Page 221 of The Legacy of Ophelia
Perhaps, but Ambrisk was a realm worth saving.
And if that was true, in order to be that sacrifice, I had to believe that the love I was willing to die for—the love for this man, for our family, and for this entire realm—was the most powerful flame of all.
That if everything went to ruin, something beautiful would be born of the ashes.
Fire was cleansing after all, as Ptholenix had told me. And as the flames of this fate devoured everything in its path, I had to hope Tolek could be that fox, living in this world, persisting as a legend of hope through the devastation.
And it was with that resolve that I swallowed any hint of despair as I squeezed Tol’s hands. “I need you to stand back with them and listen to Damien.”
Tolek’s brow creased. “Okay,apeagna. Okay.”
He kissed me softly, and for one last time, I memorized the feel of his lips against mine. Of his hands on my body and his heart beating so fiercely—his heart I was about to break to save the realms.
I laced the spell of Tolek into my soul as he backed toward my sister.
Jezebel, with the blood of the Soulguider Angel and the Goddess Artale flowing through her, and the khrysaor she sat astride, representing the God of Mythical Beasts. Beside her was Gatrielle, the Angelblessed Bodymelder, then Dax, with a wound still laced with Bant’s magic.
Ezalia’s cousin and general, with a connection to the Seawatcher Angel that I didn’t understand, and Lancaster with his fae blood. Santorina, the Bounty with a power gifted to humans from the Warrior God, and Celissia as a sorcia, a bed of elthem flowers at their feet to tie to the God of Nature.
Finally, Tolek, who Damien said had stolen power from Thorn tonight.
And me, the connection to the Mystique Angel.
We were only missing one. Then, we’d have a representative of every god and Angel. Then, this could happen.
I exchanged a subtle nod with Damien that he reluctantly returned, confirming he would honor our deal, then I exchanged one with Lancaster. His stone-laced stare told me Damien had relayed my request. His expression was miserable, hardened, and I feared what had happened tonight to make him so agreeable.
The Mystique Prime Warrior moved among them all as I turned back to face Echnid. The defenseless god watched both me and the Angels with fury as their betrayal fully struck him.
Taking one last glance at Tol, I mouthed through trembling lips,Infinitely.
His eyes widened as if he realized the secret in my hunched shoulders. The sorrow in the tears I couldn’t fight.
Tolek ripped theL.V.dagger from his waist, prepared to battle his way toward me, but Lancaster was ready. The fae whispered bargained words in Tol’s ears that would not allow him to fight to reach me.
Lancaster might have been the only one who figured out exactly what I was going to do before this moment. The others were only just realizing, but I’d asked Damien to ensure the male called his bargain against Tolek when he inevitably fought to stop me.
I sent the fae a silent thank you.
The Angels swept down on each warrior, fae, or creature, and with their own ancient blades, made a cut over their collarbone to let the blood near their heart flow freely.
Blood blessed by every God and Angel. The sacrifice of a powerful bloodline at the hands of the Angels themselves had opened the door to Xenovia tonight. It would take an alliance of all of Ambrisk to kill Echnid, just not in the way we’d thought.
Now, with something freely given of each, I would seal the Warrior God’s death for good.
The others raged—Jezebel and Santorina understanding now, too—but the Angels held them back.
And with my heart splintering, I dug up every last drop of seraph magic remaining in my tired body and exploded with it.
The force of the magic ricocheted around me, the capitol building crumbling to further ruin behind Echnid. I flew back from the force, tumbling across the stairs like I was no more than a rag doll. My lungs pinched, my skin slicing on rubble.
Tolek’s desperate screams for me bounced off swords and shields across the city center, but I created a solid force to keep him at bay—a sixty-foot wall curving between where Echnid and I stood and the God-and-Angelblessed line waiting below.
As I hefted myself to my hands and knees, body bone tired, Jezebel pummeled my wall of light with her own myth magic, but she couldn’t destroy the seraph power.
I was no longer a myth.
Her screams melted with Tolek’s, shredding me apart.
