Oren steps back, a look of shock on his face. It fades. "I should have known. The demons care for nothing—"
He is close enough now. I slam my head into his, and he falls back, stunned. I use the distraction to throw my body over the edge of the balcony.
I have no plan. No way of stopping the fall. I'm still stuck to a damn chair. But I refuse to be used as a pawn in their game. I refuse to be tortured more in order to control Fen.
I will die my own way.
I brace myself for the fall, for hitting the ground hard and—if not dying—at least breaking my bones. But honestly, what is a bit more pain at this point?
The ground rises up to greet me, and I close my yes, but then… I begin to slow down. How? Yami? I look around for my dragon, but he is not here. It's not a dragon catching me, but wind.
I land gently, and Varis lands beside me and helps me out of my restraints. "You will not be harmed," he says. He sees my arms and flinches. "I am sorry I did not arrive in time to stop him."
I try to thank him, but tears sting my eyes as another round of pain sweeps through me.
The air grows cold, and Metsi, the Water Druid, appears before us. Her serpent, Wadu, coils around her right arm, hissing. She raises a silver sword.
Varis raises his hand. "No, sister. The Midnight Star is not our enemy. We need her. She is the key to peace."
Metsi pauses, considering his words. She too notices my arms and frowns. "The vampires are nearing. They will be upon us soon. But it will be as you say, Varis. I hope you are right about her." She drops my broken sword at my feet and vanishes into mist.
"I must leave," Varis says. "Stay safe. When this battle is over, I will make sure both sides yet live."
With the air under him, and his owl at his side he rises into the sky, straight for the phoenix who flies above us.
I shake as I drop to my knees, the snow cool under my body. I pack it over my arms to soothe my burns. The cold is nearly as painful as the heat, but I know it must be done.
To manage the pain, I inhale deeply and exhale slowly, using meditation techniques Varis taught me. I must regain my focus and find Fen. He's in trouble. A deep knowing stirs within me. He's in danger, and I must help him.
I pick up my broken sword and whisper a cloaking illusion. Once again, I turn translucent instead of invisible. Still, it helps to stay hidden as I trudge through the snow, searching for Fen. Where would he be? I look up, following the traces of fire in the bright sky. It leads to Stonehill.
Soldiers clash around me. Steel rings in the air. The vampire army has arrived, and the Fae have left the city to meet them. The gate is open.
I jog faster, ignoring my pain, evading the fighting around me. As I turn past the gate, a Fae soldier sees through my illusion and lunges at me. I block his sword with what remains of mine. A vampire slides a spear into his back, and I nearly trip as I watch the man die.
This has to end.
The city burns. It is as before. Nothing has changed. For all I have done, there is no peace.
I run to the other side of the castle, to the clearing by its gates, where fires blaze the brightest. In the midst of the flames, upon charred black land, I find Fen and Baron in battle against Oren. His phoenix is above him, in the sky, fighting Zyra, twisting through the air. Varis rides his giant spirit, guiding her, striking at the phoenix with a blade. Below, Fen fights with speed, agility, and a deadly blade, but Oren is larger and stronger. His hands are alight with fire, and he throws flame at Baron.
Dead bodies litter the ground around them, some Fae, some vampire, some Shade. All wasted life.
Baron lunges at Oren.
The Druid raises his blade.
And cuts the wolf's paws.
Baron falls, whining. Fen roars, attacking with more ferocity than before. But the Druid matches every blow. He pushes Fen back.
The vampire is growing tired. Oren is too strong. He strikes. Again. Again. And Fen falls to his knees.
Fen can't win this fight alone.
I run forward, jumping between Fae and vampire. "Stop!"
Oren laughs. "Did the vampires stop when they were slaughtering my people? Did they stop when they murdered my Queen?"
"It is a cycle that never ends," I say, as the histories of these people spread out in my mind's eye. "The vampires were cast here against their will, cursed with blood lust, ravaged with this new desire, only to find a people whose blood was an addiction."
"Am I to feel pity for them?" Oren asks. "Am I to offer mercy to these monsters?"
"What they did was not right. The slavery isn't right. But there is another way. We can free the slaves," I say, grasping onto hope. "Turn them into workers. Look around you," I shout. "Too many lives are lost, and not just vampire, but Fae, Shade, your people!"