Farm Boy shook his mother off, clearly determined to join us even against her will. “Father didn’t teach me to fight just to stand back when someone needs my help. And if Khendrik could talk to us, he would say the same. Those monsters have caused enough damage. They need to be stopped before anyone else suffers.”
As Rada had predicted, Kyree approached me while everyone prepared their weapons. His hazel eyes were solemn as he pulled me aside. “I will accompany you as well. We do not know if Briseis or Varien are wounded. My presence might make the difference between life and death.” Discreetly, he showed me a small object in his hand. A blue flash—Rada’s Water stone. “I intended to return it today. Now I fear we will soon have more cause to use it.”
“If you are sure.” The healer’s help would be invaluable, but I was aware of the danger.
Kyree’s determined gaze did not waver. “Briseis and Rada are my friends. Varien is as close to my heart as my own daughter, Alona.”He nodded toward the distraught Drakuul girl sitting with Dolores and Ulyss. “There is nothing I wouldn’t risk for them. Besides,” he added, his hands settling on the deadly-looking long knives tucked into his belt, “I know how to defend myself.”
Our group departed shortly afterward, amid the fervent well wishes of everyone around us. Alongside Kyree and Tristan, Captain Adesh joined me with Calder, Ria, and Ursa.
We halted as soon as the Ridge came into view, a vicious curse escaping Ria’s lips. The looming storm had descended, shrouding the limestone cliffs in dark clouds, illuminated by the ominous amethyst and emerald flashes of Chaos-tinged lightning.
Kyree met my gaze. “It seems your past has caught up with you.”
Though the Aerieth suspected some of the truth about Rada’s and my true nature, I was sure he had no idea how right he was.
My hand closed around the hilt of my sword as I stared at the darkness awaiting us. “In one way or another,” I replied, “it always does.”
CHAPTER
45
Noctis
Are you sure about this?”
Kyree gripped my forearm, shouting into my ear to be heard over the raging storm. We crouched behind dense shrubbery lining a narrow path leading deeper into the shadowy forest of Milford Ridge.
I wiped my face, struggling to see beyond a few steps in the relentless downpour. “At least if we can’t see them, they can’t see us either,” I replied grimly.
Lightning slashed across the sky, illuminating twisted branches and gnarled roots before plunging us back into darkness. The growl of thunder followed closely, shaking the ground beneath us. I grimaced, my left hand spasming from the violent pull of Chaos, tiny needles pricking my skin. The storm had broken as we began our ascent up the Ridge, turning the climb into a miserable battle against slick rocks and icy rain.
The closer we got to the limestone cliffs, the stronger the uneasy feeling within me became: Chaos, its insidious whisper heavy in theair. Signs of its influence were everywhere on the Ridge. Multicolored flowers glistened with moisture, some with razor-sharp barbs that glinted menacingly in the occasional flash of lightning. The trees and plants grew unrestrained, as if bursting with untamed energy. The Veil to the Other was thin here, and the storm had weakened it further, a constant, unsettling hum just beneath the surface.
Kyree and I were alone, cautiously following one of the two paths leading to Briseis’s hut. We had split up, each group scouting one approach until we spotted our enemy either from the east or the south. It had seemed wise to pair up with the Aerieth, keeping ourlyr-stones secret from the others as long as possible. The plan was to circle back to the far east of the Ridge, where a less steep route led down to Dalath. There, we would wait for Rada’s return, hoping to avoid detection. I knew the risks, but we could not confront Deira blindly.
“Let’s move forward.” I slid my Fire stone into my left hand. With my sword in the other, I signaled to Kyree. We slinked along the muddy path, trying to remain invisible.
The sudden bite of Chaos magic, painfully intense on my skin, was all the warning I got. Instinctively, I pulled Kyree down as I threw myself to the ground, narrowly avoiding the sizzling wave of pure Chaos aimed at us. I felt it brush over my scalp, leaving the air crackling with residual energy.
“What…?” Kyree gasped, eyes wild and breath ragged as he knelt in the mud beside me.
“They are here,” I cried out, all thoughts of secrecy abandoned. Now we had to fight for our lives.
After exchanging a swift, determined glance, the Aerieth and I raced to opposite sides of the path. It was harder for a magic user to attack two moving targets at once. Not that we only faced the threat of magic.
My sword came up just in time as a dark shape jumped at me out of the shadows. Steel clashed. Yellow eyes glared at me; teeth bared in a vicious growl. Rakash. And where there was one, there were always more.
I hurled a glowing fireball into the creature, and it tumbled to the ground with a pained howl, the acrid smell of burnt fur filling my nose. A swift jump to the side saved me from another assault of Chaos magic, mud and rainwater exploding where I had stood only a moment before. I frantically cast my gaze around, trying to see where the attack had come from.
Kyree was holding his own against two assailants. As tall as the Aerieth, they moved with predatory grace. Their faces bore traces of their once Human heritage, mixed disconcertingly with visible animal traits: small, twitching noses; thin lips pulled back in snarls, revealing razor-sharp canines; and deep-set yellow eyes with slitted pupils, able to see in the dark. One Rakash, his body and face covered by golden-red fur, fell, clawing at his throat. The Aerieth plunged a knife into the second one’s shoulder next, piercing his black leather armor.
Without hesitation, I launched another fireball toward them, striking the remaining Rakash in the back. The black-furred creature crumpled to the ground.
Two more emerged from the trees, their cruel faces drawn into animalistic snarls as they threw themselves at us. “Go after the magic user!” Kyree shouted, leaping between them in a whirl of gray feathers and flashing steel. “I will hold them off.”
I cursed under my breath and ducked as a bolt of Chaos-streaked lightning struck perilously close. The Aerieth was right; the Chiasma attacking us was relentless, and it was only a matter of time before one of those deadly strikes found its mark. Yet the thought of leavingKyree alone gnawed at me, an unfamiliar pang of guilt twisting in my gut. The Fire stone in my hand pulsed weakly as I drew power from it once more. Not much left. Still, I didn’t hesitate to weave another spell, a fiery whip lashing out at the two Rakash, evening the odds for the Aerieth. I didn’t wait to see if he seized the opportunity, running again, knowing I had revealed my position.
Chaos magic bloomed to life. This time, I was ready. Rolling through the mud to dodge the vicious blast aimed at me, I kept a firm grip on my weapon and thelyr-stone, casting out my awareness.
