We grappled with the repercussions of what had just happened in silence. No one wanted to mention the solution to this problem, as if by not speaking the words, it wouldn’t come to pass. They meant well, but it wouldn’t change things.
Creating the new ward would no longer be simple. The part of the spell needed to push out all the demons who evaded the mages wasn’t that much more difficult. It was the enormous burst of power required. A burst Cinaed and I would need to supply personally.
Chapter Eighteen
Cinaed:
The shock of the Great Ward’s collapse ripped through my newly completed bond with Rod. A cry of anguish accompanied demons walking the earth for the first time in twelve centuries. The echoes of desecration trembled underfoot, and the rocks seemed to shudder in horror at the memory of what once happened.
My inner fire flickered with grief as the reality sank in. We were too late. All the fighting, the sacrifices, the rush to find Grandfather, it hadn’t been enough. In the silence that followed the initial shock, I felt the weight of our failure pressing down on me like a physical force. The life we’d waited to have for decades had just vanished. The taste of joy was cruelly snatched from my grasp.
Rod’s emotions mirrored mine. Through our bond his devastation gave way to grim resignation. The reality of what we needed to do next crushed me like a mountain landing on my head. Rod said the spell to create the Great Ward was surprisingly simple. Banishing the demons was slightly harder,but not impossible. The wrinkle was the latter required a sacrifice. Our sacrifice.
The irony wasn’t lost on me. After decades of forced separation, we’d finally completed our bond and had a chance at true happiness. Having achieved that joy, we learned it would last only minutes. Fate had a cruel sense of humor. Still, I didn’t regret our bond. The completeness of Rod’s soul joined to mine, even if for just a few minutes, was worth the price.
“We need to keep going,” Rod said, his hand tightened around mine. His voice was steady, but only I felt the fear he tried to conceal from the others. “Every second we wait, more demons are summoned.”
“No.” Bart stepped forward, his face pale but resolute. “There must be another way.” His voice cracked with emotion as he looked between Rod and me. “The combined power of all the guardians—old and new?—”
“Won’t be enough,” Rod said gently. “You know that, Bart.”
I watched the struggle play across Bart’s face. He was the greatest mage in centuries, a being of logic and reason. Bart had wielded incredible magic, and made it look easy. In that moment, however, he was powerless and desperate.
Through our bond, I felt Rod’s heart break. The bond between brothers was strong. Every one of them would give their lives for their family. Bart’s protective instincts came from a lifetime of protecting his younger brothers and his enormous talent. He’d never been this powerless before, and Rod knew it would haunt him forever.
“I refuse to accept that, Rod.” Bart’s usual calm demeanor crumbled and his voice bordered on hysterical. “We can find a way to?—”
“Bart.” Rod’s voice was kind but firm. “We both know you searched for the last two years, and I love you for that. But evenif there was a way, it’s too late. We need to do this now, not a week, a day, or even an hour from now.”
“Rod—” Bart’s voice broke and tears rolled down his cheek.
Cael tried to comfort his mate, but he barely controlled his own grief. “Thank you, Bart,” I said. “Knowing you tried to help us means the world to both of us.”
“You all need to go,” Rod said, his gaze swept over Eldwin, Hro, my dad, and everyone else. “The energy will kill everyone in the room.”
My heart ached at the pain Rod tried to keep from his voice. It was a lie. Bart and Eldwin could protect themselves. Throughout our long separation, he’d been the strong one, never allowing himself to break. Faced with the ultimate sacrifice, he couldn’t bear to have his family witness his end. I squeezed his hand, sending reassurance through our bond. At least at the end we’d be together, and that was enough. It had to be.
“Tell everyone thank you for all the love and support,” Rod said, calmer than he was inside. “Cinaed and I appreciated it more than they knew.”
I struggled to keep my own emotions in check, my skin warming with the effort of containing my fire. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. We’d just completed our bond—the connection we’d fought for across decades. The feeling of wholeness, of finally being truly united with my mate, was so profound that the thought of losing it after just minutes was almost unbearable.
“This isn’t over,” Bart said fiercely, even as tears streaked down his face. “There has to be?—”
“Go,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Please. Make sure our sacrifice isn’t wasted.”
Our deaths needed to have meaning. Our families would grieve, but hopefully they’d find comfort knowing we preventedthe unimaginable suffering a world overrun by demons would cause.
Bart looked at me, then back at Rod. For a moment, I thought he would refuse again, but Cael whispered something in his ear. With visible reluctance, Bart stepped forward to embrace Rod. He held on as if he could somehow keep Rod from leaving through force of will.
“I love you,” Bart managed through his tears. “I looked up to you more than anyone else. You were the best of us.”
“No, Bart,” Rod’s composure wavered. “You’re the best of us. The world needs you more now than ever.”
When they finally separated, Cael hugged Rod as well, then me. “Thank you,” he said softly. “For everything.”
Even Eldwin and Hro, typically so stoic, appeared shaken. Eldwin clasped Rod’s shoulder, his pink diamond pulsing with emotion he couldn’t express aloud. Hro bowed deeply to both of us—the highest respect in dragon culture.
The weight of their goodbyes settled on my shoulders. I’d never imagined my end would come like this, surrounded by grieving family. The Hollens had welcomed me without hesitation, just as my family accepted Rod. They treated us like mates despite the difficulties our connection caused.
