“Noc.” I gripped his shoulder.
Nothing happened.
Electricity surged through the air, and I shuddered. Aeon was ready. A crack of lightning erupted from the sky and struck the Prentiss with deadly precision. The current slammed into the beast, spiderwebbing over its scales. The force of the hit had me rattling in place, and I expected to see the Prentiss go limp. Instead, it simply shrieked and wriggled harder as it flailed its wings about. Dread crawled up my throat. Did its scales make it immune to lightning?
Above, Onyx yowled as he returned into view. Calem and Oz were nowhere to be seen, which hopefully meant they were safely on the other side. Onyx circled once before diving to the plateau and snaking between Aeon and the ground.
“Noc.” This time, I shoved him. “C’mon. Snap out of it!”
Finally, he lifted his head. Blinked. Then went rigid as he took in the scene.
“Let’s go!” I yanked him toward Onyx.
The Prentiss twisted and jerked in the air, and one fateful clawed wing slammed right into Aeon’s eye—one of the only vulnerable spots on his body. He howled and released his hold on the Prentiss, backing up and bowing his head to the earth. Finally free, the serpentine creature took flight, wasting no time inhaling every ounce of mist while Aeon was distracted.
Noc and I leaped onto Onyx’s back, and I dug my heels into his sides. He roared in answer and bolted toward the edge, jettisoning into the sky. We barely escaped the Prentiss’s attack. Turning all of its fury onto Aeon, the beast unleashed a massive tornado directly at the ruins. The stone altar cracked, and a deep gouge splintered through the middle of the butte.
“Aeon!” I screamed. He’d hunkered down to endure the whirlwind, but the ground began to tremble beneath his feet. Snarling at the Prentiss, he launched into the air, snared the beast’s wing, and slammed it into the rock formations. The force of his attack split the chasm wider.
Onyx continued to race toward safety. His muscles bunched and released, wings pounding the air. We were almost there. In the distance, I spied Calem and Oz looking on in horror, two S-Class beasts locked in battle as the very ground beneath their feet gave way. Rocks and debris tumbled around the butte. Red dust once again billowed up toward the morning sun. Time was up.
Thrusting my hand outward, I channeled every ounce of power I had into wrenching open the beast realm door. The deafening groan of hinges sounded at the same moment rosewood light ruptured from my emblem.
“Now, Aeon!”
I felt him release his hold on the Prentiss and step into the beast realm, into safety, just as the butte itself gave out. The Prentiss went down with it, a snarling, howling mess trapped by the debris. Its hide was tough, though, and even if it fell to the bottom of the canyon, there was no telling whether or not it’d come crawling back up. I didn’t want to stick around to find out.
Onyx crashed into the earth beside Calem and Oz, his tired muscles giving out and making for a rugged landing. He dropped to his belly immediately, and we quickly slid off his back. Panting heavily, he glanced up at me and let out a weak yowl.
“You were perfect. Rest now.” Stroking his head, I once again opened the beast realm door and then sent him home. A faint roar echoed from the canyon, and I shivered. “We need to move before the Prentiss comes back.”
“We’ll use the shadows. Let your beasts rest,” Oz said as he helped me to my feet.
Noc nodded, and then glared across the Gaping Wound. “Quickly, before they catch up,” Calem hissed. “Fucking brutes.”
Craning my head over my shoulder, I spied our enemies lingering by the far side of the canyon. They were just miniature, indistinct statues at this distance, but one thing, oneperson, was discernable—Yazmin. Her rage was unmistakable as currant-colored light blossomed around her. We could call beasts back to the realm no matter where they were, but summoning them anywhere else but by our side was impossible. Not like that mattered—she could call on a flying beast and be on us in minutes.
“Let’s go,” Noc said. As one, he, Calem, and Oz summoned shadows and we disappeared into their hidden world, out of sight and out of reach from Yazmin’s grasp.
For now.
Twelve
Kost
My time in Hireath hadn’t been as illuminating as I’d hoped. A few days had passed since I’d visited Noc, Leena, Ozias, and Calem, and the longing I felt to join them was…inescapable. It would still be some time yet before I heard from them again. Travel to Invere would require the utmost level of caution if they wished to remain hidden from Varek’s forces. As much as I wished to be journeying with them, there was no denying the need for me to be present in Hireath.
First, I’d orchestrated temporary living arrangements for our brethren—tents for sleeping and one large canopy that acted as a common space for them to gather. Otherwise, they were encouraged to explore Hireath and get to know the Charmers. That hadn’t really happened. For some, the memory of the open lawn where we camped—the battlefield where so many had lost their lives when we challenged Wynn to save Leena—was hard enough. Mingling with Charmers and integrating our lives with one another would take time.
Once we were settled, I put Emelia and Iov in charge of daily training. Our newer recruits had barely had a chance to get acquainted with their surroundings at Cruor, let alone actually master the shadows. Now, they were in foreign territory with an impending war on the horizon. Even the more seasoned assassins were on edge.
All of that was manageable. Expected. I’d planned for such reactions and a strenuous few days. What I hadn’t anticipated was Gaige. Sighing, I ran a stiff hand over my vest and glanced around. Nighttime in Hireath was beautiful. The indigo sky was sprinkled with millions of stars, and they twinkled through the overhead network of branches that covered the buildings. Frost clung to the grass and sparkled in the moonlight, creating a vibrant enough light that many Charmers didn’t even bother to ignite the floating rycrim orbs that hung about their city. Yet despite it all, there was a darkness here that couldn’t be ignored. And for the first time in history, it wasn’t the assassins of Cruor.
It was Gaige.
Sitting alone in front of one of the communal fires near the library, he stared into the hungry, orange flames. His own shadows festered around him, eating away at the soft light. He needed training but refused to participate in any lessons. One gloved finger repeatedly stroked the key dangling from his neck. Over and over again. Guilt ravaged my stomach. I’d felt an unbearable sense of responsibility when I convinced Talmage to raise Noc all those years ago. But this? I couldn’t explain the way my hands shook. Feelings I hadn’t begun to acknowledge were suddenly…there. It was too much. Chest heavy, I walked toward him. Paused for a moment to give him a chance to object when I reached the open bench across from him.
He didn’t bother to meet my gaze. “Sit if you want.”
