Killian felt his own anger rise. All of the destruction could be laid squarely at the feet of the self-proclaimed Lord of the Night. This man had killed Evrin Evenstar. He’d destroyed the lands across the sea and ravaged Ella’s homeland. Sentar was responsible for untold deaths across the Empire, people Killian was supposed to protect.
Even as he seethed, Killian took in Sentar’s appearance in macabre fascination. His hair was dark red, the color of fresh arterial blood, and slicked back to his head. Streaks of black hair at his temples, and black clothing to match. But more than anything, it was his eyes that drew Killian’s gaze. They were dead, expressionless, with an icy stare that filled Killian with dread.
Killian drew on his anger even as his heart thundered in his chest, using the rage to banish his fear.
Evrin had described Sentar Scythran as the most dangerous opponent Killian would ever face. The Lord of the Night was at the height of his power. Killian’s own runes were faded, drained from the struggle at the Wall.
The two men locked gazes, eye to eye, neither of them breaking contact.
“Leave my city alone,” Killian said.
“Your city?” Sentar sneered. “You are a god. You don’t have a city—or an empire; you have a world! Why fight me? Together we can easily defeat them all.”
“I once followed another’s dreams of glory,” Killian said. “Never again.”
Killian began to chant, allowing his body to rise in the air as he spoke. The farther they were from the city, the more chance his people had of avoiding further destruction.
Sentar climbed the sky with him, the two red-haired men circling each other, only a stone’s throw apart.
“We will let you join us,” Sentar said. “We will give you a kingdom, and you will rule your humans however you see fit. The wolf does not huddle with the sheep. You have no idea of your true potential.”
“I know enough,” Killian said. “I survived Shar.”
Sentar raised an eyebrow. “You were there? Impressive. Tell me, Killian—Emperor—how did you enter the portal?”
Killian realized his error. He’d just revealed to Sentar that they’d found a way to open the portal.
“Or did someone open it for you?” Sentar continued. “Perhaps the young enchantress? Tell me, Emperor, how is she? As much as I enjoyed holding her life in my hands, I enjoyed taking it more.”
With a cry, Killian opened his hands and shouted a quick series of activations. Four twisting lines of black lightning poured from his palms and stabbed at Sentar Scythran.
The Lord of the Night held up his palm and a hazy field of energy appeared in front of him, deflecting the attack, sending the lightning scattering off to the sides like rain off a shield.
Killian bit the words off as he muttered sequence after sequence and changed the nature of his attack, sending a solid spout of fire from his hands to strike Sentar’s defensive barrier.
Sentar’s lips moved soundlessly, calmly, as he fended off the onslaught. Then, without warning, he dropped.
Sentar’s body plummeted through the air, and then he flew back up to launch balls of flame one after the other at Killian, from underneath. Killian projected his body out of the way, tumbling through the sky out of control. Sentar tracked him with his hands, sending fiery spheres one after the other until first one and then another splashed against Killian’s body.
Killian’s runes lit up as they fended off the attack, and he wheeled to once more draw level with his enemy.
High in the skies above Seranthia, the battle between the two Evermen began.
60
At the forefront of a wedge of the strongest fighters, Tiesto threw himself at his opponents, sending limbs and heads in all directions as he whirled into the fray. He was dimly aware of fighting all around: Tingaran legionnaires launching disciplined charges into the ranks of the enemy; avengers tossing revenants high in the air; soldiers from across the Empire marching forward in unison, pushing their opponents back before stepping forward once more.
Tiesto was too embroiled to issue orders to the high lords and marshals, but he could see each column working together to guard the flanks of the other, neither surging too far ahead nor holding back in cowardice.
Yet neither army gave ground easily, and Tiesto sensed the allied forces meeting heavy resistance, and then the revenants began to push back. The two long lines faced each other, but the enemy’s ranks were deeper, and this gave them the strength to hold. The revenant line was longer, and began to stretch to the left and right, beginning to envelop Tiesto’s army in its longer arms.
Even as he cut down snarling foes, Tiesto could see the great cloud of dust; this cloud was now the only barrier between the horde and the streets of Seranthia. The Wall had fallen moments before, stunning them all. Spotting a huge block of stone, Tiesto pushed down his fear and leapt forward, dispatching a barbarian warrior with two successive blows before climbing up on top of the block to gain a vantage.