on power she had never reached before, not consciously—her soul, kept in her dark core, the place she hid. It had kept a dark power from her for so long but had always been the source of her strength. She had never realized the strength it had, giving her the willpower to defy and to fight, to survive when all those around her wanted her dead.
Now, she had to actively use it. Even when the body and blood died, the soul remained—a secret truth of the Andinna, hidden in plain sight. Souls lasted so long, they visited on Al Moro Nat. They continued into the next plane when the mortal body failed.
With a roar, she pushed up off her back and made it to her knees, then rose to her feet and forced Kristanya to back away.
“What have you done?” Kristanya asked, curious. Not angry or surprised, just curious, as if she had never seen a mortal do what Mave had done.
Mave looked down at herself, black stains all over her body and armor.
She had never felt more alive.
“Found more power,” she answered. “Found my power.”
She ran for Kristanya and swung quickly, her sword cutting through the air like there was no resistance, so fast it was a blur. The goddess defended, grinning viciously.
“Now, this is a fight!” Kristanya laughed.
Their swords once again met hard enough, it echoed around them and shook the earth. This time, one of Kristanya’s blades broke, and the goddess snarled as she brought a foot up and kicked Mave back nearly twenty feet and sent her rolling in the dirt. Mave felt something break and snap, screaming as she stopped with her face in the dirt.
When she tried to get up, she couldn’t.
She had to.
“Even your soul will fail eventually, Maevana!” Kristanya called, walking toward her again. “Even that will fade. Souls are powerful things and endure for what seems endless to you, but I know they fade. Even at its strongest, right now, you will not get a single blood on me.”
Mave tried to push up, wondering what was broken, wondering what had just happened.
Finally, Mave realized she wouldn’t be able to stand, so she laid there, tears flooding her eyes as she realized Kristanya had broken her back.
Kristanya drew closer every step.
Mave called on everything—every drop remaining of her blood, every bit of her soul.
She would give it all for this. She risked killing herself, but even if she died, she would prove to Kristanya, there was one mortal who could have done it. Mave would do it with her last breath.
As Kristanya raised her remaining blade, Mave collected every ounce of power she had.
She swung, knowing it was her only chance. Kristanya’s sword fell to the ground as Mave watched red well up in a thin line on Kristanya’s leg.
“Ah,” Kristanya said softly. Mave felt panic as Kristanya rolled her over to stare at the sky. “You are dying, Mave.”
“Yes,” Mave answered, swallowing. “You…”
“I know what I did to you,” Kristanya whispered, reaching down. “But knowing death was coming, you didn’t accept it. You got your one blood, little warrior. And now…I must uphold my end of the bargain. We’ll both have to live with the consequences.”
Mave tried to keep breathing, but Kristanya put a hand on her chest, and power flooded into her. She screamed, the cold, dark power flooding her every sense. Kristanya stepped away from her, but Mave only screamed as the power ripped through her body.
“Retreat,” Kristanya whispered.
Mave knew what the goddess meant and listened but could not get past the power now inside her. It was deadly and destructive. It was fearsome and raw. It was a rage that refused to be contained. A monster that wanted to consume all things.
I understand now. I have to control it. This is the final test. Control it before it finishes killing me.
Mave fought, retreating to her cold and dark place, the fear of her fate leaving her. She looked at the power and demanded it to yield to her, for she was Maevana Lorren Amori, and she only bowed to her king.
Everything changed. Mave moved and found herself lying on the ground in a different position. She was disoriented and confused but knew she wasn’t going to die. Why was giving her a real hard time figuring out.
“And now, you are my Avatar,” Kristanya said in her mind. “Three domains lay at your fingertips—war, death, and darkness.”
Mave tried to stand, but everything felt odd. She looked down and saw