Lifting my right hand, I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose as my left hand flicks out. The heavy thud of four bodies hitting the earth follows a heartbeat later.
Exhaling through pursed lips, I stay there a moment, letting the tension drain from my skin and when I open them again, Luc is already standing in front of me waiting.
“Really?” he huffs, lifting a brow. “You should have just killed them.”
“It’s taken months just to get some of them to sit across from us without reaching for a blade. Killing four of them isn’t going to help us gain their trust.” I look around at the unconscious Outerlanders sprawled across the earth. They’ll be out for a few hours at least, but they’ll be fine. “If we want these ambushes to stop, if we want their help, then we have to extend the hand first.”
Plus I have enough blood on mine already.
Still, a muscle ticks in my temple. Because if it had been Lyra here—if it had been her in danger—there’s no doubt any of them would still be breathing.
Luc grumbles but doesn’t push, probably because he can see how fiercely gold my eyes are blazing, Cal simmering just beneath the surface. So we both turn and head over to the quivering family, crouched in a huddle together in the middle of four unconscious Outerlanders.
“It’s okay,” the mother whispers, rocking her son in her arms as tears stream down her face. “It’s okay. We’re safe now. We’re all safe.”
“How... how did you do that?” The father stammers as we stop in front of them. “My magic was gone, but yours just…” His voice trails off as his head shakes.
I almost reply,Because when I was a cocky, reckless sixteen-year-old, I nearly got myself killed and my dragon made the ultimate sacrifice by merging his essence with mine…But instead, I settle for, “It’s complicated.”
Colour slowly returns to his face as he stands, and the fear and panic that had gripped him moments ago give way to fury.
“You assured us we would be safe,” he shouts.
“I assured you I would do everythingin my powerto keep you safe,” I correct him, keeping my expression flat. “I know you’re scared and angry, but we need to keep moving?—”
“A dragon!” The kid below us blurts between snuffles, pointing over my shoulder. “Oh… there’s two!”
My head whips around as two dark shapes sweep overhead, one red, one green, the downdraft from their wings punching through the clearing and scattering dust across the bodies at our feet.
“Any chance they’re ours?”I ask Cal, glancing at Luc, whose expression tells me he’s asking JC the exact same thing.
“No,”Cal states.“And they’re not unbonded either.”
Shit.
“Serrane’s scouts,” I mutter out loud.
“But we’re fine... Right?” Panic returns to the father’s voice as his focus jumps between his wife and son. “We just look like we're being Reassigned, they won’t target us?”
“Yeah, well, Serrane put a stop to Reassignments a few weeks ago, after he realised people weren’t showing up where they should. And two Citadel officers in bright white uniforms, standing over four bodies with a very Innerlander-looking family of three? Suspicious would be an understatement?—”
“Goldie… where's the draconite?” Luc cuts in.
The rhythm in my chest kicks up, as I start scanning the bodies. We're sitting ducks out here if we don't find it, as I'm currently the only one with access to my Threads. But it’s tiny and almost every damned stone looks identical.
Luc’s eyes widen, both of us realising the same thing as Serrane’s two dragons circle back in our direction.
“Run!” I yell, hands moving fast as I haul the mother up and shove her and her son to their feet. “We need to get away from the draconite. Now!”
Damn, the kid’s scared shitless and barely standing.
Before he can stumble, I scoop him up, locking him against my waist, and break into a sprint.
“I thought Cal had the Veils up?” Luc pants beside me, matching my pace as we tear across the clearing, desperate to put distance between us and the draconite.
“Sorry, was a bit distracted,” I shoot back between breaths, tightening my hold on the kid as he clings to my shirt. “Kind of focused on the child being held hostage.”
I don’t tell him I was also thinking about Lyra.
