Chapter 32 THE FINAL STAND
CHAPTER 032: THE FINAL STAND
The Hollow King laughs maniacally.
It's a sound that makes the walls shake.
"How touching," he says. "The wolf returns just in time to die with the rest of you."
Kieran didn't say anything, he just moved until he's standing beside me. His shoulder brushes mine and for the first time in days I feel steady.
"Formations!" Corvus shouts from somewhere behind us.
Students scramble into position. The ones who've trained for combat move to the front. The younger ones stays at the back near the escape routes.
But there are too many creatures pouring through the portal. Shadow beasts with teeth like daggers. Wraith-like beings that walk in and out.
"We can't win this," someone whispers.
"Then we make them work for it," Alaric says. His fangs are fully extended and his eyes glow deep red.
Cassian's entire body ignites. Not fully but close. Flames burn across his skin without burning him.
Zev's presence expands. Dream magic ripples outward affecting everyone it touches. The creatures nearest to him stumble like they're walking through fog.
"Thalira," Kieran says quietly. "Whatever happens stay behind me."
"I'm not hiding behind you."
"I know but let me pretend you will."
Despite everything I almost smile.
The Hollow King raises his hand. "Last chance daughter. Surrender now and I'll let the others live."
"You're a liar," I call back. "You've never let anyone live."
"True." He lowers his hand. "Kill them all."
The creatures surge forward.
Everything turns into chaos.
Kieran shifts into full wolf form and crashes into the first wave of the battle. His jaws close around a shadow beast's throat and it dissolves into smoke.
Alaric moves very fast to the extent that he wasn't able to be caught. One second he's beside me the next he's across the hall ripping through three wraiths at a time.
Cassian launches himself into the air. His flames stream behind him like wings. He crashes down in the center of a group of creatures and the explosion sends them flying.
Zev doesn't move from his spot but his magic spreads like a virus. Creatures start attacking each other. Seeing enemies that aren't there.
I raise my blade and a shadow beast lunges at me. I duck and drive the blade up through its throat. It screams and dissolves.
Another one comes from the left. I freeze time for half a second and sidestep. When I resume the time, I have already stabbed him with my blade in his chest.
"Not bad," Morgana says. She appears beside me with shadows coiling around her arms. "But watch your right."
I turn just in time to block a strike from a wraith. Its claws scrape against my blade making sparks.
Morgana's shadows wrap around it and crush it. It shrieks and fades.
"Thanks," I gasp.
"Don't mention it."
We fight back to back. Her shadows and my time magic working together. When I slow down our attackers she tears through them. When her shadows trap them I finish them off.
But there are too many. For every one we kill two more take its place.
Across the hall I see Sofia. She's protecting a group of younger students with defensive charms. A creature breaks through her barrier and she screams.
"Sofia!" I start toward her but a massive shadow beast blocks my path.
It's bigger than the others. Taller than Kieran in wolf form. Its eyes burn red.
I raise my blade but it slap it away. The impact sends me flying. I hit the wall hard.
Pain shut through my back.
The creature moves toward me. Opens its mouth revealing it's teeth.
Suddenly, Kieran slams into the creature's side. They crash the left of the north wall and disappear into the courtyard.
"Kieran!" I shove myself to my feet and run after him.
The courtyard is worse than the hall. Fire everywhere. Bodies on the ground. I can't tell if they're dead or unconscious.
Kieran and the massive shadow beast are tearing each other apart. Blood stains his golden fur. The creature's hide is shredded but it's not stopping.
I try to help but another group of creatures surrounds me. Five of them. All smaller than the big one but still deadly.
I fight them, hard.
I take down two. Then three.
The fourth gets through my guard. Its claws rake across my ribs. I scream and stumble.
The fifth lunges for my throat.
Time stops.
Not because I made it stop. Because someone else did.
I'm frozen mid fall. The creature is frozen mid lunge. Everything is perfectly still.
Except for one person.
The Hollow King walks through the frozen battlefield like he's taking a stroll.
"Impressive," he says when he reaches me. "You've lasted longer than I expected."
I can't move. I can't speak. I can only watch as he circles me.
"But you're still losing." He stops in front of me. "Your friends are dying. The academy is falling. And soon you'll have no choice but to do what you were always meant to do."
He leans in close. "Die for them."
Time resumes.
The creature's claws are inches from my throat.
Then Cassian crashes into it from above. Phoenix fire consumes them both. The creature shrieks and burns away.
Cassian helps me up. "You okay?"
"No but I'll live."
"Good because we have a problem."
He points toward the main gate.
The portal is widening. Getting bigger and more stable.
"He's anchoring it," Cassian says. "If he gets it fully open his entire army will come through. We're talking thousands of creatures."
My stomach drops. "How do we close it?"
"We don't. Not while he's powering it." He looks at me. "We have to cut off the source."
"The source is him."
"Exactly."
I look across the courtyard. The Hollow King is standing near the portal watching the chaos with satisfaction.
Seraphine is beside him. Protecting him. Keeping anyone from getting close.
"We need a distraction," I say.
"On it." Cassian takes off running. Flames trail behind him.
He crashes into Seraphine. They go down in a tangle of fire and shadow.
That leaves the Hollow King exposed.
I run.
My ribs scream at me to stop with every step I take. Blood drip down my shirt. But I didn't stop.
I'm ten feet away when he notices me.
"Really?" He sounds amused. "You think you can fight me?"
"I think I can try."
I launch myself at him, aiming my blade for his throat.
He catches my wrist mid strike. His grip is Strong.
"Foolish girl."
He throws me. I fly backward and hit the ground so hard, bruising my body.
I try to get up but my body won't cooperate. Everything hurts. My bones is broken.
The Hollow King walks toward me slowly. Taking his time.
"This is how it ends," he says. "You're broken on the ground. Your friends are dying around you. And I'm really taking what I've always been owed."
"You're not owed anything," I choke out.
"I'm owed everything." His voice rises. "I loved your mother. I gave her immortality. I gave her power beyond measure. And she threw it away to play human. To have you."
He crouches beside me. "So yes I'm owed. I'm owed the daughter she chose over me. I'm owed the power she wasted. And I'm going to take it all back."
He raises his hand and dark energy gathers in his palm.
"Goodbye Thalira."
"Wait."
The voice comes from behind him.
The Hollow King turns.
Morgana is standing there. But something's different, Her eyes are Black.
"Not her again," he mutters.
"Not her." Morgana's mouth moves but the voice isn't hers. "Me."
The darkness drains from her eyes. They flash silver.
My silver.
"What—" the Hollow King starts.
Then Morgana's body collapses and something rises from it.
A figure made of light.
It is translucent and elegantly ghostly.
But I recognize the face.
My mother.
"Hello love," she says to the Hollow King. "Did you miss me?"
He stumbles backward. "That's impossible. You're dead."
"Death is relative." She looks at me and smiles. "Hello baby. You've grown so much."
I can't speak, I can't breathe.
My mother, she's actually here.
"How?" the Hollow King demands.
"I left a piece of myself behind. A fragment of my soul bound to our daughter. Waiting for the moment she'd need me most." She turns back to him. "And that moment is now."
"You can't stop me." But his voice shakes. "You're just a ghost. A memory."
"Maybe." She raises her hand and light ignites from her palm. "But I'm her memory. Which means I'm made of her power. And that's more than enough to end you."
The light slams into him.
He screams.
The portal flickers and starts to close seconds by seconds.
The creatures fighting in the courtyard start to dissolve, practically pulled back to wherever they came from.
"No!" the Hollow King roars. "I won't lose again!"
He throws everything he has at my mother. Dark energy collides with her light.
"Thalira," my mother says without looking at me. "You have to close the portal. I can hold him but not forever."
"How?"
"The same way you broke his seeds. Take his power and turn it against him."
"I don't know how to do that again."
"Yes you do." She finally looks at me. "You're my daughter. You've always known. You just have to remember."
Her form starts to fade.
"Mom wait—"
"I love you baby. I've always loved you. Even when I couldn't be there." Her smile is sad. "Now finish this. For both of us."
She dissolves into light. The energy crashes into the Hollow King and brings him to his knees.
The portal flickers again.
I force myself to stand. Every part of me screams in protest.
I walk toward the portal. Toward the Hollow King who's struggling to his feet.
"Stay back," he snarls.
I reach out and touch the portal. Feel the power flowing through it. His power. Dark and ancient.
But it's also familiar. Because it's the same power that made the seeds. The same power I already learned to steal.
I grab it. Pull it into myself.
The Hollow King screams. "What are you doing?"
"What I should have done from the start." I pull harder. "Taking back everything you stole."
The power floods into me.
The portal shrinks. Collapses inward.
"No!" The Hollow King lunges at me.
But Kieran is faster.
He shifts mid leap and crashes into the Hollow King. Drives him backward toward the portal.
"Kieran don't!" I shout but it was too late.
They hit the portal together. And disappear through it.
I stand there staring at the empty space where they were. Where Kieran was.
"No," I whisper. "No no no."
I run to where the portal was. Press my hands against empty air.
"Open," I beg. "Please open."
Nothing happens.
"Kieran!" I scream his name. "Kieran come back!"