I waste no time drawing my bow back again. Light sparkles around my fingers, strength I’d long forgotten I possessed coming back to me. Sunlight warps and hardens as I call to Nkam to lend me whatever strength he can. Warm wind envelopes me, pushing away the rot and leaving a pleasant floral scent lingering in my nose.
The beam through the hole is weak. Constructing an arrow from sunlight takes more power than I have right now, but I’m determined to give it everything and then some. It takes a few seconds for the arrow to form itself. A bright beacon in the dark. I lift it up. The hole will close if I don’t move soon.
I glance down at the Beast again. It’s crawling, talons digging into the stone to drag itself along the street. It’s not moving quickly, but the wound I gave it is healing too fast for comfort. The more it heals, the quicker it moves. The quicker it gets to Emilia and Agnes.
Emilia’s quiver is nearly full as she helps Agnes to her feet. They’re leaning against the wall of the house Agnes was thrown into. Agnes’s eyes widen and we notice the Beast at the same time. It’s closing in on them. Agnes starts to push Emilia away.
“Go,” she says, leaning on her sword. “Go!”
“I won’t leave you here.”
“Then we’ll both die,” she grits out. “Get to the roofs. Tenley will need you to cover her.”
“But—”
Agnes grips Emilia’s robes, pulling Emilia up until they’re eye to eye. “Leave.”
There’s another moment of hesitation before Emilia leaves and reappears on the roof a moment later, scurrying away to collect the other arrows.
I look to my sunlight arrow and the pinprick of light above us. I look to Agnes below me, her sword at the ready as she prepares to face down the Beast for the last time.
My bow is lowered before I make the choice, but I don’t release it. The Beast lunges at Agnes, but it doesn’t connect. Tenley runs in and punches the Beast before I can intervene. Already wounded, it drops to the ground, moans echoing across the village. Her spikes take some of the Beast with them, but she doesn’t seem to notice. I wish she had noticed.
It’s fast. The parts of the Beast that cling to her glove start to move on their own. They expand and warp spreading up her arm. It reaches her elbow in a heartbeat and starts to crawl toward her shoulder. Agnes reacts first, swinging down and taking Tenley’s arm clean off and shoves something in her mouth before her arm hits the ground. It muffles her screams, but the Beast flicks its head toward her.
I don’t hesitate this time. I start running as the arrow flies, cutting through the smog of the Valley, the rot of the Beast, and the screams of my friend. It pierces the Beast, pinning it to the spot.
Emilia and I hit the ground at the same time. She grabs Agnes and I take Tenley. We make our way through the village, trying doors, hoping any of them may have something to help stanch the flow of blood.
It’s the fifth door that does it. Several sheets in the bedrooms are torn and used as tourniquets and bandages. Once the bleeding is under control, we leave. The Beast is bound to follow the trail of blood.
“Yvie,” Tenley says. Her voice is soft, but the annoyance is clear. “Your head is bleeding.”
“I’ll be fine,” I say. “The boost I got helped me a lot.”
“Bull,” she murmurs. She’s heavy on my back, but I keep moving. I want her as far as possible while we keep dealing with the Beast. Tenley faints as we move past another garden and turn onto an empty street. The stench is lighter here, but rot will always be undeniable.
We stop at a small home. It’s barely two rooms, but there’s a bed which is all we need. Emilia helps settle Tenley and starts looking over her bandages again. They’re soaked through, but Emilia just bites her lips and starts to add more.
“How are you, Agnes?” I ask.
“Could be better,” she says. She’s still a little unsteady, using her sword to lean on. “A few bruised and broken ribs, but nothing I can’t push through.”
“How did you call upon Nkam like that?” Emilia asks. “There’s no light here.”
“I fell earlier, after Agnes was thrown. My arrow whiffed and went up instead. The barrier that keeps this place hidden is thin. When the arrow fell a small bit of light hit my shoulder, and I was able to call upon Nkam. I was going to use that strength I got to make a bigger hole, but there were more pressing matters.”
“Then we’ll just have to target that.” Emilia ties another sheet onto Tenley’s arm, wincing at the groans that escape her. “If we can get enough light in here, you’ll be able to deal it enough damage that we can get out of here.”
“No,” I say. “You should take Ten and leave. She’ll die if she stays.” I cut off Emilia’s protest. “Agnes can’t take her, and I would go instead, but it’s daylight. I’m the only one here who can wield that.”
“She’s right,” Agnes says. “She already did a number on it with those two shots earlier. One or two more and we’ll be able to make our way out too.”
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“Tenley may die on the way out of here,” Emilia says.
“She’ll definitely die if she stays. The Beast is healing itself the more we stall and whatever wizard controls it will definitely notice the barrier. We have to move. Now.”
Emilia’s face goes red, but she doesn’t protest again. “Fine. But if I see one reason for me to turn back and help, I will.”
“Fine,” Agnes says. She straightens, wincing. “Let’s go, Yvanna.”
“May Bir’s light find you,” I say. Emilia studies my face before nodding and turning back to Tenley. I take her collected arrows and leave.
We cut through the streets, only splitting up when I scramble up a ladder to make it to the roofs. The Beast is still on the street, pulling itself back together. The arrow seems to have made it lose some of whatever integrity it has, limbs and horns sliding out of place. It’s moving around the street, its head tilted up as it drags itself along. It looks like it’s listening for something or maybe smelling the air.
The spot of light is still there. By rights it should die before hitting the ground or the barrier should have repaired itself, but it’s guiding light the dark. I make my way under it and raise my bow. Four arrows pierce the barrier in the same spot. The Beast shrieks—not in pain but in anger. It moves with a ferocity we hadn’t known it was capable of. Over gardens and bushes it pulls itself toward me.
Agnes steps in its path, sword pointed and ready. It slows down, wary of the blessed blade, but keeps moving. With more agility than should be possible, she rolls out of the way, sending two little daggers into it. Its moans of anger and pain rattle the windows as Agnes scampers out of sight, its tail whipping after her. Another antler falls to the ground, and it lets out a low, lethal growl.
I retreat a few houses back before letting loose another arrow. The four that had been stuck wobble and fall one by one to the ground, the beam of light growing with each one.
I run and stand underneath it, basking in the sun. The light is a halo on my head, warming my hair and infusing me with power. For so long the sun had been a distant dream, but it’s here now and Nkam is here, guiding me.
Time stands still. The Beast is bearing down on Agnes, swelling and expanding as she runs. Her face is determined as she looks ahead. The Beast is still falling apart, a leg left behind as it tries to consolidate whatever it has left to control.
Nkam stands in front of me. He’s as handsome as ever. Dark skin, blemished with sunspots and smile lines. His white Agbada robes are wrinkle-free as he spreads his arms. He smiles. “My priest! It’s been so long.”
“It has, my lord,” I say, bowing my head. “Thank you for lending me your strength.”
“Thank you for remaining faithful all these years.” His eyes turn dark as he becomes serious. “I will help you as much as I can, but I cannot slay this Beast. It can only be unmade, not killed.”
“I understand. Then, will this be enough for us to escape?”
He grins, lighting up the world with his smile. “You will do so much more, my priest.” Nkam kisses my forehead, moving behind me. He brings my arms up, guiding them as I ready my shot. The Beast is in my line of sight, and I take a deep breath. All of my anger, frustration, terror, and sorrow are poured into the power I give this arrow. Nkam laughs as he says, “You will live!”
His presence disappears, the arrow flies, and time starts to move again.
Bigger than a sword, bigger than a spear—bigger than anything I’ve seen before, it soars. It soars past houses and gardens and discarded arrows. It burns the pieces of the Beast it passes, charring them to ash. Instead of the rot that’s permeating this village, a crisp, warm breeze smelling of sunflowers rolls through the streets.
The Beast is still expanding. It’s fast, but slower than when it consumed Peggy and slower than my arrow. The arrow hits its mark, burrowing into the Beast, burning up everything it touches. None of the other screams it had comes close to the sound it makes now. It wails, windows shattering, streets cracking, the ground shaking. Agnes loses her footing, but stabs her sword into the ground, stabilizing herself, and I drop down on the roof, covering my ears.
When the screaming stops, all that’s left are pitiful moans and soft squelching. I drop down from the roof, weaving through the streets until I see Agnes. She’s sitting on the ground, holding her side and breathing hard.
The Beast is gone. In the time it took me to get here, it slithered away. Agnes lifts her hand and points when she sees me scanning. That same metal disc on the ground is moved again. It lays on the street, gently wobbling. It ran away.
“We did it, Agnes,” I say, holding out my hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
She takes a shaky breath and shakes her head. “No. You get out of here.”
“What are you—” I gasp as I see why she’s holding on so hard. The Beast managed to get her still. A festering, oozing wound is open on her side as she winces. I kneel down next to her. “When…”
“When I get those little ones in it,” she says. Her brow is beaded with sweat and her face is growing paler by the second. “Its tail got me. It’s not your fault. I just wasn’t fast enough.”
“You had two broken ribs,” I say. My voice cracks and I clear it. Falling apart won’t help her. “Okay, I can get you something clean to wrap that up and some water to clean it out. I’ll carry you on my shoulders—”
“Yvie.” Agnes grabs my hand to keep me from standing. “It’s okay.”
“No, I—I have to get you back to the surface.”
“It’s okay,” she says again. “Vidia and Vahn—they’ve already mourned me. They need you.”
“Wha—who—I—”
She laughs at my stuttering then winces, legs pulling up as she leans over. “Elena,” she gasps. “She talked about the kids you were looking after. It was nice, you know.” She leans back against the wall. There’s nothing I can do for her, so I sit next to her, still holding her hand. “It was nice to hear how you took care of them. They seem to be such troublemakers. I’m sorry about that. Matteus and I were never good about following rules either. I’m sure they’re just as reckless as their father and I were.”
“They really are troublemakers, but charming all the same,” I say. Her hand is cold. “They love you so much still. They talk about you often.”
“I know.” Her grip is getting lighter. She leans her head back and sighs. With her free hand , she reaches up and pulls a dagger from under her shirt. Her hand shakes as she holds it out to me. “Take this and make it out of here.”
I nod, taking the dagger. It’s beautiful and sharp. “Of course.”
“Do me a favor.” Her voice is soft, barely a whisper. “Don’t tell them you met me. They’ve mourned me already. I won’t have them go through it again.”
“Of course.” Her eyes slide up, looking at the patch of light.
“I’m glad I got to see sunlight one last time. Thank you, Yvanna.”
“Of course, Agnes.”
Her last breath is nothing more than a wheeze, and then Agnes Nervetti is gone.