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)
“You’re persistent, I’ll give you that,” she says, her voice low and venomous. “But persistence doesn’t change fate, Tuoni. You can’t change what’s already been done. But, Gods, you have such a hard time taking no for an answer.”
Every single word has me ready to explode.
“It ends here, Louhi,” I grind out, stepping forward, my blade gleaming in the faint light. “No more schemes. No more death. Except your own.”
Her laughter is sharp, cutting through the air like glass. “You always were a fool. Do you think you can stop me? Your realm is crumbling, your son is dead, and soon, very soon, you will join him.”
“Don’t you dare fucking speak of Tuonen like that,” I growl, anger tearing through my throat. “He was your son too. Your son and you killed him. You. Killed. Him.”
Without warning, she moves. Shadows burst forth from her hands, coiling like snakes as they lash toward me. I dive to the side, rolling to avoid their strike. My sword comes up instinctively, slicing through one tendril as it snaps too close. The severed shadow dissipates with a hiss, but more take its place. This magic is new to her and powerful and it makes me sick to know it was probably conjured with Tuonen’s horns.
And so I will show her no mercy.
I charge, swinging my sword in a wide arc. She blocks with a conjured weapon of her own, a jagged black blade that seems to absorb the light. Sparks fly as our swords clash, the force of the impact reverberating through my arms. She grins wickedly, pushing me back.
“You’re weak,” she taunts, lunging at me with inhuman speed. “You’re not a god, you’re nothing but a man.”
I parry, narrowly avoiding her strike. Her blade grazes my shoulder, slicing through fabric and grazing flesh. Pain flares, but I grit my teeth and retaliate, forcing her back with a series of rapid strikes.
“If I’m a mere man, then it will be really embarrassing for you when I win.”
She moves like a serpent, her movements fluid and unpredictable. I have to focus on every step, every angle. She has black magic on her side that’s more powerful than I could have imagined.
We crash through the doors, metal and wood splintering, and onto the stone platform outside, the place that Sarvi would use as a landing pad. The wind howls, biting at my skin as the open air engulfs us. The platform stretches high above the castle grounds, with sheer drops on all sides. Louhi’s grin widens as her shadowy wings unfurl behind her, dark and menacing.
“This is where you fall, Tuoni,” she sneers.
Her wings beat once, lifting her off the ground. She hovers just out of reach, her eyes gleaming with malice. She swoops down, her blade slashing at me. I dodge and counter, my sword cutting through the air, but she is faster. She circles me like a predator, striking and retreating before I can land a blow.
The wind roars as she dives again. This time, I brace myself, my blade meeting hers mid-swing. The impact sends a jolt through my arms, but I hold my ground. I shove her back, forcing her to land a few feet away.
“Still standing,” I say, my voice steady.
She hisses, her wings flaring. “Not for long.”
Shadows surge around her, forming jagged spears that shoot toward me. I roll to the side, narrowly avoiding them. One grazes my leg, cutting through the armor and drawing blood. I stagger but keep moving, lunging toward her with a fierce strike. My blade catches her side, slicing through fabric and skin. She screams, more in anger than pain, and retaliates with a flurry of blows.
We trade strikes, the platform trembling beneath us. She has the advantage with her wings, using the air to maneuver around me. But I hold my ground, each swing of my sword pushing her back inch by inch.
Then she moves faster than I can track. Her foot sweeps my legs out from under me, and I hit the stone hard. Before I can rise, she kicks me toward the edge of the platform. I scramble for purchase, my fingers scraping against the rough stone as I teeter on the brink.
She looms over me, her blade poised to strike. “Goodbye, Tuoni,” she says, her voice cold and final. “Your reign is officially over.”
She thrusts, but I roll at the last second, her blade slamming into the stone where my chest was a heartbeat ago. I rise, spinning to face her, but she is already airborne again. Her wings beat hard, sending gusts of wind that nearly knock me over the edge.
I leap forward, grabbing her ankle as she tries to ascend. She lets out a startled cry as I drag her back down, both of us tumbling onto the platform. We grapple, her claws tearing at my armor as I fight to keep her grounded.