ANDROMEDA
Gripping my sorcerer’s staff tightly, I cycled through the attack spells in my mind as I faced off with the Mountain Echo Knight, Kane. The war room was filled with energy, chaos, and smoke, but I pushed it all aside to focus on my enemy, his expression determined, his shoulders heaving with effort, and a streak of blood running down the side of his face.
“Is this how far the Mountain Echo Kingdom has fallen, sending their best knights to be assassins in the dark?” I narrowed my eyes. “Did they really think this would work?”
Kane held up his sword, and a crooked grin materialized on his face. I briefly allowed my gaze to flick to the side so I could check on my griffin, Helios, who was lying still in the aftermath of his failed rescue.
“You haven’t given us many other options,” he said. “Your armies are marching on the Three Kingdoms. You dare to reach your hand to take all of us!” He drew in a deep breath before continuing. “Desperation drives hard choices, my lady.”
I let myself laugh out loud. What does this knight know of desperation? I wouldn’t waste time educating Kane; instead, I lifted my staff and shot a powerful stream of fire directly at him.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Kane jumped out of the way then charged toward me.
“Guards!” I called. “Return to me!” Where the hell are they? But, I knew it was pointless the moment the words left my mouth. I was on my own to finish this thing.
“I told you, your attendants have been taken care of. There’s no one here to help you. Not today, dear Andromeda.”
Fire burned in my chest as I shot back a response. “I don’t need help, you misguided fool.” Then, I sliced my staff through the air, unleashing an arc of wind at him so sharp it could cut through the thickest sheet of metal.
Kane ducked and twisted around it, but this time not quickly enough as the edge of his shoulder took the hit. He let out an agonized cry, dropping to the ground and pressing a hand against the wound. He was at my mercy—we both knew it.
I stared down on him. “Give up, brave Knight. You can’t win this.”
Our eyes remained locked for several long beats, but his lacked the defeat I’d expected to see there. Despite being on his knees, Kane grinned. This stubborn fool dared to not surrender, too proud to plead for his life?
So be it.
I moved closer but stopped short at Kane’s next chilling words.
“Oh, but I have a better chance than you might believe.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out an object. I felt the blood drain from my face when I recognized the crystal. No!
Kane’s smile grew wider at the terror I was unable to mask. But this time, there was something vicious in his expression. “You know what this is. Mage Killer.” Reveling in turning the tables on me, he marveled at his find. “I traveled to the depths of the tallest mountain to find this . . . quite an adventure for just a tiny thing, don’t you think?” He turned his focus back on me.
I took a step back, my breathing labored. Is it already working? I couldn’t be sure if I was feeling weaker from the crystal or from the realization that my fate had just been sealed?
No, Andromeda. This will not be how this ends. I would never give up on being the dark queen, ruling over all three kingdoms. Focusing every bit of energy I had left, I pushed both hands outward, releasing my magic against Kane just as he began to stand. It forced him to stumble backward but only in the physical sense; his face showed no fear, no defeat. But I continued to spill with my wrath. “You dare to bring that into my presence?!” Still no reaction from Kane as he continued to stand his ground, seemingly impervious to my power. I forced bravado into my voice, unwilling to give up. “You think that little rock will help you? It’s a myth. You should know there is no such thing as a mage killer.”
“Let’s see if that’s true, shall we?” Kane proceeded to whisper words in an ancient incantation as he cupped the crystal with both palms facing up. An explosion of color filled the crystal, and Kane’s face contorted into something resembling ecstasy.
“No!” I screamed, feeling the energy inside me swirling into a vortex. “How . . . is this happening? You’re not even a magic user. Damn you, Kane! This shouldn’t be possible!”
With his fists tightly clenching the crystal, he shoved the glowing object toward me. “It is possible, as long as you’re willing to sacrifice everything.”
My magic! I could feel it being drained from my body and flowing into the crystal. I slumped over; the only thing holding me up was my staff. My pulse quickened in panic. I’d never been in such a vulnerable position, and I couldn’t think straight. How was I supposed to fight without my spells? I scanned the room desperately, looking for anything I could use. When I heard Kane let out a pained cry, I snapped my gaze back to him. The crystal. It’s affecting him too. Kane was growing pale, his face tightening with pain. His last words came back to me: “ . . . as long as you’re willing to sacrifice everything.”
“Why are you doing this to yourself?”
Kane ignored me— he was entranced by the crystal, and once again he fell to his knees.
“What have I really done to deserve this?” I said, not fighting the desperation in my voice. “I just wanted the Three Kingdoms to be better. I am the one who can make that happen! Does wanting better for your own home warrant assassination?” I couldn’t be sure I was getting through to him, so I used the last of my energy to shout. “Look at me, Kane!”
He turned to me in disbelief. His mouth opened slowly, as if even speaking was too much. “You started a war, a war that caused untold harm and loss.”
“And are you not doing the same thing right now?” He was still holding the crystal tightly, and it pulsed with the colors of my power filling it, I inched toward him, using my staff for support. The closer I got the more vivid the transfer of power became. “You’re sacrificing in order to change something you feel needs to be changed.” Maybe I could get through to Kane. After all, unlike me, he had compassion. And if I couldn’t reason with him, I’d keep him talking long enough to distract him. But my ill-fated plan was cut short when I witnessed the last of my magic flow out of me and into the crystal.
“What hell is this?” I rasped out as my knees buckled, and I fell to the ground, my staff landing next to me in a clatter. As my vision began to blur, my hands scrabbled along the floor for anything I could use. My fingers brushed against a hard chunk of debris, and I curled it into my fist.
I could hear Kane coming toward me, no doubt using the last of his own strength to end me. When I felt his presence in front of me, I got to my knees. My vision was almost gone, but I could make out Kane kneeling in front of me. I heard his heavy breath. This was my last hope. I thrust my fist out, felt the stone connect with Kane’s jaw, heard his gasp. But I knew it wasn’t enough to knock him out. His blurry form turned back to me; I could just see his mouth clearly enough to see the blood dripping from it.
Struggling to stay upright, I squinted at him, fought to focus my vision on his hand—on the crystal that was stealing my life. But it was gone, in its place a silver dagger. Kane raised the dagger above his head, lined the point up with my chest and slowly lowered it until it was pressing into my skin. “I take no pleasure in this, Andromeda.”
I didn’t even have the energy to spit in his face, so I whispered, “And yet here we are,” knowing my fate was sealed. My body went numb, my vision black, as if I no longer existed. I closed my eyes and waited for it to come.
When Kane pushed the dagger into my chest, I felt no pain. But I opened my eyes to restored vision, to the knight who killed me. His face inches from mine was the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes again.
And then nothing.
Until . . .
Blackness swirled around me, my body and mind pulsing, flashes of the battle tearing me up. I gasped and my eyes popped open. “Kane,” I whispered, but when I sat up and looked around, he was gone. Everything was gone.
This isn’t right. I was no longer in the war room surrounded by destruction. My brain fought to make sense of it. I searched my body for injuries but found none. To my surprise, I stood with ease. “What is this place?” I whispered aloud. It was . . . odd. A small unfamiliar room, the walls covered with images. I walked over to one giant image of a bridge and a small map, and read the words on it. “Welcome to Brooklyn.” I spun in a circle. “What the hell is a Brooklyn?”
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