Chapter 134

I gasp, my shoulders trembling under the sheer weight of Death’s magic that flows over and around us, my shield barrier straining and buckling under its might.

“June,” Anton breathes, eyes wide as he looks up at the magic streaming over us in an unending torrent. “Shit – are you –“

I crouch beside him, my hands still fisted in his shirt, and press my eyes shut, gritting my teeth for a moment – testing out my strength, seeing if I can hold. “I think,” I whisper, strained. “I think I can do it…”

“You can do it,” Anton whispers. I open my eyes to look up at him and he puts his hands firm on my shoulders. “You have to do it, Junie.”

My bottom lip shakes, just for a moment minute. Not at the strain of the magic anymore.

But at him. My ghost, my handmaiden, my boyfriend. Calling me Junie. I…fucking love that he calls me Junie.

I pin my strength to that, tying it close, anchoring it to his love and his confidence. Anton takes a deep breath, holding my gaze, slowly nodding. Utterly supportive and sure, even as Death roars around us.

“Just a little longer, June,” Tony whispers.

“Distract me,” I whisper, all of my muscles tense and threatening to give out. God, heavens, I’m…I’m not sure how long I can last -

“Want me to kiss you again?”

I whip my head up, glaring. “Only if you want to die!”

Tony grins, showing all of his pretty white teeth, beaming at me.

“How can you be so cheerful?” I growl.

“Because you just implied that a kiss from me would be more absorbing than a death god trying to kill us –“

My growl deepens. So does his smile.

“Which, I mean, I take as a compliment, Junie. I mean, I knew that I was a pretty good kisser, but now?” He arches a brow at me.

I shake my head at him, baffled at how…calm he is. But that’s always been his own power, isn’t it? Anton – he just…sees every situation for what it is. Sees people down to the heart of them. Knows what they need.

And, so generously, gives it.

I huff through my nose, jealous in the same moment that I’m grateful. God, I wish I could be more like that.

“I just worry about you, Anton,” I say, lifting my chin to meet his gaze, defiance ringing in me as it always does. “A kiss from me will totally knock you off balance, and then you’d fall into that stream of death,” I say, nodding casually to the black magic pulsing around us. “And then your soul would get all shredded to pieces. And then I wouldn’t have a handmaiden to do manual labor for me.”

“Is that what you have planned for me, Juniper?” Anton asks, somehow managing to smirk as we both pretend we’re not inches from death. “When I get my body back? Manual labor?”

“Yeah,” I whisper, wrinkling my nose at him, pretending that every inch of my body and soul isn’t crumbling under this strain. “I just need someone to clean up around the palace. Tend the garden. Take out the trash.”

He growls, low and possessive, taking a hand from my shoulder to curl his fingers beneath my chin. “What a waste,” he murmurs, his eyes dropping to my mouth. “When I have so many other talents. And so many plans.”

A shiver runs through me and I jolt forward, too distracted – too close.

“Please,” I whisper as Anton snaps his hand back to my shoulder, keeping me steady. “No more games. No more distractions. I…I think we need to concentrate.”

I feel him nod, tense, even if I don’t see it.

“I…I don’t know how long I can hold out, Tony,” I whisper, feeling my shield strip away bit by bit under this onslaught.

“Just a little longer, June. She’ll do it.”

But what if she doesn’t? What if…what if I’m inches from oblivion, and this is it? My heart strains in my chest, my wolf shaking like a leaf from snout to tail.

But still, I will myself to hope. To trust in my friend.

“I know,” I reply, letting my eyes shut again, continuing to hold and hold and hold. “It’s just so…hard. I gave her so much –“

“You had to,” Anton whispers, his hands tightening on my shoulders. “Now all we have to do is have faith in her.”

I breathe deeply, my body starting to shake as what’s left of my magic presses against Death’s onslaught. Just a very thin, very fine barrier keeping us from being torn to shreds.

I hold and I trust.

Because our fate is in Laila’s hands now.

Laila steps forward from the line of women, erasing the bounds placed on her by Darkness’s magic with a mere thought. The contestants next to her in line gasp but Laila glances to the side once, silencing them, stealing their voices away with a thought.

Then she returns her eyes to Death – whose full concentration is on the black magic streaming from his hands, on the swell at the center of it in the waste, where Juniper holds out.

And she does hold out. Laila can feel it.

Because Juniper’s power continues to rush to Laila, filling her, meaning Juniper is still alive.

Laila moves forward, knowing that time is short and Juniper cannot last forever. As she walks, Laila’s red gown fades again into a new color and shape – this time a deep midnight blue robe, scattered with stars. Looking, for all things, Goddess blessed - like Anton’s ghostly form. A white crescent moon shines bright at the peak of Laila’s forehead.

She’s a priestess now, after all.

Another step towards Death. Laila raises her hands.

“I make my request of the Goddess I serve,” she whispers, eyes still fastened on the God. “In payment for my commitment to her, I wish for a weapon. For a knife.”

Beatrice turns towards Laila and gasps but Laila silences her in turn, stealing her voice, binding her tight to her spot so she can’t move. Orion’s eyes go wide as he sees Laila’s steps.

But he doesn’t say a word.

“A powerful knife,” Laila whispers – close now. So close she can see the seams in Death’s clothing – smell the power radiating off him, like overheated metal, reaching its breaking point.

Death snarls, frustrated that June just won’t die.

He pushes more and Laila can feel Juniper’s strain down her priestess’s bond. Her heart begins to pound. Still, she moves forward.

“Powerful enough to kill a god.”

Magic pounds through Laila – more than what Juniper gave her before – magic from…elsewhere, from beyond. From the power of their bond, perhaps – the magic of her commitment added to the Goddess magic flowing from Juniper herself.

For a moment Laila wonders if it’s too much – if her body can handle it, or she’ll just dissolve into nothing –

But suddenly the power concentrates, flowing to her hands, becoming solid there.

Laila exhales, looking down into her hands, to the blade in her palm. Silver and sharp, the light of three moons moves across the metal like water.

Laila smiles, shifting the weapon in her hands to grip the hilt, the blade turned towards the ground.

Three steps forward, towards the maniac God whose entire attention is concentrated on killing the wolf girl in the waste before him.

Not realizing that all of her power is here. Behind him. Raising a knife high.

Laila bares her teeth and doesn’t make a sound as she slams the knife down.