The Rise of Fortune and Fury (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 5)

More demons pour through the veil, along with several more Dark Fae loyal to their queen.

When I look around, I realize we are losing everywhere.

It seems to go into slow motion for me, perhaps because I can’t quite process that I’m staring at true defeat.

My neck twists slightly until I see Boral and Zaid still battling Amell, but they’re losing as well. Both the Dark Fae and his daemon son are covered in their own black blood. Zaid can barely hold his sword up. While Boral’s strength is faring slightly better, it’s not by much.

All of it plays out slowly… as if I had time to rush in and stop it, yet also knowing there’s no way I’d make it.

Amell blasts Boral back with magic, then whirls on Zaid with his sword. He brandishes it parallel to the ground, the hilt by his shoulder and both hands wrapped tightly around it. He lunges forward, intent on sinking it straight into Zaid’s heart.

My eyes fill with tears as I know the death of my friend is imminent, but then… right at the last moment before his end comes, Boral appears, throwing himself between the iron sword and his son.

It pierces right into the left side of his chest, hitting his heart and coming out the back. Amell swiftly pulls the sword free, then starts to aim it back at Zaid.

I’m frozen, tears now freely pouring down my face.

But a blast of magic whizzes past my ear, straight at Amell, and hits him square in the chest. It’s not much and doesn’t even make him stumble back but a few feet, but his head shifts to look our way and his eyes connect with Zora, who stands behind me.

She’s the one who threw it, and Amell is astonished.

At the same time, I see pride on his face.

Zora’s voice rings inside my head, but she’s not talking to me. She’s talking to Amell while choosing to let me hear it.

If you ever cared for me at all, she says, let him live.

Amell stares at her for a long moment before giving a slight nod. He lowers his sword to the ground, but rather than turn to battle someone else, he casts a forlorn look at Zora.

Then he blinks away, disappearing.

I catch a glimpse of Zaid on the ground, cradling Boral, whose body starts to turn black and break apart into ash. He bows his head and cries freely over his father. I make a move to start his way, comfort the only thing I have to offer.

Zora grabs my hand and jerks me back to reality, then things speed up once again.

No more slow-mo.

Just Zora standing before me with determination.

She takes my other hand in hers. “Nothing we are doing is working. We cannot defeat her and the Blood Stone.”

I don’t need to look around at the carnage again or see the demons pouring forth from the Underworld to know she speaks true.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I’m so sorry.”

Zora’s expression hardens as she shakes her head. “Don’t be sorry. Do something about it.”

“I can’t,” I moan, and I hate how whiny I sound.

“You can,” she replies softly, then steps in closer to me. She squeezes both my hands, pinning me with her eyes. “I wasn’t truthful with you about why Amell came to the condo to see me.”

I frown, slightly disoriented by this radical change of subject. “What do you mean?”

She answers me, her words coming out with urgency. “Amell came to tell me that when the magic was held back and retained inside of me, it actually kept part of Kymaris’ life force within me as well. And part of my life force went into her.”

I feel dense. This doesn’t make sense to me. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“Our lives are tied to each other,” Zora explains quickly, because she knows we don’t have much time to sit here and chitchat. “The reason he tried to talk you into containing Kymaris rather than killing her is because—”

“It would kill you, too,” I exclaim in horror as it becomes clear to me. “Oh, God.”

It’s in this moment that I know I’m going to let Earth go to its doom and give up on my mission to stop this prophecy.

“You have a sacrifice to bear,” Zora reminds me harshly, and I try to jerk away from her.

“No,” I protest, trying desperately to free my hands from hers.

She’s stronger, though, and pulls me back in. “You have a sacrifice to bear,” she repeats, this time softly annunciating the words for effect.

So that I cannot ignore them.

But I do. I look away from her to take in the battle again. Kymaris cuts people down, demons rip and shred their warriors, and Carrick and Maddox’s efforts are futile.

I see Zaid still sitting on the ground, looking lost and full of regret.