Page 160 of Between Sun and Moon

Sage, no! Do not do this.Von’s voice carved its way into my mind, wild and frantic. And . . . afraid. So very, very afraid.

Von?I asked, feelinghisshadows reaching for me. As if they, too, were trying to get to me.

Yes, it’s me. Just hold on. I’m coming for you,he pleaded. And it was like a knife had burrowed its way into my soul. And by the sounds of it, his as well.

But Aurelius’s hand tightened around my neck. He lowered his head, and he breathed into my ear, “Sweet dreams,wife.”

There isn’t enough time, I whispered through our bond, tears clouding my vision.

Because I knew what I needed to do, the sacrifice that I needed to make so that all of this would end here. Today. No more lives would be lost because of one man’s hate. No more. No more pain. And no more suffering. And no more families destroyed.

Sage, please, don’t do it.

I’m sorry,Von.

His desperate roar was the last thing I heard before I turned the Blade of Moram, now in dagger form, and plunged it into my heart—intoourheart. The blade lengthened back into a sword and shot into Aurelius’s body, tearing through him.

“You stupid, little bi—” he choked, his ichor spraying against the back of my head.

At the same time, blood bubbled on my lips—warm and thick and . . .how strange. It did not taste of copper anymore. It tasted as sweet as honey.

Wincing, I dabbed my mouth with the back of my shaky hand. Lowering it, I inspected the smear of thick liquid.

But instead of crimson mortal blood, I found silver.

The ichor of the gods.

Weakly, I laughed. Aurelius had been wrong. I did not bleed gold after all.

His hand slipped from my throat, the other one falling from my waist. The sword that pinned us together was now the only thing that supported my weight, keeping me locked to him and suspended in the air. I cried out at the horrific pain—it’s claws like razor blades splicing apart my body. Feebly, his wings flapped, jerking us up and down in the air as he fought to keep from falling. All the while, I fought to remain conscious, the pain I felt was insurmountable.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

It sounded like someone stepping on too thin ice, moments from falling in. And the sound was coming from within us. Weakly, I looked down at the obsidian handle—hairline cracks were forming throughout it. The Blade of Moram wasshattering. Shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces. They shot off like cannon fire—obliterating our organs, piercing through our flesh, breaking our bones.

But the greatest blessing of all?

Itfreedus from each other.

I fell, the ground swirling towards me—coming faster and faster.

But I never struck the ground becauseDeathcaught me.

You came for me, I whispered weakly through our bond.

I will always come for you, he sobbed, pulling me into him.

Cool droplets of rain struck my face.

Please, do not leave me again, Little Goddess.

It was a plea.

A guttural one. A desperate one. A familiar one.

Yes, that was right. I had heard it before. A long, long, time ago. But when or where was lost to me because my body shuddered once and then . . .

Nothing.

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