I stare at Ever, knowing that she was worth the cost, but realising it’s going to take a minute to get used to it. To look at Kirrasia through new eyes.
“Ten?” She scrunches her face up at me. “We fight. It doesn’t matter if we don’t have magic. This is my normal, and I won’t let Lyle, or Calix, Kyra, or anyone else fight if I’m not standing with them.”
“You stood and died for them, Ever. We can hang back and make sure we don’t die after sacrificing everything. I’m pretty sure Aslendrix is out of giving favours or pardons.”
Her eyes rage at me, just as they did when she stormed past me the first time we met, and it reminds me of just how formidable she was before she knew about any of her magic. She sucked at fighting with actual weapons, but her will was stronger than any sword.
I shake my head at her, grab her face, and kiss her. Kiss her with all my fear that she’ll be taken from me again, the fear of what life will be like without magic.
Just as quickly, I break the kiss, grab her hand and start marching us back along the path towards The Court.
forty-six
. . .
Ever
The quiet is haunting. Or perhaps it’s what lies in our path that haunts us.
The air is warmer, the snow and ice melting as we walk through the graveyard of monsters that mar our course from the Transference Stone back towards The Court.
So much death.
A shadow against the mountain, retreating with the snow line, tells me that not all the Sur’gos have been killed. I hope the Jarkoreth have retreated to the safety of the forest.
Ten keeps pulling me with his hand clamped around mine. I no longer feel anything that would answer to my emotion or thought. It’s like I’m back in Estereah, back home, except I don’t need to worry about secret magic that makes me feel unhinged or crazy.
It’s all just gone, and I’m only left with my memories to disturb and twist my nightmares or waking thoughts now.
I told my friends to run, to help, because I was terrified, so wrapped up in my vengeance, of what I might do to them.And now I fear I only sent them into more danger. That fear snakes through me, as if it’s taking up sanctuary inside my body, squeezing any peace from me.
As we race down the path, noises, shouts, screams, and the faint smell of smoke are our greeting—the evidence of the battle in the very air.
Ten veers off after the main path, and I recognise it as the one we took up to the Opal Falls. He follows the lower ridge line of the mountain, his footing slipping as we race to see the battlefield.
But as we descend a little farther and move along the craggy passageway, I regret our choice.
Smoke and flames climb the walls of The Court. There are people everywhere. Not just Warriors. Some with weapons drawn, others using their magic now that Aslendrix’s power is open to them again.
All the Orders clash, a mix of colours, light, and nature, colliding in a messy, ugly canvas before us.
Fenix was right. He did have an army. Far greater than we thought, and they’ve done their damage.
The familiar spill of the Naturals homes outside of The Court’s walls is in tatters, as people fight. Flames climb the stone walls, as if wanting to enter and claim victims for themself.
It holds a terrifying resemblance to the memory I walked through in Ciro’s mind, after the Battle of Decree. However, instead of Kalan galloping towards The Court from the forest, it’s us, coming down from the mountain.
But Orion Ciro isn’t standing outside the gate this time. He isn’t watching over the fight that started all of this—that saw my parents killed.
As I watch over the grounds, my eyes can’t miss those bodies that aren’t moving. Crumbled and discarded where they fell. And for what? So much pain. So much death on both sides. Fenixknew the Warriors would be here. They only needed to get to the stone, but they chose violence and destruction, anyway.
“Do we look for Lyle and the others?” My eyes race to find a glimpse of familiarity as my breathing quickens, and the shadow of the bitter anger that took hold as I found Kalan’s body shudders through me as my mind jumps to my worst fear. “They might need us. Cetus might need us.” My heart starts to thrum in my chest at the mounting alarm, surging inside me. I could lose them. After all of this, I could still lose them.
“No. We’ll go to the Tower. The Warriors are gaining their advantage back, see.” Ten points out towards a mass of people dressed in black. Lines of them, moving into formations I didn’t notice before, with people running through the lines and around them. It looks like chaos to me.
“Ten—”
“We can’t help them,” he says, moving his hands to hold my head so I have nowhere to look but at him. “We trusted you. We need to trust them. Trust Calix.” He keeps his stare on me, and despite knowing his power has no influence over my feelings anymore, it feels like he has. He’s confident. Just his look and reassurance are enough to help settle my panic.
