Olga picked up her axe, swiveling it in her hands as if it were weightless, her dark, narrow eyes intently following the movement of her weapon. “Did you not get used to enduring the pain by now?”
“What do you mean?”
Olga shrugged. “Being a woman in this world is all about functioning through the pain. There is so much suffering out there reserved only for us women. How do you still let it have control over you?”
Alissa scowled. “So you believe because I am a woman, I cannot grieve for those I love?”
“You can grieve all you want, Alissa. All I’m saying is that we are built to endure unimaginable pain. Yet I came here, and it took you one second to kneel and beg for death.” Olga sat down beside her with a grunt. “What I’m saying is you can suffer, you can feel the guilt corrode your soul, but you cannot let it paralyze you. You cannot let it be the reason for your surrender or the reason you stop fighting.” She sighed. “Women can never afford to stop fighting, Alissa.”
Olga’s words weighed heavily on her, and for the first time, Alissa saw the woman in a new light. Olga was a warrior not because she wanted to be but because life forced her to become one. Alissa couldn’t stop wondering what had happened inOlga’s life to make her so unshaken by tragedy. What could have hardened her heart so badly to shield her from such pain?
The worst part was that Olga was right. Alissa had spent weeks preparing to fight for Eldric, honing her magic, only to surrender at the first sign of threat. Perhaps she had allowed her grief to consume more of herself than she should have. Perhaps she would need to bury her guilt once more to succeed. Dhalia’s survival depended on her strength and resilience, and she would shatter the world into pieces before losing the battle she had come so far to win.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Olga. I’m sorry I brought danger into your home. It was never my intention.”
“My husband’s death is not on you, Alissa. If it were, I would have killed you long ago.”
“What do you want from me?”
“You said you are forever in my debt. I came to collect a favor.” Olga’s gaze darkened, and Alissa felt a shiver even before the words were spoken. “I want the healer.”
Alissa raised her eyebrows. The painful memory of the vile general nodding the order of Freyah’s murder came to her mind. “Desi isn’t the only one to have their blood on her hands.”
“She’s the only one within reach for now.” Olga’s long nails made a funny sound against the ground as she drummed her fingers. It was clear she had been keeping a close eye on the others involved in her husband’s death. “I will come for the general when the time is right.”
Alissa nodded, her lips pursed. “Help me rescue Eldric, and Desi is yours.”
Alone with her magic and her bow, Alissa might not yet be skilled enough to take down a dozen guards on her own. However, with Olga’s help, they might have what it takes to free Eldric and escape safely.
Olga spat in her hand and extended her arm to shake Alissa’s, sealing the pact that would hopefully lead to Eldric’s liberation and, inevitably, Desi’s end.
64 DAYS UNTIL DHALIA’S DEATH DATE.
“What are you doing?” Olga asked, her nose scrunched up in disgust.
Alissa sat on the ground, hovering over a rat that stood paralyzed in front of her. No one would have smiled that broadly at seeing the obnoxious animal only inches from them, but Alissa was so proud of herself that she couldn’t contain the emotion. “I’m practicing. Obviously!”
“How is watching a dead rat practice?”
Alissa glanced up to look at her friend, her enthusiasm starting to scare Olga a little bit. “It’s not dead. I’m holding it still with my magic!”
Olga leaned down to watch the animal more closely, suddenly as interested in the progress of the experiment as Alissa. “What else can you do?”
“Well, at this point, I think there’s no limit to what I can do. I haven’t tried anything else on the rat, though. I don’t want it to suffer.”
A month ago, Alissa would have never imagined what she would be capable of doing. Before she started practicing, the power of theZeityseemed so limited in her mind—only related to killing. With practice, she understood that the ways to manipulate the effects of time on living beings were endless. She could use her power in a thousand different ways—for good, to heal and mend, but also for evil, to cause excruciating painto anyone who dared cross her path. As long as she didn’t intentionally take a life with her magic, she would not be judged by theMagic Edictum.
“You need to practice on a bigger target, dear. Holding a mouse in place will be of no use to rescuing Eldric,” Mrs. Ilden said.
“I volunteer.” Olga raised her hand and stood, her arms spread wide as if welcoming whatever power might fall upon her.
Ever since discovering that magic was not extinct, she had been curious to know what it felt like to be on the receiving end of such power. She had learned the truth about Bryniard and that her husband’s death was driven by the Crown’s selfish desire to hide the truth. The knowledge had only fueled Olga’s fury, something she would never let herself forget.
“Are you sure?” Alissa’s lips thinned with apprehension. “I’ve never used my magic on a person other than myself. If I lose control, I could hurt you.”
Olga rolled her eyes so deeply her irises could have gotten lost somewhere in her brain. “I can take it.”
Taking a deep breath, Alissa lifted her head to take in the large, muscled figure of the woman before her. To her surprise, the moment she summoned her magic, welcoming it like a familiar melody in her blood, it flowed out instinctively—the pain of summoning was still noticeable, but mild. She had expected Olga’s size to be a bigger challenge, to require more strength in her magical grasp, but now, more attuned to her power, the wisps of magic moved freely at her command, doing exactly as she willed. In a matter of seconds, Olga was held still, frozen in place, unable to resist the restraints of Alissa’s power despite all her strength.