“I think you’ll enjoy what comes next,” he says jovially.
Sadal teleports us out of the pass before I can blink. When I open my eyes again, my vision is still fuzzy from the jolt of the magical travel. I take long, shaky breaths, straining my eyes to take in my surroundings. The silence in this new place is overwhelming, so quiet that it sends a chill down my spine.
When my vision finally clears, I inhale sharply. Sadal has brought me to the hill overlooking Altair’s castle, my home for the last few months. The hills are covered by the demon army, stretching from behind us to the surrounding forests, to the walls surrounding the castle. I curl my hands into fists at my side at the overwhelming sight of the demons surrounding Altair. I can only imagine his forces are sequestered behind the walls, preparing for the coming carnage.
My narrowed eyes slip towards Sadal. He’s watching my reaction closely, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear. I draw the cloak closer around myself to keep my hands away from the dagger around my thigh.
“Your mortal eyesight isn’t quite as fine as mine,” Sadal purrs. “But I’ll tell you what I see.”
“Where are the Bloodbane?” I ask, ignoring him. I don’t see their bright red cloaks anywhere.
“Where they need to be,” Sadal says. “The fighting has begun, watch closely.”
He’s right. The demons are storming the walls with vicious howls, breaking their silence. By the sound of their crying, some have fallen by the archers lining the ramparts. Suddenly, I catch sight of a black wings, longer than the length of my body, stretching through the rolling fog. I gasp at the sight of Altair in his beastly form, sweeping through the crowds of demons. I almost drop to my knees seeing him alive in the present. I dreamt of him last night, but I thought it was only a desperate vision – one more memory to get me through life after his death.
Sadal is watching me, I can feel his eyes on me. I don’t bother hiding my happiness. A smile spread across my face and I feel tears welling in my eyes. My chest is too tight, painful even as I hold back cries of happiness. Alive. Alive. Alive. Altair is alive.
He disappears behind the castle towers and my heart instantly aches for another sight of him. Sadal closes in on me and grips my chin hard. He forces my head towards him but I can’t drag my eyes away from the battle.
“Look at me,” he hisses. As if his words were a spell, my eyes dart towards him. “I’ll break him as many times as I have to, to make you understand.”
“You can’t break him,” I say through gritted teeth. My heart is swollen with pride. “He’s stronger than you.”
“You forget that I’m a god,” Sadal says coldly.
My eyes flash. “I haven’t forgotten.”
“My strength is infinite, my power is endless, time is nothing to me. Do you understand?” Sadal hisses.
“I understand that Altair doesn’t need your strength or power to make you fall,” I say, eyes flashing with faith. “He’ll fight you for thousands of years until you understand that. He’ll fight you without his armies if it comes to that.”
Sadal curls his lip at me and tosses me aside. I stumble as rain begins to pour from the low-hanging clouds above. The rain doesn’t touch Sadal, as if even the rain is too frightened to wet the evil god. I draw my hood up as rain spills into my eyes. The fighting is obscured now and the sounds are muffled. I can only imagine what must be happening at the castle.
Anxiety sweeps through me, sending tingles to the tips of my fingers. This is Altair’s last stronghold before Desmarais. I can only hope that Desmarais is truly empty now. More demons rush past us on the hill, heading directly for the castle. I turn and see an endless stream of them from the mountains and fear grips my chest. There can’t be many Fae soldiers inside the castle walls. They’re outnumbered but I know that won’t stop Altair from putting up a fight.
From the fog and roiling clouds, a black-winged beast appears. Altair’s hazel eyes are locked on Sadal, and I know by the curl of his lip that he has eyes only for Sadal. Sadal steps forward, anticipating Altair, but at the last moment, Altair drops to the soggy grass at the base of the hill. I reach down to the dagger lying against my thigh and hide it in the folds of my cloak.
Altair stalks up the hill, his sword in hand. His hazel eyes flash, locked on Sadal. Rain pours down his face, his hair, sopping wet, sticks to his forehead. He shakes it, droplets of water spraying around him. He scowls at Sadal and lifts his sword up. Altair points the blade directly at Sadal and I feel a rush of pride at the way he faces off against the dark god without fear.
“Sadal.” Altair’s eyes are cold and calculated, narrowed.
Sadal smirks. “Altair. Things aren’t looking so good for you.”
I narrow my eyes at him, curling my lip. But I wait, partially hidden behind Sadal’s wide shoulders. Altair points the tip of his blade at Sadal’s throat. “Let’s finish this,” he says, his voice dangerously low.
“You can’t kill me,” Sadal chuckles. “I’m a god.”
I step forward, anger and anxiety twisting my gut. The blade is slick in my hand, from sweat or rain, or maybe both. “Not for long,” I say stiffly.
I raise my blade, heart beating wildly as Sadal’s eyes slip towards me. But he sees the blade in my hand too late. I plunge it towards his neck, adrenaline pumping through my veins like a drug. From the corner of my eyes, I see Altair’s lips part in surprise. Triumph shatters my fear as the tip of the blade hovers
