briefly pressing his lips against hers. It only lasted a second.
I heard Dafne gasp. Personally, I’d seen it coming. It just saddened me that it had to be this way. The Berserkers tried to get Astra away from Brandon, but she grunted and released another pulse of energy—even stronger than the one before and surprisingly effective. She hadn’t been able to deliver such blows back in the real island, yet here, in Purgatory, Astra’s powers seemed more… robust.
The Berserkers tumbled across the white marble floor, and Brandon laughed. Edda and Myst were speechless, much like the other Valkyries, while Order watched with a smile twisting her lips. She was amused, and it made me furious. I took my first step toward Astra to try and help her, but Time grabbed my upper arm and held me back. “Don’t be foolish,” he warned me.
“Pinkie, let it be,” Brandon told Astra, whose cheeks were burning red. Her skin glowed intermittently, but it didn’t seem to bother him. He’d gotten used to her light, or so I assumed. “It’s okay.”
“It’s anything but okay!” Astra cried out, but Order snapped her fingers, and the half-Daughter froze, eyes wide with horror.
Brandon scowled at his maker. “Leave her be. She’s innocent.”
“I know,” Order replied. “She is also unexpectedly powerful in this realm, and I am not comfortable with that. Astra will remain immobile for the time being. No harm is being done to her.”
This was a thousand kinds of wrong, yet we were all helpless before the queen of Purgatory. She was as powerful as Death, and as important in this universe. The rest of us were tiny drops on a cosmic canvas, too small to even count, yet Astra still stood out with her resilience and power. Order’s stunning magic held her back, but it did not stop her from grunting and muttering through trembling lips. “You’re wrong…” she managed.
“Brandon, Berserker of Purgatory, you are hereby banned from this realm,” Order said, unbothered by the unexpected turn of events. The Berserkers were back on their feet, and they grabbed Brandon, twisting his arms behind his back. Hammer tried to defend him, but he was quickly stunned with a little bit of Purgatory magic. The dire wolf squealed, and the sound pained my heart. “You shall not dwell here anymore, yet you shall not move on,” Order added, her tone heavy and firm. “You have not earned the right to walk into the afterlife. We shall see if you ever will.”
She snapped her fingers, and a wisp of pure darkness burst from Brandon’s chest. He exhaled sharply, eyes wide with astonishment as he tried to understand what was happening.
Edda knew. “The connection to Purgatory has been severed.”
“Brandon…” Astra mumbled against the stunning spell, a tear rolling down her cheek. Brandon took a few moments to gather his thoughts, likely studying his own reaction as he tried to figure out what had been done to him.
From where I stood, nothing had changed, yet I imagined the Berserker felt it. His brothers moved back, saddened by the rupture that had been caused. They let him be, and Hammer was released from his paralysis as a result. The dire wolf bolted straight to Brandon as he dropped to his knees and nuzzled him with his black nose, then licked his face. “It’s okay, boy, it’s okay,” he told Hammer. A smile tested the corners of his mouth. He glanced up at Order, slowly standing up. “It doesn’t matter what you do to me. It’s not as bad as what Hrista put me through. Almost losing Hammer broke me. Banishing me from Purgatory? That’s a treat.”
“Well, at least you’re quick to adjust,” Order muttered. Her fingers wiggled on the sculpted armrest of her throne—one of two winged Valkyrie figures that had been blended into the overall structure of gold and white marble. Astra cried out, suddenly released from the stunning magic.
“You’re awful!” the half-Daughter croaked, her breath ragged as she tried to recover. No physical harm had been done, but the rage inside her was bubbling, ready to spill over. “You are absolutely awful. Brandon has been loyal and good this whole time. Kind and helpful, too. Perhaps not the easiest personality, but he tries!”
That drew a soft chuckle from the Berserker.
But it angered Order. “You speak to me of goodness in a Berserker? Do you even know who he truly is?” When Astra didn’t answer, she huffed with indignation. “Figures. Why would he tell you?” She looked to Myst.