Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Tuoni jumps onto the prow in front of Rauta, his sword drawn, his silver eyes blazing. “Hold steady!” he commands, his voice cutting through the chaos.
I spring into action, reaching back to grab the tiller, my hands trembling as Iku-Turso’s massive form towers over us. His tentacles writhe, slamming into the water with thunderous force. Bell resurfaces briefly, her tiny form darting frantically, but a massive tentacle sweeps down, snatching her from the water.
“Bell!” I scream, my voice raw and desperate. I lunge forward instinctively, but there’s nothing I can do. The Old God’s gaping maw opens, jagged teeth glinting, and in one brutal motion, he devours her whole.
The sound of her scream and snapping bones fills the air.
Something inside me shatters. The grief is immediate and all-consuming, breaking through the cold detachment I’ve clung to. My chest tightens, and I feel my humanity surge back to the surface, raw and overwhelming. Tears blur my vision, and for the first time in what feels like an eternity, I feel pain—real, crushing pain.
Bell.
Tuonen.
Tapio.
Even Rasmus.
All gone.
And if we don’t fight this beast, I’ll lose the rest of them too.
Tuoni doesn’t hesitate. He leaps from the boat, his sword flashing as he lands on Iku-Turso’s massive back. The creature roars, twisting and thrashing, trying to dislodge him. Tuoni clings tightly, his blade carving deep into the beast’s barnacle-encrusted hide. Each strike sends a spray of brackish water and ichor into the air.
The boat lurches as another tentacle slams into the water beside us, sending waves crashing over the sides. I tighten my grip on the tiller, trying to keep us steady, but the chaos is relentless. Soldiers fire arrows and throw spears from the backs of the trolls, their weapons barely scratching the Old God’s impenetrable hide.
Vellamo rises from the water, her remaining hand glowing with an eerie blue light. She summons a massive wave, directing it at Iku-Turso. The water crashes into him with the force of a tsunami, momentarily staggering him as it rocks our boat. But the Old God roars in defiance, his tentacles lashing out wildly.
One tentacle sweeps toward the bone whale, striking it with devastating force. The whale fractures, its skeletal frame crumbling into the water. Soldiers scream as they’re thrown into the depths, their cries quickly swallowed by the chaos.
Tuoni climbs higher on Iku-Turso’s back, his sword flashing again and again. He reaches the beast’s head, driving the blade deep into the molten eye. Iku-Turso howls in agony, his thrashing growing more violent. The boat pitches dangerously, and I cling to the sides, my knuckles white.
“General Suvari!” Tuoni shouts, his voice carrying over the cacophony. “Take the helm! Hanna, do your worst!”
The general scrambles to my side, taking the tiller as Tuoni leaps back into the fray. But instead of summoning my sun power, I grab Lovia’s sword. It’s what Vipunen would have wanted me to do.
I run to the front of the boat as it rocks back and forth, then take aim and a deep breath before I fling the sword toward the beast, as easy as throwing a knife. It spins through the air and the blade strikes true, embedding itself in another eyeball. Iku-Turso roars, his massive form writhing in pain.
Vellamo raises her hand again, summoning another wave. This one is smaller but more precise, slamming into Iku-Turso’s face and forcing him backward. Tuoni seizes the opportunity, driving his blade into the beast’s skull with all his strength.
The cavern trembles as Iku-Turso lets out a final, guttural scream. His massive body collapses into the water, sending a tidal wave that nearly capsizes the boat. Soldiers cling to the wreckage of the bone whale, and the trolls swim desperately, gathering the wounded.
Tuoni pulls both swords from the monster then leaps back into the boat, soaked and breathing hard. His silver eyes meet mine, fierce and unyielding, and hands me Lovia’s sword. “We need to keep moving,” he says, his voice low and urgent.
I nod, taking the sword in my hands, my body trembling with exhaustion and grief. The boat steadies, and we push forward, leaving the shattered remnants of the battle behind. The crystalline walls seem dimmer now, their light muted as if mourning the loss of Bell and the others.
The grief remains, heavy and suffocating. Bell is gone. Tuonen is gone. Rasmus is gone. Lovia is missing. And I am no longer the unfeeling Goddess.
I am Hanna Heikkenen, and I feel everything.
It’s fucking awful.
CHAPTER 37
LOVIA
When I open my eyes, the first thing I notice is the stifling stillness. The air is thick and musty, heavy with the scent of aged parchment and something darker—like ash and decay. Shadows dance across the stone walls and towering bookcases, cast by flickering, sputtering torches mounted high above. My arms ache, my wrists bound by cold, unforgiving chains that bite into my skin. I tug instinctively, but the iron holds fast as I look around.