A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 134 | Pick A God And Pray

The sky seemed to collapse around Eko as she moved through the chaos, her world engulfed in fire and thick smoke, the ground crumbling beneath her feet.

What was she going to do with Madison now?

Maybe Eric could take Madison to the Elders' Plain, give everyone a chance to breathe, and get her cousin's head straight. The repercussions of this disaster would be severe—lives lost, both soldiers and civilians. Jesse was injured, and the others' status was unknown. Matthew would be furious; Toni already was, and Eko knew she would bear the brunt of the blame. This was partly her fault for not controlling Madison, for not recognizing how unstable she'd become.

Eko sliced down a youma lunging at her, the creature's screams mingling with the chaos around her. She forced herself to push the guilt and fear aside, focusing on the immediate danger. Shoving people toward safety, directing them behind her, she cleared a path through the burning, smoke-choked streets.

Blood soaked her clothes, soot clung to her skin, and ash rained down. The survivors moved through the smoke, eyes wide with panic. Eko's senses sharpened as she pressed forward, zeroing in on the epicenter of the chaos, where she suspected Xero was orchestrating the carnage. Bodies collided with her, feet stumbling over debris, yet she pushed onward. Civilians fled the destruction, but Eko, resilient and determined, ran straight into the heart of it.

Eko had always believed it was in her blood—this unrelenting pull toward the horrors of life, this drive to fight and protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Tonight was no different. Tonight, they would dismantle their enemies like so many times before. And afterward, she would find solace in the arms of a man who made her skies stop falling down around her.

Her focus sharpened as the clouds split above her, a surge of power vibrating through the air. Lightning tore across the sky, strike after strike, as if the storm itself had arrived to aid in their fight, its fury helping to contain the wildfires raging around them.

Pivoting sharply, Eko saw Jasmine striding toward her, a defeated youma lying at her feet. Jasmine's pink hair was wild, framing her face in a disarray that mirrored the chaos around them. She pointed a sharp, manicured finger at Eko, frustration etched on her features.

"Look at this face, Eko!" Jasmine shouted, her purple nails flashing as she gestured. "This is me really trying to keep my shit together! What the hell is up with your cousin?"

Before Eko could respond, another monster charged. Jasmine spun her sword in her hand, a blur of steel and precision, and drove it into the creature's chest, bringing it down in an instant.

"I know!" Eko shot back, her voice laced with frustration. "I know, Jasmine! You don't need to tell me!" She ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head as if to dislodge the chaos swirling inside it. "I'm dealing with it!"

The smoky grey sky above them darkened with an unsettling speed, storm clouds swirling into a formidable mass. The horizon was a chaotic blend of flickering fire and thick smoke, casting an almost otherworldly pall over the battlefield. The ground beneath them quaked intermittently, a grim reminder of the ongoing war and its devastating toll.

Every few moments, a flash of lightning tore through the sky, its bright, jagged bolts lighting up the landscape in brief, harsh bursts. The thunder that followed was a deafening roar, echoing the chaos that raged below. The wind howled around them, fierce and relentless, carrying with it the acrid stench of burning and the metallic tang of blood.

The storm was building, its fury a reflection of the escalating conflict. Dark clouds churned overhead, obliterating any remaining light and casting the world into a deep, unnatural gloom.