Page 52 of Unseen Lord

Something big. Something powerful awakens in me and I hold out my hands and call for help.

And from around the world, the dead awaken, their Spirits called forth in masses, and they arrive on the beach of High Castle to kill their enemies.

Chapter 14

Iris

Chaos abounds.I don't even know how I did what I did, and I really hope there are no negative side effects. Like, I didn't read the fine print on all this, you know?

But at least our soldiers have some back up while I face the Tempest, who is still in full on rage mode.

She mounts her Thunder Bird and takes to the sky, and Theo and I follow, unleashing arrows and daggers—and damn do I love these things—hoping to slow her.

She is glowing. Completely consumed. Ready to rip apart everything in her path.

"Aya. Stop! You must still be in there somewhere. Stop!"

She doesn't hear me—or ignores me—I don't know which. This isn't working. How do I kill her? Even with all this, with my powers and the Shadow's Bane, it seems impossible. The Spirit is too strong. Too wild.

I have an idea. I dive Theo towards the castle and call for Ace. "It's Plan B time," I tell him. "This is so freaking risky," I say, as he climbs onto Theo behind me. "Are you sure about this?"

The handsome genius nods. "Maybe I can reach her. If anyone can."

We take to the skies again, and lest you've forgotten, let me remind you it's still pouring rain. So much rain. O.M.G. I'm done with this. Completely done.

When we are close enough to Aya for her to hear us, Ace makes his plea.

"Aya, you can fight this Spirit. You can stop its path of destruction. I know you can. You're the strongest, bravest person I've ever know."

"I am not the girl you knew, Uncle. I am so much more. Stand aside, so you do not fall. You can help raise a new world, a new people, without the chaos, without the fighting, without the pain."

"That's impossible," he says. "Life is pain. But pain is just a feeling. A fleeting, temporary experience that doesn't have to create suffering. Not if you don't let it."

She releases the lightning held in her hands and scorches the earth below us, tearing more bits of the castle apart, killing more innocent people.

Ace sighs. He knows what he must do, but I can only imagine how hard it is for him to do it.

He opens his cloak and pulls out a special arrow, tipped with trimantium, and gives it to me.

"I'm sorry, dear girl. You'll always be in my heart."

I knock and loose the arrow straight at her heart.

Without the cloak, she can't blink out.

It strikes her and she screams, her lightning surging into her, pulling out of the sky. It looks like it's working, like we'll actually defeat her.

But then she smiles and rips the arrow out of her chest. "You think this can stop me now? Nothing can contain what I've become."

And she shoots us out of the sky with lightning. It vibrates inside my body, and for the second time, the Storm Spirit kills me, taking Ace and Theo down too.

I Renew on shore and jog to Ace and Theo. My Manticore roars, shaking, and hobbles next to me. I run a hand over him to make sure he's not injured and check on Ace, but he's not breathing.

"You killed him!" I scream into the sky. "Your favorite uncle, the man who taught you everything. You killed him. And for what?"

Aya lands beside us, and I pull out my daggers. I don't have any lives left. This is it. If she kills me again, I'm dead too.

Her power fades a fraction as she stares at the body of her uncle. I can see her eyes flicker, her natural color returning in flashes, as if the old Aya is fighting back. She drops to her knees. "Uncle Ace?"