Though no longer under my conscious control, the azi also planted itself in the path of the akvan’s attack. Teeth tore through its body, and my daeva shrieked. At the same time, its own three heads pitched forward, and its tail whipped, snapping into the akvan with such force that its neck was nearly severed by the attack. The other daeva fell to the ground dead. Then the azi collapsed. One of the akvan’s tusks had struck true, goring into its body and finding its heart.

The pain was overwhelming. I shrieked, clutching at my own chest as the agony tore through me as I felt the azi’s death throes. My nails dug into my own skin and drew blood. I could not bear this. I would die here, gasping and bleeding into the sand, though it would take so very long to die.

But as I spasmed, I felt the azi nip between us, at the bond we shared, and gently break free from my grip. The pain faded immediately, but the azi continued to shudder. Fatal as its wound was, it continued fighting for life.

Tea!

Fox was still in my mind but fainter, weaker. His thoughts could not gain enough traction to fall into mine like they once could, but I ignored him. I couldn’t concentrate on him now. Not when everyone was dying. And Kalen—

At the akvan’s final gambit, Kalen had time to set up only one small Shield rune. His wounds were too deep, too severe. I pushed my hands against the injury, trying to stanch the blood spilling out of him.

Not Kalen. Never Kalen.

“Tea,” he choked.

We were so close to escaping. We were so close to Tresea, to starting new lives…

If I had ignored the Odalians’ war with the Drychta…

If we had never gone to Mithra’s Wall…

If I had never stood before Stranger’s Peak and asked the Gorvekai if I was worthy enough…

“Tea…”

“Don’t move!” The words came out angry, panicked. I would not lose Kalen. I had refused shadowglass, refused the mountain solely so I could keep him. I would not lose him now. The visions promised I could keep him if I refused shadowglass. I looked around for something to aid my efforts.

Druj was gone. Sometime during the fight, she had fled, leaving only the dying and spiriting away Altaecia’s body as she did.

“I told you,” Kalen managed to say, coughing up blood, “that I would protect you.”

“Not like this,” I sobbed. “Don’t move. I’ll heal you. I will.”

His smile was beautiful. He’d seen enough bloodshed and injuries on the battlefield to realize what was coming. “I know you will.”