“If you go,” Ilain said, “he’ll follow.”
Though she didn’t relish getting any closer to the Shades, Evylin began a steady walk toward the obelisk. Deckard waited until she closed the distance and stepped with her. He had already made good work of the Shades. The rest of them hardly had to fight at all. Flashes of Day, columns of Fire, and rushes of Wind tore through the Keep as silver, amethyst, and wooden arrows launched through the air with perfect precision.
“If you start to feel him draw on your energy,” Auden called, “shut him out. We can’t lose both of you in here.”
“I don’t know how to do that,” Evylin called back. A blast of shadow erupted to her right where Deckard walked, drawing her gaze to him. But he wasn’t there anymore. “What—?”
In the split second since she’d turned, another black cloud appeared in the center of the Shades up ahead, driving their numbers back.
“Holy hell!” Vayden exclaimed behind her.
“He can teleport?” Rafferty asked in wild awe.
Evylin’s fingers slipped on the bowstring as she watched Deckard standing amidst the Shades where the shadows appeared. Her throat tightened at the thought of him surrounded in their midst as they exploded into black, yawning holes. Yet, she couldn’t deny how impressed she was by the featof power her husband displayed. She didn’t know how much magic it took to accomplish such a thing, but she imagined it was far more than he should be using so early in the fight.
“Evie?” Ethenn called from far to her right. “What is he doing?”
Evylin lifted her bow again, forcing herself back to action. “I don’t know.”
“Should he be doing that?” Vayden asked.
“No,” Auden answered tightly. “He’s going to get us killed.”
But as Evylin let loose another arrow, she wondered if Auden was right. With her steady press forward, they were already within a hundred yards of the Chamber’s entrance. They’d never moved through a Keep this quickly. Even if Deckard was using too much magic, they might move fast enough for it not to matter.
The third wave dwindled to the final few Shades, and the troop bolted for the obelisk’s black door. Though Deckard didn’t seem to be in a hurry, when Evylin made it inside, he moved with purpose to join her. They piled into the spiral stairwell, and Thom closed the door with a firm snap.
“Are we safe in here?” Vayden asked.
No one replied. Thom leaned against the wall, running a hand over his face. Evylin chewed on her lip in shared concern. They weren’t nearly as physically spent as they usually were when they reached the Chamber stairs. Yet, their worry for Deckard was proving just as exhausting.
Unaware of their need to rest, Deckard began down the stairs, his stride casual. Evylin caught his sleeve, pulling him to a stop. Two steps below, his eyes leveled with hers. His magic still glittered around him, and his gaze was cruelly soft in its blankness.
“Jonn,” she said gently, “I need you to listen to me. Let your magic go.”
Deckard’s brow pinched together. He reached up to cup her cheek, the shards shifting down his arm as he moved. “Evie,” he said tenderly, “it’s all right.”
“You can’t sustain this,” she warned.
“I can,” he promised. “I have you.”
“You can’t use me,” she insisted. “Do you understand that? I can’t carry us both.”
“You won’t have to.”
“Jonn,” she said sharply, “donotuse my strength. You mustn’t.”
The lines in his brow deepened, but he nodded.
Evylin’s heart felt as though it would split in two. She wanted to believe that Deckard was right; together, they were strong enough to sustain whatever magic they needed to carry to fulfill their mission. But she was afraid. Terribly, awfully afraid.
Taking hold of his hand, Evylin whispered, “I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t.” His thumb brushed across her cheekbone, sending a line of tingles across her skin. “Trust me.”
Evylin pressed into his touch. “Always,” she promised, then kissed his palm. She released him, strengthened her gaze, and ordered, “Wait here.”
He dipped his chin in acceptance.
