Page 35 of Memory of Ashes

Two soldiers rushed through the gap in the fire, and Danae spun to face them.

The Mind Warper regained enough power to momentarily freeze Casyl, then slashed his sword across Casyl’s torso.

“No!” Amelia yelled, running towards them. She lunged at the Mind Warper’s back, forgetting all of Ruven’s training, and plunged her dagger into his neck. They fell together to the ground.

He rolled on top of her, his weight crushing her. The gurgling scream bubbled from his throat along with the blood, drenching her. She thrashed, freeing herself as the taste of his blood nauseated her.

Casyl stood, holding his side, blood pouring from the wound.

She got up and ran over to him.

“I guess this time you saved me,” he said, staggering. Amelia caught him, stumbling under his weight.

Danae came running over to help. “Let’s go!” she said, her face splashed with blood.

She cleared a path through the flames, and they ran past the fighting. The fire was spreading throughout the camp, and men who weren’t part of the battle were fighting the fire with buckets of water.

They heard the signal for retreat as Ruven came galloping back with spare mounts. They mounted the horses and bolted for the safety of their own camp.

They’d done it; they’d rescued Tharos. It had all happened so quickly.

Medics were ready when they reached their camp, and Danae and Ruven helped Tharos and Casyl down from their mounts.

“I’m fine,” Casyl said, holding his wound, batting Ruven away.

“You can barely walk, you moron,” Ruven retorted.

Amelia flinched, but Casyl only let out a bark of laughter before sinking to the floor. Ruven and the medics carried him inside.

“Are you hurt?” Danae asked Amelia.

“No, I don’t think so.” She stopped to inspect herself. It was difficult to determine if any blood belonged to her.

The adrenaline was fading, and the memory of the men burning to death in Danae’s flames took over her mind. She could still smell the burned flesh in the air.

She staggered towards the side of the tent and doubled over. Danae came over and patted her back, holding Amelia’s hair out of the way. “It’s normal the first time you see battle,” she said. “It will get easier.”

She didn’t tell Danae that it wasn’t the fighting that had made her sick, but her torturous flames that had scalded men, blistering their skin. How could she be so unaffected by it?

Ruven emerged from the medical tent and led her over to Casyl’s tent. Once they were inside, she collapsed onto a chair.

“Here,” he said, passing her a goblet. “It will help.”

She snatched it out of his hand and gulped, washing the memory of blood from her mouth.

“All of that was over me?” she asked. “Why don’t you just give me to them?”

He looked at her sadly. “Get some rest.” He walked back out of the tent.

Chapter 9

Casyl was brought into his tent on a stretcher. He’d been unconscious when they carried him in and placed him on the bed behind a partition at the back of the tent.

“He’ll be fine,” Ruven had told her. “He just needs to rest. He’s barely slept in days.” His attention returned to Amelia. “I’ve heard you’re quite the hero.”

Amelia flinched. She’d killed someone. The words repeated in her mind. She’d killed a man. Ruven had acted as if that was something to be proud of.

“I can’t believe I did that.”