We got another six! So here we go. Another early chapter. Only two left after this one 😱!

As Phoenix ran for Helena and Maverick, Eric grabbed a hold of Trey and ran after, veering off at the last moment. Noelle had been knocked to the ground when Maverick attacked Helena, and Eric could see the electrical burn marks on her wrist where Helena had held her.

"Here. Now. Do your thing," Eric said to Trey, depositing him at Noelle's side before rounding back.

Phoenix had taken in Helena's shock, holding tight to her hand. She lay on the floor, shaking as the electric current passed through her body, too much for her to take. Eric reached them in seconds and kicked Phoenix with all his might, sending her rolling and breaking the connection. Phoenix lay still, her eyelids fluttering, but she didn't move. Something occurred to Eric, and he turned back to Helena, who was trying to get to her feet.

With a swift kick to the face, she went sailing backward. Eric helped Maverick up, speaking quickly.

"Don't let her up and don't let her touch anything but your boots. Keep her down." He iced his own fists, hardening them and whirling down on Helena from above. Maverick followed suit, sending blows to Helena's back and shoulders and the back of her knees whenever she tried to stand.

"This won't work forever," Maverick said, glancing back at where Phoenix fell.

"Just long enough. Don't worry about her."

"She's been shot full of lightning! How do I not worry?"

"Because she made me realize something. Keep her down." Eric backed away, dropping down to Phoenix and pressing his icy fist to the back of her neck for several seconds. He popped up and joined Maverick again. "One more. Take her down."

"What are you doing?" Maverick gave Helena a particularly strong punch. She hit back to the ground with an angry grunt--as an Ancient, she was too strong to do much more than aggravate and perhaps bruise, but Eric had a plan. He punched Maverick right in the jaw, sending him to the ground. "What the--"

"Trust me and stay down where Phoenix can see you." He plopped onto his knees as Helena fought to push herself upright. Freeing his fingers, he grabbed hold of her wrists, gripping tight. "Trey! With me! Now!"

Trey and Noelle rushed to Eric, and Trey put a hand on Eric's shoulder. Helena bucked, trying to free herself, but Eric froze her wrists together behind her back, keeping the ice constant to hold her.

"You're going to want to see this," Eric said to Helena, gripping her shoulders and whirling her to face Phoenix's body.

Helena struggled against him. "What--see her dead again? I've seen it before. I hope she doesn't come back this time."

"Do you know why she's down? Because no one can control the force of lightning completely. If that were me, I'd be dead. But I know something Tremaine never knew."

"And what's that?"Helena growled through a bleeding lip.

"You killed him with lightning--something that would knock you down just like it knocked Phoenix down, but it wouldn't kill you, and it didn't kill her." Eric tightened his grip on Helena's shoulder, waiting. "But he could just as easily have killed you--and that's the reason you've always been afraid of people like Trey and me."

#

Phoenix's eyes opened and saw Maverick prone on the ground, his eyes open and looking at her. Fury and pain beyond reason exploded inside of her. Helena was a murderer--she'd killed hundreds and thousands, and almost killed Noelle. Maverick--not Maverick. Never Maverick. Heat boiled through her body. There would be hells to pay.

Palms flat on the ground, Phoenix gave in to her rage.

#

Eric saw Phoenix's eyes open, and she did exactly as he hoped.

She got mad.

If there was one thing he knew about his little sister, it was the fire of her temper tantrums. He glanced at Maverick and saw a flash of a grin on his face. Phoenix's anger never lasted long, but he didn't need long.

Her whole body burst into flame, fire radiating from every inch as she got to her feet. In front of him, Helena gasped in surprise. He felt the warmth of Phoenix's body before she drew close enough to touch Helena, her eyes fixated.

"Now," Eric said, calm as Helena tried to fight free from his grasp and vanish. She couldn't as long as he held onto her it seemed. "The fire will burn, but is it enough to kill you? Maybe. We could always wait and find out. Or perhaps we could expedite the process. You were afraid of me not because of my ice, of which I plan to use to stab you through the heart, but because of my thunder--because of Trey's weather. Trey?"

"Ready." Trey placed Noelle's free hand on Eric's other shoulder.

"Phoenix," Eric released Helena's right hand and forced it forward. "If you please. I'll protect these two."

She didn't need telling twice. Phoenix grabbed hold of Helena's frozen hand. The Ancient tried to break free, the ice cracking under her force of lightning, but Phoenix's fire overtook her, climbing up Helena's arm and catching her whole body.

Eric formed a solid wall of ice up around himself, blocking Trey and Noelle from the heat as he closed his eyes and focused on the rhythm inside of Helena. A storm cloud surrounded her, lighting up in the flames. It crackled with electricity, shocking her even as she burned.

And Eric focused on the thunder, starting small and growing until it reverberated all around Helena in the thick cloud. It grew until he could feel it transferring through his arms to Noelle and Trey behind him, all of them shaking with the effort of keeping it under control.

Helena screamed, long and loud, burning and shaking apart at the same time. Eric caught Phoenix's eye as she looked up at him and nodded. Removing one shaking hand, he formed an ice pick and held it out. Phoenix took hold of it, and together they brought it down and forced it through Helena's heart.

He could feel her trying to heal, trying to push back and resist--the gift of an Ancient's near immortality. But the force of the thunder was too strong, and the fire made her too weak. As Phoenix kept her fire going, the thunder continued to shake, forcing apart the very structure that made Helena unique. The ice blade held, and with a final cry, Eric focused the increased thunder until Helena's heart burst.

A blinding flash of light filled the room, blasting Phoenix, Noelle, Trey, and Eric apart. Eric hit the ground, shielding his eyes from the glow.

*

When it ebbed, Eric sat up. Where Helena had been, a blackened, hard stone lay. Phoenix crawled over to it, inspecting it before Eric could.

"What is it?" he asked, joining her.

"That's what it looks like when a fallen star dies," Castor said. Eric turned, having forgotten the others were even there. Castor and Altair knelt by Finny's body, their faces grim.

"Is she--"

"No, not yet." Altair lifted Finny into his arms. "If she'd have died, the force of her light would have decimated the castle. Helena's light had almost gone out."

"You mean," Maverick began, eyes shining with unshed tears. "You mean she's not going to make it?"

"No," Finny croaked, turning her head to look at them as Altair stepped closer, cradling her. "But I've had my time." She reached out a shaking hand and brushed it against Maverick's cheek. Words seemed too difficult.

"We need to take her away from here," Castor said. "She should be with Adonai." Altair nodded, and Castor looked around. He opened his mouth as if to say more, but closed it again. The three of them disappeared, and Eric's heart felt like a rock.

"I-I can't believe she's really gone," Maverick said, looking dumbstruck.

"I can't believe--" Phoenix began.

"Maverick, Phoenix!" They whirled around and saw Roman still clutching Gwen. "Please, someone help me."

Tears flowed down Roman's face, Gwen limp in his arms. They went to him, their fallen expressions crushing Eric further. Phoenix put a hand over her mouth, Noelle let out a sob, and Maverick lowered his head. Bainon, who had several cuts across his face and a nasty, bloody wound for a shoulder hobbled over.

None of them moved, all watching Gwen as though, if they stared long enough, she might open her eyes and shout "surprise!" Eric gritted his teeth together and stepped in.

"Give her here."

"I'm not giving her to you," Roman snapped, fury in his eyes even as tears spilled forth.

Eric rolled his eyes and forced Gwen from Roman's arms. As everyone admonished him, asking him to be careful and respectful, Eric checked Gwen's vital signs. His suspicions confirmed, he cooled his hand and cradled the back of her neck.

"She's dead," he said, grimly. Then, with quick force, he slapped Gwen across the face. A chorus of shock responded to this, but Gwen's eyes snapped open and she jerked up. "Just kidding."

"Gwen?" Bainon, closest to Eric, leaned down to peer at her. She squinted up at him.

"Owwwwwww."

"That's the head wound," Eric said, continuing to cradle her neck and the base of her skull where she'd been hit. "You might have a concussion. It's a good lump. I'm keeping ice on it."

He glanced across the room and spotted the rest of the casualties. The soldiers were dead, no match for Bainon, Maverick, and Roman's swordsmanship--nor Audra's creepy creature form. The enigmatic Quilla had subdued Mygel. She offered Eric a warm, encouraging smile, which he returned with a nod.

"We're not as dead as I expected us to be," Bainon said, looking around. "We'll have a pyre for Finnestra--even without her body, we ought honor her sacrifice."

Maverick nodded, tears slipping down his cheeks. Eric raised his free hand into the air, forming a fist. He caught Maverick's eye, and Mav nodded, following suit. The others emulated them until everyone had a fist in the air--Bainon helped Gwen lift hers.

"To Finny," Maverick said, nodding. The rest echoed in unison.

"To Finny."

*Sobs heavy tears* Finnnnnnyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Mourn Finny with your favorite thing about her below, but at least we can all celebrate that HELENA/HELIX IS GONE! Ding dong the witch is dead. Which old witch? The Ancient Traitor Witch...

Now we wrap this story up. It's been a long ride. It's time to send them all home.