Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
“I came for you because I couldn’t not come. I came because you’re the other half of my soul and I can’t live without you!”
And she knew what she needed to sing about—she knew what would take the AllFather’s power and crumble it to dust.
She grabbed for Nate’s wrist with her free hand and felt the ex-Seal’s muscles tighten under her grip. Then she opened her mouth and sang a line from a musical she’d always loved.
“All I want is freedom,
A word with no more night!
And you, always beside me—
to hold me and to hide me…”
As she sang, Sonya felt as though the words were leaving her mouth like arrows and she could actually see them. They came from between her lips in streaks of dark pink light and struck the AllFather in the center of his shadowy robes.
“Ahh! What…what are you doing?” the evil creature hissed, taking a staggering step back.
But Davrik had already picked up on what was happening. Gripping Sonya’s hand more tightly in his, he sang the next lines back to her.
“Let me be your shelter…
Let me be your light.
I’m here, with you, beside you…
To hold you and to guide you.”
Dark blue streaks of light came from his lips and hit the AllFather right between his glowing red eyes. He staggered again, screeching in pain as he pinwheeled his arms, trying to stay on his feet.
“Stop—what are you doing? Ssstop!” he screeched. But by now Sonya and Davrik were singing the chorus together—their voices lifted and entwined in a harmony so close Sonya could feel it in her soul.
“Say you’ll share with me each night, each morning…
Say the word and I will follow you.
Say you need me with you now and always…
Anywhere you go, let me go too…
Love me, that’s all I ask of you!”
Bolt after bolt of emotion energy flew from their mouths and Sonya felt as though the song was swelling within her, making her bigger and stronger than she had ever been in her entire life. She poured everything she had into it—the warmth and safety that Davrik made her feel when he held her, the desire she felt when he touched her, the pleasure he gave her when he tasted her…all the positive emotions she’d ever had when she touched the big Kindred came out.
And in the process, she felt Davrik’s emotions too—they poured out in a song of love and longing for her so intense it nearly took her breath away.
He loves me, she thought. He really loves me despite everything!
The AllFather was screaming and writhing on the floor by now but the Scourge soldiers around him seemed confused. They milled dumbly around, looking uncertainly at the scene of their leader screeching and shouting. They might have understood if they had seen someone pointing a blaster at his head, Sonya thought distractedly, but they had no idea what she and Davrik were doing. They had probably never heard singing before in their dull, miserable lives.
There was one person who seemed to understand, though. That was the single Scourge officer the AllFather had called Krix. He was standing by uncertainly, looking down at the screeching Scourge Overlord as though he wasn’t sure if he ought to help or not.
“Krix, ssstop them!” the AllFather screamed at him. “I will never passs my power to you if you let them kill me thiss way!”
This seemed to galvanize the Scourge officer into motion.
“Here—stop that sound!” he shouted, coming towards Sonya and Davrik with a hand on his blaster. But that was when Xairna sprang into action.
The minute that Krix was distracted, the Scourge girl pulled a long dagger from her boot. She ran at the Scourge officer and, just as he was turning to her, his red-on-black eyes wide with surprise, she made a swift, sideways motion.
Krix gasped…but the sound turned into a gurgle. Taking a stumbling step backwards, he clutched at his throat but streams of crimson were already flowing down his black uniform.
“I told you I’d never Join with you!” Xairna hissed at him.
Then, stepping around him, she knelt by the writhing, screeching AllFather.
“Stop—just for a moment,” she shouted at Sonya and Davrik.
Sonya did—taking a minute to breathe deeply. Beside her, Davrik stopped as well and for a moment the entire round throne room was filled with nothing but the sounds of the AllFather’s wheezing breath.
“Xairna…my daughter,” he hissed as she bent over him, the knife still gripped in one hand. “You have…sssaved me.”
“Only so I can kill you myself!” She glared down at him and Sonya felt her hatred again—the pain and sorrow of a child who had been abused and hurt instead of being loved and cared for. “You’ll never taste my pain again,” she whispered, her eyes flashing.
And then she plunged the bloody blade deep in the AllFather’s heart.
There was a final screech so loud Sonya thought it might burst her eardrums and the dark figure in front of them bowed its back at an impossible angle, the hilt of the knife protruding from its chest. Sonya saw the burning red eyes flicker…and then go out. And then the AllFather sank back to the dais and something strange happened.