“Hmm,” she replies, withdrawing the ark from her cloak. We all return to our places, prepared to repeat the process again. This still doesn’t solve the issue of my impending fate as a god, but at least we’re one step closer to giving me a chance to survive.

D’Arcy spins up her magic, focusing a concentrated beam of pure starlight into the ark. It’s as beautiful as I imagined it would be.

The ark absorbs her light before it starts to glow. Again Zerra appears, wavering in and out. She spins around to face me, and it’s then that I’m sure she can see me. Her form flickers again, and then suddenly, she becomes solid, like she’s standing right there. I take a step back, stumbling over the rubble under my feet, feeling the stones give way.

“You!” she screams as her arms fling out. Silver lightning spears from her fingertips as everyone blocks her with their magic, but Zerra is strong. I can see everyone struggling to hold her back as more and more magic filters from her hands.

Red lightning twists up my arms, my power swelling in answer.

Zerra flings out a silver whip of light. It circles around Nadir’s ankle and yanks him towards her, dragging him over the rough ground. He roars as he fights and kicks, trying to break free of her tether.

“Nadir!” I call. I don’t think. All I can focus on is the fact I’m about to lose him again. I leap off the wall, my feet slamming into the stones as I land in a crouch.

“Lor!” Someone shouts my name. “Don’t!”

I ignore the call as I run for Zerra. I watch in horror as more of her silvery magic wraps around Nadir, like a caterpillar building a cocoon.

“Lor! Don’t go near her!” he shouts as magic closes over his throat and chin, but she will not take him.

Zerra flings out a burst of magic and I react, blocking it. Red lightning surrounds me in a burst of jagged streaks. I pray everyone has taken cover. My pace never slows, and then I knock into her with my full weight. She stumbles, though she doesn’t move from the circle of the ark.

Snarling, she blasts out more magic and I duck before I slam my hand into her chest, filtering out more of my magic, trying to inject it into her blood. We scream together as she bows, her back arching. She bends slowly like a tree fighting a gust of wind. With my teeth gritted, I cling to my power, shoving more of it in.

A moment later she snaps up, and I go flying, landing on the stones with a thud, scraping my palms and tearing the leather at my knees and elbows.