Page 127 of Skyshade
They didn’t have time for this. She needed to get back to Nightshade. She knew what she had to do. “I’m sorry,” she told Oro.
Then, she pulled her necklace.
She could almost feel the air change around them, the sky going taut. His power cleaving through the world to get to her.
The ground itself shuddered as Grim landed just beyond the gates, in a scar of streaking shadow.
In an instant, the army of dead was ash. He walked over their sizzling remains, eyes never leaving hers.
Until they slid to Oro.
He looked between them.
Before she could blink, a shadow scythe was hurtling toward Oro, ready to cut him down. Only the gate stopped it.
Her look was crazed. “Don’t hurt him,” she said, stepping in front of Oro, even though she didn’t need to.
Grim just looked at her. Slowly, the shadows that had gathered in his hands withered. She turned to Oro. “You too.”
He glared at her as he cut his hand...and opened the gate.
She flinched, waiting for them to ignore her order, to fight each other until the death, like before. But they both stood very still. They both turned to her.
The army’s ashes swirled at her feet. They were just the beginning.
“Lark is here.” She looked at Oro, then at Grim. They were enemies. She could almost taste their hatred. But Lark would destroy them all if they remained on different sides. “We can’t defeat her divided.” She couldn’t believe the words that were about to leave her mouth. “The only chance we have is to work together.”
REMLAR
Enya spat at her feet when she approached. She looked at Grim and did the same. He didn’t even acknowledge her.
Calder’s normally jovial expression was cold. Wary.
Zed was missing. She remembered what Oro had said. He had imprisoned his friend.
They sat in the war room—the same place where they had planned Grim’s death. Now, he leaned back in one of the chairs, glaring daggers at anyone that looked at him. Anyone but her.
“Lark means to kill both of you,” Isla said, looking from Grim to Oro. “And me, likely. She won’t stop until this world is leveled.”
“Why didn’t she just kill you when she had the chance?” Enya said, as if she would have really liked that outcome.
Shadows spilled across the table, ending in claws.
Isla ignored them. “She needs me to lead her to the heart of Lightlark. That’s why she’s here: to find it.”
It only bloomed once a century, disguised as a living thing. The last time Isla had seen it, the heart was falling after Celeste into the center of the island.
“So, what do we do?” Calder asked, running a massive hand down his face. “How do we stop someone more powerful than any of us, who created the very island we’re standing on?”
“We lure her out with the promise of the heart. Then, we attack.”
Calder looked confused. “From what you’re telling us, she’s invincible. She can’t be killed, or even injured.”
“Perhaps,” Isla said. “But if she can be stopped for even a few hours, one person on this island knows how.”
“What then?” Enya said, leaning forward, elbows on the table. “Even if we can injure her, she’s still unstoppable. We need a plan.”
“I have one,” Isla said.
