Diamantine (Weapons and Wielders, #2)

by Andrew Rowe

But she had accidentally brought my attention to something — I’d used my disintegration aura in the arena without worrying about it in the slightest. That was strange.

I grinned. “Invincible is just a word for someone I haven’t fought yet.”

Twilight’s Edge was in the form of a jian, a straight sword with a thin blade and a small crossguard. The blade was a yard-long tear in the fabric of the universe. It didn’t seem to spread darkness in the way that Dawnbringer spread light; instead, it seemed to drain the color from the world around it. Looking at the hand that held it was like looking at a black-and-white picture.

“But you could do it, couldn’t you? With your current strength?” Corin asked. The question within his question was obvious — not just if Keras could kill a visage, but if he might, under the right circumstances, be willing to. “Maybe.” Keras’ expression darkened. “But you wouldn’t like the results. No one would.”

Then my eyes were open again — and my opponent’s were horrified.

Words without action behind them are about as useful as an empty cup in the hands of a man dying of thirst.

Venlyra. One of the pieces of an ancient goddess of Rendalir, possessed by a shadow of her ancient enemy: The Sun Eater. And the power he wields is the dominion of ruin.

A smirk crossed my lips. The real question wasn’t if I could survive ten minutes — it was if the room could survive ten minutes with me.

Her eyes moved to the blade, then widened with shock. “No. That’s...not possible, but...I sense it. The power to end all things. What are you?” I pressed the blade downward, burning a hole in her shirt. “I’m Keras Selyrian, and that’s all you need to know. Release this human’s body and leave this place forever, and I’ll consider sparing your existence.”

“Dawnbringer can sense the other sacred swords. I detected Diamantine as soon as the portal opened. I assumed, of course, it was the sword the crown princess was carrying. But I never stopped sensing Diamantine when she left.” I gestured at the seemingly ordinary sword at Hannah’s hip. “She’s holding a decoy. Or maybe she is a decoy, and you’re the crown princess, and you’re both under illusions to look like each other.”

“I’d rather cut real life into the image I like.”

I had two legendary weapons on my hips, either of which could have ended kingdoms with their might. I didn’t draw either of them.

“...The city of Velthryn fell over four hundred years ago.”