The Iron Warrior
Page 65
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Seeing us, Keirran’s eyes narrowed, and he raised his arm, pointing toward Kenzie, making my heart skip. On instinct, I dived in front of her as a lightning bolt flashed out, curled around me and slammed into the wall, barely missing her. “I will not be defeated, Ethan!” Keirran exclaimed, as I backed in front of Kenzie, shielding her as best I could. “Either you die, or Kenzie dies! The Veil will fall—”
“No!” Annwyl thrust her palm toward Keirran, and a savage burst of wind lifted the prince off his feet, slamming him to the ground a few feet away. Stunned, he looked up as Annwyl stepped forward, the storm swirling around her. She raised her hand, and a ball of flame, lightning and pure sunlight formed in her palm as she held it out. Keirran staggered, looking pale and vulnerable as the Summer faery loomed over him.
“Annwyl,” he whispered, his voice lost in the gale around them. “Stop. Please. Everything I’ve done...all of this...it was for you.”
As he spoke, there was a shimmer of movement from the corner of my eye. I looked over to see one of my swords had lifted itself off the ground, the point angled at Annwyl’s back. Annwyl, facing down Keirran, didn’t notice.
“I’m sorry, Keirran,” Annwyl said, as I leaped up and sprinted toward her. Her voice was choked with tears as she raised her arm. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”
The sword flew toward her. I slammed into the Summer faery, pushing her aside just as the blade reached us. At the same time, a blaze of agony ripped across my back as the weapon sliced into me, tearing a deep cut across my skin. I cried out and nearly fell, and saw Keirran’s eyes widen for a split second, then narrow sharply as he realized.
Not immune to Iron glamour.
He scrambled to his feet, raising his hand. Alone, in pain and unarmed, I could only watch as the air above him flared, and a dozen glittering knives flickered into existence. For a heartbeat, our eyes met. I saw a split-second hesitation cross his face, a heartbeat of regret, before he threw out his hand, and the storm of lethal blades flew at me.
I flinched away and raised my arms, bracing myself to be skewered. I felt one of the knives graze my shoulder, tearing through my sleeve, making me gasp. I heard the solid, sickening thumps of iron hitting flesh, striking home, but felt no pain.
Cautiously, I opened my eyes, and my heart dropped.
Annwyl stood in front of me, arms crossed before her in an X, facing Keirran. For a few seconds, I could only stare, hopeful and horrified. Her back was to me, so I couldn’t see the damage, but she didn’t appear to be in pain. Maybe Keirran had missed. Maybe he’d redirected the attack at the last second.
And then I saw the blood, dripping in puddles beneath her, as Annwyl gave a breathless gasp and fell backward into my arms. Her body was covered with knives, sunk deep into her chest and stomach, welling with blood. A thin line of red trickled from her mouth as she coughed, her delicate frame shuddering violently in my grasp.
Keirran’s sword dropped from his hands with a clang.
“Annwyl.” Sickened, I sank to my knees, cradling the Summer faery as gently as I could. Her eyes were glassy with pain as she gazed up at me, struggling to speak. “Hey, don’t try to talk,” I choked out. “Just hold on, we’ll...think of something.”
She smiled gently and shook her head. I felt a soft touch on my shoulder and knew Kenzie had come up, that she had seen everything. Even as I held her, Annwyl flickered, becoming almost weightless in my arms. The amulet pulsed against her chest, as if desperately sucking in glamour, trying to save her life. But Annwyl continued to fade, her color slowly leaching away, even as blood soaked her dress and dripped to the ground beneath us.
A shadow fell over me. I didn’t have to look up to know it was Keirran. Would he kill me, here and now? Drive a sword through my heart and let us both bleed out on the stones? But he was motionless, not speaking, adding to the eerie silence around us. The storm had faded, the grass and flowers had already shriveled and were blowing away. The brilliant light surrounding Annwyl had died, and everything was dark again, plunged into shadow. I couldn’t look at the prince, but Annwyl’s gaze drifted up, and she weakly raised a hand.
“Keirran.”
Her voice was barely audible, and Keirran fell to his knees and grasped her hand. I finally looked at him and saw his face.
My stomach twisted. His expression was emotionless, except for the single tear crawling down his face. Easing closer, he reached out, sliding his arms under Annwyl, taking her from me. For a second, I resisted; he had no right. But Annwyl’s gaze was only for Keirran, and knowing these were her final moments in the world, I let her go.
Rising, I stepped back with Kenzie, who slid her arms around my waist and pressed close. And together, we watched the Iron Prince and the Summer faery’s last exchange. Kenzie sniffed, her tears dampening the front of my shirt, and I held her tight, too emotionally exhausted to wonder where we would be when this was over.
“Annwyl.” Keirran’s voice was a whisper. His shoulders trembled as he bent over her, one hand hovering over the shards of metal jutting from her chest. Helplessly, he clenched a fist. “I never...meant for this to happen,” he breathed. “I...”
The Summer faery shook her head. “No apologies,” she murmured, and Keirran instantly fell silent, his gaze tormented. “No empty promises, Keirran. There’s not...much time left.” She flickered again, her outline fading at the edges. Keirran closed his eyes, and a sob finally tore itself free.
“I wanted to save you,” he said in a low, anguished voice. His hand lifted, trailing down her cheek. “What will I do now, Annwyl? How will I face anything...when you’re gone?”
She reached for his hand, placing it over her heart, over the amulet pulsing against her chest. “Take back your soul, Keirran,” she whispered. He blinked, gazing down at her, and she smiled. “Please. Before I go, let me see you...as you were. As the prince I fell in love with.”
He bowed his head, hesitating for a few heartbeats. When he opened his eyes again, they were glassy with tears, grief, regret...and resignation. Slowly, he nodded.
Raising the amulet, he held it in his palm, and Annwyl’s hand came to rest over them both. Keirran’s fingers tightened, and the amulet began to glow. It grew hotter and brighter, until the two fey seemed to be holding a pulsing star between them.
Finally, with the sound of breaking glass, the amulet shattered. Keirran jerked, stiffening, as swirls of light flowed from his palm and curled into the air. They spiraled up, casting a brilliant light over the kneeling faery, before turning as one and rushing down on him. Keirran hunched his shoulders as the spears of light slammed into his body and vanished beneath his skin. He shuddered, holding Annwyl close, as he flickered and pulsed like a strobe light, making it hard to look at him.
Finally, the light sputtered and went out, plunging everything into darkness once more. Panting, Keirran straightened slowly and looked down at Annwyl.
My throat tightened, and Kenzie clenched a fist in my shirt. I could barely see the Summer faery. She was so faint, a fading shadow cradled in his arms, growing dimmer by the second. Keirran gazed down at her, tears now streaming unchecked from his eyes, and gently pulled her close. His lips moved, though his voice was too soft to hear. I couldn’t really see Annwyl’s face, but I think she smiled at him. Slowly, one transparent hand rose, pressing against his cheek.
“No!” Annwyl thrust her palm toward Keirran, and a savage burst of wind lifted the prince off his feet, slamming him to the ground a few feet away. Stunned, he looked up as Annwyl stepped forward, the storm swirling around her. She raised her hand, and a ball of flame, lightning and pure sunlight formed in her palm as she held it out. Keirran staggered, looking pale and vulnerable as the Summer faery loomed over him.
“Annwyl,” he whispered, his voice lost in the gale around them. “Stop. Please. Everything I’ve done...all of this...it was for you.”
As he spoke, there was a shimmer of movement from the corner of my eye. I looked over to see one of my swords had lifted itself off the ground, the point angled at Annwyl’s back. Annwyl, facing down Keirran, didn’t notice.
“I’m sorry, Keirran,” Annwyl said, as I leaped up and sprinted toward her. Her voice was choked with tears as she raised her arm. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”
The sword flew toward her. I slammed into the Summer faery, pushing her aside just as the blade reached us. At the same time, a blaze of agony ripped across my back as the weapon sliced into me, tearing a deep cut across my skin. I cried out and nearly fell, and saw Keirran’s eyes widen for a split second, then narrow sharply as he realized.
Not immune to Iron glamour.
He scrambled to his feet, raising his hand. Alone, in pain and unarmed, I could only watch as the air above him flared, and a dozen glittering knives flickered into existence. For a heartbeat, our eyes met. I saw a split-second hesitation cross his face, a heartbeat of regret, before he threw out his hand, and the storm of lethal blades flew at me.
I flinched away and raised my arms, bracing myself to be skewered. I felt one of the knives graze my shoulder, tearing through my sleeve, making me gasp. I heard the solid, sickening thumps of iron hitting flesh, striking home, but felt no pain.
Cautiously, I opened my eyes, and my heart dropped.
Annwyl stood in front of me, arms crossed before her in an X, facing Keirran. For a few seconds, I could only stare, hopeful and horrified. Her back was to me, so I couldn’t see the damage, but she didn’t appear to be in pain. Maybe Keirran had missed. Maybe he’d redirected the attack at the last second.
And then I saw the blood, dripping in puddles beneath her, as Annwyl gave a breathless gasp and fell backward into my arms. Her body was covered with knives, sunk deep into her chest and stomach, welling with blood. A thin line of red trickled from her mouth as she coughed, her delicate frame shuddering violently in my grasp.
Keirran’s sword dropped from his hands with a clang.
“Annwyl.” Sickened, I sank to my knees, cradling the Summer faery as gently as I could. Her eyes were glassy with pain as she gazed up at me, struggling to speak. “Hey, don’t try to talk,” I choked out. “Just hold on, we’ll...think of something.”
She smiled gently and shook her head. I felt a soft touch on my shoulder and knew Kenzie had come up, that she had seen everything. Even as I held her, Annwyl flickered, becoming almost weightless in my arms. The amulet pulsed against her chest, as if desperately sucking in glamour, trying to save her life. But Annwyl continued to fade, her color slowly leaching away, even as blood soaked her dress and dripped to the ground beneath us.
A shadow fell over me. I didn’t have to look up to know it was Keirran. Would he kill me, here and now? Drive a sword through my heart and let us both bleed out on the stones? But he was motionless, not speaking, adding to the eerie silence around us. The storm had faded, the grass and flowers had already shriveled and were blowing away. The brilliant light surrounding Annwyl had died, and everything was dark again, plunged into shadow. I couldn’t look at the prince, but Annwyl’s gaze drifted up, and she weakly raised a hand.
“Keirran.”
Her voice was barely audible, and Keirran fell to his knees and grasped her hand. I finally looked at him and saw his face.
My stomach twisted. His expression was emotionless, except for the single tear crawling down his face. Easing closer, he reached out, sliding his arms under Annwyl, taking her from me. For a second, I resisted; he had no right. But Annwyl’s gaze was only for Keirran, and knowing these were her final moments in the world, I let her go.
Rising, I stepped back with Kenzie, who slid her arms around my waist and pressed close. And together, we watched the Iron Prince and the Summer faery’s last exchange. Kenzie sniffed, her tears dampening the front of my shirt, and I held her tight, too emotionally exhausted to wonder where we would be when this was over.
“Annwyl.” Keirran’s voice was a whisper. His shoulders trembled as he bent over her, one hand hovering over the shards of metal jutting from her chest. Helplessly, he clenched a fist. “I never...meant for this to happen,” he breathed. “I...”
The Summer faery shook her head. “No apologies,” she murmured, and Keirran instantly fell silent, his gaze tormented. “No empty promises, Keirran. There’s not...much time left.” She flickered again, her outline fading at the edges. Keirran closed his eyes, and a sob finally tore itself free.
“I wanted to save you,” he said in a low, anguished voice. His hand lifted, trailing down her cheek. “What will I do now, Annwyl? How will I face anything...when you’re gone?”
She reached for his hand, placing it over her heart, over the amulet pulsing against her chest. “Take back your soul, Keirran,” she whispered. He blinked, gazing down at her, and she smiled. “Please. Before I go, let me see you...as you were. As the prince I fell in love with.”
He bowed his head, hesitating for a few heartbeats. When he opened his eyes again, they were glassy with tears, grief, regret...and resignation. Slowly, he nodded.
Raising the amulet, he held it in his palm, and Annwyl’s hand came to rest over them both. Keirran’s fingers tightened, and the amulet began to glow. It grew hotter and brighter, until the two fey seemed to be holding a pulsing star between them.
Finally, with the sound of breaking glass, the amulet shattered. Keirran jerked, stiffening, as swirls of light flowed from his palm and curled into the air. They spiraled up, casting a brilliant light over the kneeling faery, before turning as one and rushing down on him. Keirran hunched his shoulders as the spears of light slammed into his body and vanished beneath his skin. He shuddered, holding Annwyl close, as he flickered and pulsed like a strobe light, making it hard to look at him.
Finally, the light sputtered and went out, plunging everything into darkness once more. Panting, Keirran straightened slowly and looked down at Annwyl.
My throat tightened, and Kenzie clenched a fist in my shirt. I could barely see the Summer faery. She was so faint, a fading shadow cradled in his arms, growing dimmer by the second. Keirran gazed down at her, tears now streaming unchecked from his eyes, and gently pulled her close. His lips moved, though his voice was too soft to hear. I couldn’t really see Annwyl’s face, but I think she smiled at him. Slowly, one transparent hand rose, pressing against his cheek.
