Like a transparent sheet burning from the bottom to the top in bright sparks of yellow, the cloaking shield that had been covering Neraka for weeks disappeared. Lumi had done it!

“The shield is down,” I heard Hansa murmur.

I could breathe and move again, though every atom in my body screamed from the pain. Shaytan was speechless, gawking at the sky, unable to believe what was happening. That was my split second to try to move back before he registered my presence again. I was the closest he could take his wrath out on.

“You,” he said, his sword arm trembling from the rage as he looked down at me. “You did this. You… You ruined everything!”

I held my breath for a moment, quickly and quietly assessing my physical state. My chest wound was closing up, but I only had seconds to get away from Shaytan. That had just become an impossible mission, since his red eyes were fixed on me once again.

My sword was within my reach, inches away from my fingers.

“I told you we’d do it,” I muttered. “Not my fault you didn’t believe me.”

“You think your people will take me down?” Shaytan replied, raising his voice. He was having trouble controlling his breath. His fury was going to be the end of him—and I was hoping that would come sooner, rather than later. “I’m undefeated! I am the champion of Neraka! The undisputed king!” he roared.

“Then why do you reek of fear now?” I asked, spotting Ramin on the roof of the Palisade.

There was something different about that bird. As it ruffled its feathers, sparks flew from every plume. It was weird, but it filled me with energy—like the kind I needed to move. I realized then that it wasn’t the Hermessi giving me anything. It was me, channeling the ounce of life force I had left inside me to make the final push.

Shaytan sneered and narrowed his eyes at me.

“It’s time for you to die, you filthy little—”

I cut him off. “It’s time for you to experience defeat!”

He snarled and raised his sword over his head again, ready to bring it down and kill me.

“Harper, no!” Hansa screamed.

I heard the others gasping and struggling to get back on their feet. They were desperate to stop Shaytan. All I could focus on was the daemon king, blocking everything else out until the flutter of wings made my heart skip a beat.

My hand found my sword. His blade came down. I was ready to block it, hoping I had enough strength to stop it from slicing me open.

The Ekar bird shot through my field of vision. It burst into horrendous flames as it hit Shaytan right in the head. The daemon king was caught by surprise, grunting as he moved back, trying to fight off the Hermessi. I was stunned, watching as the fire spread quickly and ate his whole body up.

“I’m not done here! No! I’m not done!” he cried out, his arms flailing as he fought against the flames to no avail.

I managed to get up and grabbed my sword. He dropped his with a painful clang.

It was as if I were watching a tragedy unfold in slow motion, only there was barely a sliver of sadness left for me to feel toward Shaytan’s demise. I didn’t like taking a life, no matter whose it was. But, still, I knew I had to, and boy, did he deserve it!

I was amazed by Shaytan’s ability to resist the flames. He muttered a variety of protection spells, hundreds of tattoos lighting up beneath the blaze. Too little, too late, as the fire kept eating away at him.

His eyes glowed red through the flames. He roared and came at me with his bare claws.

I broke into a cold sweat and swung my sword out. I cut his forearm first.

He growled and tried to attack me again, while I kept my distance from the fire that had engulfed him.

“I’m not done here!” he cried out.

“Denial isn’t the mark of a leader,” I muttered, then retaliated with multiple sword hits.

I managed to cut through his chest several times. He howled from the pain, but still, he didn’t stop. This was his Hail Mary attack. It was no longer either my death or his. We both had to go, in his twisted mind.

“I will not be defeated!” he screamed, the fire burning through his flesh.

The smell became unbearable. I had to end this.

“You don’t get it, do you?” I replied, then raised my sword, the tip pointed at him. “You were defeated the moment you ate the first soul.”

I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I wasn’t even sure he could. It was a miracle he was still standing, at this point.

I dashed forward and jumped. I drove my sword through Shaytan’s neck as I tackled him.

We both fell. I landed on top of him, refusing to let go of my sword.

“Harper!” Fiona screamed. “Harper, get out of there!”

The flames were licking at me. But they didn’t burn. It was a strange sensation.

Beneath me, Shaytan was unrecognizable. His beard and hair had been destroyed by the flames. His skin was gone. The flesh and bones beneath were blistering as the Hermessi kept burning him from head to toe. And yet, all I felt was warmth.

I looked down at myself and exhaled. Ramin was keeping me safe.

My blade had gone straight through Shaytan’s throat.

He stared at me, choking and gurgling, finally giving in to it all.

I watched the life dim in his red eyes, before the flames consumed them and turned them into goo.

“Harper!” Hansa cried out. “Harper, get away from there!”

“It’s okay,” I replied, unable to take my eyes off Shaytan. “It doesn’t burn.”

I was straddling the mountain of flesh that was—or, until a second ago, had been—Shaytan. The daemon king was dead. I’d killed him. I’d kept my word.

Heat filled my body. I needed the warmth.

My whole being hurt, but I pushed myself back up and stepped away from Shaytan’s burning carcass. It was over.

I watched him for a while.

One deep breath. Another deep breath. By the third, I started tearing up, as I looked to my left and saw Caspian on the ground, burned to a crisp. But his eyes were wide open and fixed on me. He blinked once, as if telling me yes.

Fiona and Zane were better, and so were Avril and Scarlett. Hansa and Jax. Patrik and Ryker. Caia. Rayna and Idris… Wyrran… Peyton… There were Adlets and rebel Imen and Maras standing up again, unable to take their eyes off Shaytan. Those whose emotions I could see spoke for all of us—hope and relief surged through them. Joy and determination.

I rushed to Caspian’s side and dropped to my knees, leaving the daemon king’s corpse behind me. Hansa, Jax, Caia, and Rayna were the first to reach us. Caspian couldn’t move. He was in a lot of pain. I could feel it all, clutching my heart and squeezing so tightly it made me sob.

“You’ll be okay,” I whispered in his ear, then bit into my wrist and gently pushed the open wound against his crusty lips. “Drink, Caspian.”

Hansa and Jax stared at me, wide-eyed, as they took out all their healing potion satchels and started applying the paste to Caspian’s body. Rayna moved next to me and cut her own wrist, motioning for me to take mine away.

“Harper, you’re weak,” she murmured. “Let me do this.”

I nodded slowly and gave her some room, watching all my friends gather around us. Whoever had blood to give, they offered it—a collective Pyrope of sorts. The others brought out more healing paste from their satchels and spread them over Caspian’s legs, while Hansa and Jax handled his torso and head.

Caspian didn’t take his eyes off me. There was pride surging through his very soul as we looked at each other. I gave him a weak and hopeful smile.

“You’ll look like crap for a little while, but you’ll live,” I said.

Fiona left Zane’s side and rushed to hug me. She held me tight, sobbing, and, for the first time since we’d started this mission, I relaxed into her arms and cried as well. Zane got up, though he was still a little wobbly, and stared at his father’s corpse for a while.

He sighed, then looked at me and bowed curtly. “Thank you, Harper. You did something I couldn’t.”

“I wouldn’t have done it without…” My voice trailed off as I looked at Shaytan. The flames had died out, but there was no sign of the Ekar. The Hermessi I’d known as Ramin was gone. Everything he’d told me was true. I felt it—I believed it—deep in my heart. The elemental spirits were very much alive. Ancient powers that had been forgotten. “The Hermessi,” I murmured.

“The Hermessi?” Zane replied, frowning and genuinely confused. “Those are legends. Wait… I saw the bird turn into flames. Was… Was that a—”

“Hermessi, yes,” I said, nodding. “They’re real, Zane. And one of them helped me. Otherwise I’d be dead right now.”

I lowered my head. Fiona dropped a kiss on my temple, holding me tight.

“Babe, the daemon king was a monster. Not one of us alone could have defeated him,” she said softly. “It’s a miracle you held your own against him for so long. If you’re doubting yourself as a fighter, please stop. You’re the strongest warrior I know.”

“You did incredibly well, Harper,” Hansa added, offering me a warm smile as she continued to spread the healing paste over Caspian’s severe burns. “We’re alive because of you and your determination.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks again. We’d been through so much to get here. “You were all amazing. Each and every one of you,” I replied. “We’re in this together,” I added, listening to the war continuing on the lower levels. “We still have some fighting ahead of us.”

They all nodded.

“The shield is down, but it will take a little time for our people to come through,” Jax said. “We need to hold the daemons at bay and get the innocents and wounded to safety.”

“Okay, let me—” I said, trying to stand up, but fell backward. My knees were too weak. “Dammit.” I cursed under my breath.

“Sweetie, you’ve done enough for today,” Fiona replied as she helped me up into a sitting position. “We need to get you, Caspian, and everyone else who can’t fight up onto the seventh level. Hundurr is there, keeping an eye on Rowan and Farrah. The rest of us should go down to the lower levels and assist our allies.”

“I agree,” Jax muttered. “We’ve got it from here, Cucumber.”

I looked up at him, overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude and hope. The worst part was over. Without their leaders, both the Maras and the daemons were going to fail. Their time had run out, and our people were coming. It was only a matter of time at this point.

Shaytan still had plenty of sons leading his armies, but, without a king, they were going to struggle. The last thing a warrior nation needed during a battle was a power struggle. The daemons were greedy and impulsive. They were bound to be at each other’s throats for the crown.

The Maras, on the other hand, were already at a massive disadvantage, since we’d taken down their Lords. They had nothing left to fight us with.

I gazed at the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of a ball of light carrying our people.

Fiona was right. I’d done my part.

My soul had been partially consumed by Shaytan. The thought pained me, but I held on to the hope that there could be a way to fix this. Lumi was more powerful and more capable than the stories about swamp witches had mentioned. She had enough knowledge and resources to undo most of the damage that the daemons and the Maras had caused to Neraka.

Maybe she could fix me, too.