this time, although he barely seemed to notice it.

“We’re connected,” she whispered. “Whatever happened inside the coffin, we’re still joined. Because he didn’t manage to suck all of my life away–”

The table wrenched away from them, splintering on the wall behind. Cole seized Eirwen’s hand and dived behind a pillar, the force of Janus blows slamming into the stone. Half a dozen rebels and dwarves rose up as a wall between them.

Cole glanced at Eirwen. She was panting hard, her expression glazed. How much had Janus taken from her?

Three of the rebels defending them went flying. The pillar started to crack. Cole swallowed, scouring for a weapon. His good hand was still tight in Eirwen’s, but he had some strength left in him. He wasn’t going down without a fight.

The pillar shook dangerously, and Eirwen wrenched him out from underneath it, spiralling to the dais at the end of the room and the standing wall behind the throne.

Something caught his feet and yanked them out from underneath him. He twisted through the air, rolling against the marble. Janus raised over him. Eirwen let out a scream.

“No!” his mother howled, racing between him and Janus. “Not my son! You promised!”

Janus stalled, grinning. There was no mercy there, no kindness. Only mild shock. “Oh, you stupid woman,” he crowed. “You have served your purpose.”

“But… but you said…”

“Ilied.Every day to you, I lied. You were a means to an end. A pawn inmygame. But you don’t have to die. Move aside now.”

His mother did not budge. “No,” she said. “I won’t. Ican’t.”

Cole turned away as his mother went flying, grabbing Eirwen and fleeing behind the wall. Eirwen’s eyes were frantic.

“Come out, little princess,” Janus called. “I only have a little more to take from you. Then this will all be over. I will spare your little family. A worthy bargain, don’t you think?”

Shots were fired. One of them scraped Janus’ cheek. Eirwen’s started to bleed.

“Don’t do it,” Cole whispered, his voice hoarse.

She grabbed his face. “Cole,” she breathed, “I love you.”

“You’re just saying that because you think we’re going to die.”

“You’re an idiot,” she said, “and I hate you for that almost as much as I love you for everything else.”

Cole’s eyes widened. “You… you mean it?”

“Yes.”