AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My stomach churned, and I forced myself to breathe through the instant nausea at the thought.
“I know. Make sure everyone knows how dangerous it is. I don’t want anyone volunteering without full understanding. Can we hide them somehow?”
“If we create enough smoke, I can blow it toward them. But it won’t last for long.”
“It’s our only chance.”
He picked up the trowth stone. “Let’s do it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
My hands ached as I clutched at the side of the skiff. It felt fragile, as if it could break apart at any moment.
So did I.
When Prisca’s message had come, I hadn’t hesitated. She needed one of us to lead the others, and I’d volunteered.
The gods had given me a power that simmered through my veins—urging me to burn and destroy whenever my rage took over. Perhaps all those years clamping down on that urge had been worth it. Perhaps every moment I’d spent wrestling with that power had been leading up to this.
Thankfully, Daharak’s pirates lowered us quickly over the side of the ship. At least thirty of us were in the small boat, all of us tense, some trembling. On the ship, we’d been surrounded by weapons and shielded by wards. While the warders would protect us for as long as they could, once we slipped into place, all we could do was hope we could take the barrier down before one of Regner’s ships spotted us and killed us all.
More boats joined us, all of them filled with anyone who’d volunteered. One of them looked as if it might sink before it made it to the barrier, drowning those inside. My gaze caught on their homespun tunics, their flimsy armor.
Villagers. These were humans. I didn’t understand how they’d gotten here, but they were here all the same.
The wind changed, sending us all floating toward the barrier. Lorian. How the fae prince still had any power left was inexplicable in itself, but Prisca would use the hourglass while Lorian and Galon used their elemental powers to get us closer and hide us from Regner. If this didn’t work…
No. I refused to even entertain that thought.
Wrapping my scarf around my face, I gestured for the others to do the same. Someone had created smoke, and Lorian’s wind sent it straight toward Regner’s ships, thick and black and choking.
On and on, we rowed, all of us grappling with oars, moving with the current.
It would be up to us. Fae with unremarkable magic and hybrids without the ability to attack from a distance. Humans who were willing to give what little they had. What little Regner hadn’t taken.
They weren’t the most powerful. The power they did have wasn’t spectacular. But in the absence of great power, they had courage. And even though my heart had been hardened for years…my eyes still burned at the sight of fae and hybrids and humans joining together to risk their lives in one last attempt at bringing the barrier down.
Or perhaps my stinging eyes were due to all the smoke.
We glided toward the barrier, stifling our coughs, peering into the distance. The skiffs slowed, and it was evident Lorian knew exactly where that barrier was.
Either we succeeded today, or we died.
I wasn’t ready to die.
“Madinia,” a voice called.
I turned to see Jamic in the skiff next to mine, Thorn next to him. “Don’t be afraid,” Jamic said.
My teeth were chattering with fear, but I forced a smile. If there was one person here who should be afraid, it was him. Yet he smiled back at me.
Our skiffs began to turn, until we faced Regner’s fleet, all of us maneuvering until we were directly next to the barrier. I could feel it alongside me, seething with its own power. It seemed to hum with life.
“Hands up,” Jamic called.
We raised our hands, calling our power forth.
“Now!”
