Evelayn looked down to see black bands encircling her calves and thighs. Bain burst out of the trees into the clearing behind her. Frantic, she blasted away the shadow chains with a jet of light as he rushed toward her. He was going to kill her and it would all be—
But suddenly he stumbled and nearly fell as something exploded against his back. He roared in pain—and rage. Evelayn blinked, almost certain it had been shadow that had hit him, not light.
There was no time to wonder. Evelayn jumped back to her feet and sprinted away, ignoring the lingering pain from his attack. She glanced over her shoulder to see him barreling after her, Lorcan, Lothar, Kel, and Teca right behind him.
She only had to get him to the other side of the clearing without being killed. Evelayn shot to the right, drawing him toward the forest, and then cut back left just as he sent another blast at her, barely evading the hit. He whirled to follow her, just as Lorcan sent a ball of shadowflame at her. She threw herself to the ground, but his aim was a little bit off—the fireball exploded just behind her.
She heard Bain curse as she rolled across the earth and onto her feet in one fluid movement. Her entire body hurt, pain pulsing in too many places to count. This was her last chance.
Evelayn sprinted as fast as she had in her entire life toward the edge of the clearing where the trail narrowed once more; the clearing and the forest beyond blurred into a hazy watercolor of greens, browns, and blues. There was the path where Tanvir, Lord Teslar, and the other priestesses waited, not revealing themselves yet in hopes she could still succeed. Bain and Lorcan were both right on her heels. Her conduit stone burned hot in her chest, the power she had access to begging for release, as she somehow found the strength for one more burst of blinding speed.
The moment she hurtled past the appointed spot, Evelayn whirled and lifted her hands. King Bain was right there, his face lit with exultation.
He thought he had her.
And then suddenly, he was ensnared. The webs came from everywhere—the left, the right, even from above where two priestesses clung to branches. It was too many at once. His entire body was trapped for the space of a breath.
Evelayn looked into his eyes once more as she finally released the power and called down the sun. There was a roar, and the sky exploded. Pure sunlight blasted to the earth at the exact moment Bain burst through the webbing with a slash of the shadow-blade he’d summoned, and leapt toward her. There was a split second when the image of his face, contorted with rage, was seared into her mind. And then the light consumed his body.
There was nothing but that blinding beam, the thundering sound of the sun devouring the king of Dorjhalon, and the power flowing through Evelayn’s body like a tidal wave she could no longer hold back. She began to vibrate with it; her hands trembled and her stone burned like fire in her breastbone. But she didn’t dare let go yet. She didn’t know how long it would take to make sure he was truly gone.
And then, suddenly, someone’s arms came around her from behind. A gentle, insistent pressure.
“Ev, you did it. He’s gone. Let go.” A familiar voice murmured in her ear. “Let go.”
With a gasp, she did as the voice told her, nearly collapsing when, in the blink of an eye, the beam of sun dissipated, leaving behind nothing but a blood-red stone smoking in the charred soil.
“You did it, Ev,” the voice said in hushed awe, and this time she knew him. It was Tanvir who held her, who had called her back when she’d almost lost herself in the power.
Lorcan stood on the edge of the clearing, staring at the ground in shock, his brother just behind him.
And that’s when it truly hit her. She had done it. All the sacrifice and work, all the worry and fear and hours and hours of training had been worth it.
Bain was dead.
LORCAN’S EYES FINALLY LIFTED AND MET HERS. EVELAYN suppressed a shiver. They were the exact same silver as his father’s. She knew it was him because she’d heard descriptions of him her whole life. But seeing him in person was an entirely different thing. No one could accurately describe the coldness that etched his handsome face like stone or the arrogant way he held himself, even now, even faced with the loss of his father—his magic. He exuded power … even though he was now bereft of it.
She lifted her hands and bound him with shimmering cords of light, despite his having no ability to hurt her. Rather than struggling or protesting, he merely smirked at her, as if he found her diverting.
The others came out from hiding, all celebrating, shouting her praise, but Evelayn only had eyes for the new king of Dorjhalon, and she watched him—calculating. Though she wanted nothing more than to celebrate with her people, to allow her relief to swallow up the fear and tension that had held her captive for the majority of her life, she knew that what happened next was just as important as having killed Bain. Kel and Teca soon appeared, prodding Lothar, who was similarly bound with cords of light, forward to stand beside his older brother.
Though Lorcan had his father’s silver eyes, he had his mother’s snow-white hair and obsidian-black skin—he was stunning. Lothar, on the other hand, was the spitting image of his father. The metallic glint of coppery skin, with raven-colored hair and slightly darker gray eyes. They were both extremely handsome—and extremely dangerous.
“What do you know of the need for balance in our world?” Evelayn finally spoke, still watching Lorcan.
His gaze was unreadable as he looked down at her. She was tall, but he was taller. Much taller. “That depends on what you mean by ‘balance.’”
Evelayn tightened the cords around him, letting him feel the force of the power she wielded—reminding him that she had the ability to cut his life short if he wasn’t careful.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
Lorcan’s jaw tightened, and after a pause he nodded, a sharp jerk of his head. She loosened the cords enough to let him breathe again, and he inhaled and exhaled loudly. “If I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t know what I believe.”
Evelayn glanced over his shoulder at Kel and Tanvir, who stood together, watching their interaction. Kel’s expression was unreadable, but Tanvir’s eyes were narrowed, as if weighing Lorcan’s every word.
Her choices were so limited—and fraught with risk.
If she let Lorcan go, he could try to perform the ceremony to claim the power the Dark Draíolon were now without. He didn’t have his father’s body, but the stone was still there, lying on the ground. There was the possibility he could rule his people in peace in Dorjhalon … but there was also the possibility he could take up his father’s battle and carry on the war.
Or she could kill him, giving the chance to Lothar. Caedmon had claimed he wanted peace—but he hadn’t been sure. Was it worth killing again to find out? And if he’d been wrong, what then?