Page 209 of Scourged
“I accept.”
“NO.”Mariah roared, both across the bond and into the air, the castle shaking behind them.
“No. I will not leave you. Not after everything.”She broke at the end, pain shuddering through her.
“There’s no other choice. Feran needs a healer, and fast. Your family needs to get out of here. You either choose me, or you lose them.”Andrian glared at her. All his love and heartbreak and anger poured into those miraculous eyes.“And I … I am not worth it. Not worth all of that.”
“No. You are worth everything.”But even as she said it, his words landed their mark. She glanced over his shoulder.
Her Armature, bloody and bruised, leaning heavily on weapons. Drystan crouched beside Feran, whose blood still soaked the grass, his breathing growing shallower.
Wex and Ellan behind them. Her father, sword outstretched despite the brokenness in his eyes. Her brother, shattered and shadowed, black and gold cuffs still clamped around his wrists as he huddled behind Wex.
It should have been an easy choice. Eight lives in exchange for one.
But she was dealing in games and trades of love, and love would always be her weakness.
Andrian rested a hand on her wing, his warmth seeping below her scales, racing straight for her heart.
“And you are worth everything to me,nio.My moon, my stars, every light that has ever graced my life. Let me be the one to ensure those lights keep shining.”
Dragons could not cry. As her grief and anguish and rage and fury heaved in her chest, scratching down her throat, Mariah realized it had nowhere to go. So instead she unleashed another roar, tilting her head back to the sky. More silver-gold flames burst from her maw, and the sound of her despair and fury clawed its way to the stars. Across the continent people turned skyward as impossible heartbreak washed over the lands.
Kol simply watched, humor glinting in his orange-gold eyes. As if he was drinking in her pain, feeding the sickness in him that had festered for five thousand years.
Mariah swallowed her flames and her pain, turning to Andrian one last time.
“I will come back for you,Rhoi.I am Queen, but without you, I will rule over ashes and dust.”
Andrian smiled. A soft, sad smile.
“I would have gladly ruled by your side, even over a kingdom of rubble, until the gods called us back to the stars. But please,nio.No matter what.”His smile fell, grim hardness tumbling over him. That mask going up, the wall of ice freezing him in.
“No matter what, do not come back for me.”
Mariah snarled.
“We will finish this conversation. When I see you again.” She lowered her body to the ground, sending a blind tug out to her Armature. They leaped into action, Sebastian and Matheo falling beside Drystan. Together, the three men carefully lifted Feran’s limp form. Drystan face was wrought with the worst type of devastation as he cradled Feran’s head.
Something in Mariah both warmed and chilled. She’d been so wrapped up in her internal struggles, she hadn’t noticed … hadn’t seen …
And now, Drystan might lose something precious. All because Mariah was too broken to stop herself from becoming a monster.
As her Armature and her family climbed over her wing, onto her back, she fixed Kol with a world-ending glare.
“I willendyou for this.”
Kol tilted his head.“I have no doubts you will try, little goddess, even though this destruction today has all been caused by you. Driven by so much emotion, you moon goddesses. But remember—”His wings rustled as he shifted, testing the weight on his healed leg.
“No matter how bright the moons shine, the sun always burns them away.”
Her family was now all settled across her back. She hadn’t realized how large she was; not truly. Not until she rose, and barely felt their weight between her wings. Her muscles were sore and tired, but she extended her wings regardless, gritting against the pain.
Mariah cast one final, heartbroken glance at Andrian, whose shadows had withdrawn beneath his skin.
“Stay alive,Rhoi. I will come back for you.”She cracked, heart splitting. “I love you, Andrian.”
“I love you too, Mariah.” He spoke aloud, tears lining his eyes. “But,nio …don’t come back.”