Page 24 of Embers of Ruin

He interrupts me, gaze burning into mine. “Fight it, Lyra. Use your magic to suppress the city’s magic. Use your gift.” He says it like a command.

I look at him, face contorted in pain, and nod my head in resolve. Onyx knows I am different, so I don’t have to hide who I am from him. And my magic is begging to fight back.

So I let it.

I let my magic rise to the surface, to show whatever forces commanding this darkness that I am not defenseless. This city needs to know that I am not helpless. I feel my magic radiating off of me in waves, taking on a life of its own as if it is protecting me. It extends outward, and the pounding in my head immediately stops. I exhale sharply, enjoying a reprieve from the pain

This place cannot have me. Nor will its king keep me.

Inhaling, I feel a healing calm wash over me, similar to the kind I give those who are ill or on their deathbed. I need relief, and my magic knows exactly where to give it, in copious amounts. The relief is immediate. I still feel dark magic radiating from Andell, but it no longer has a hold on me; I am no longer a person it can claim.

“How did you know that would work?” I lift myself off the ground with help from Onyx, gripping his shoulder for support. He lets me use him as support, eyeing me warily as if he’s afraid I might fall.

“I’m fine, Onyx. Answer the question and stop staring at me as if I’ll break.”

“Ah, there’s that wicked sense of humor that brings men to their knees. I’d almost forgotten you could be so charming.” He smirks, taking a step back as his eyes assess me from head to toe.

“You want me to bring you to your knees?” Now I’m smirking, massaging my temples at the spot where the ache was. By now the ache is long gone, but the memory of it lingers. How are the people of Andell able to stomach this sickly magic? I can still feel the raw, unadulterated power radiating throughout the city but it can’t harm me.

“I know what you’re asking—” Onyx throws his hands up, tilting his head slightly as a tendril of hair falls in his face. “but you’re a little feisty for my liking.”

“Seven hells, I wasn’t—I didn’t—” I’m scrambling to find the words but I’m so flustered, I can barely manage a coherent sentence. “Go to hell.” I hope one lands.

Onyx lets out a low laugh and that makes me growl. I want to kick him straight in the throat, but I’m still weak from my run-in with Andell’s magic. This reminds me of the fact that Onyx still hasn’t answered my question. He must see the question written on my face, because he raises a hand to silence me.

“This city and its people are protected by the king,” he starts as he waves an outstretched hand toward the sprawling kingdom. “Those who are born here and those who have sworn fealty. The magic doesn’t harm us. But you are new here, so it tested you.”

“Oh, that was a test? Let me tell you Onyx, I love being tested to the point of pain. I bet the king gets such a thrill out of that.” My words are laced with venom and sarcasm, and I think he takes the hint… but he doesn’t.

He smirks—there it is again, that snarky, smug little look— and for the second time in the span of a week… I lose my shit.

I punch Onyx so hard in his muscled arm that the effort nearly shatters my fist, but my effort does nothing to him. His head falls back as he laughs, a deep, rumbling sound. Heat floods my face as I cradle my injured hand, considering punching him again just for the hell of it.

I knew he was strong but gods, I didn’t think his body was built of stone. Not only am I dying of embarrassment—I’m so angry, I want to use my magic to wipe that smug grin off of his face. But I can’t do that. I won’t do it. And I don’t know what gifts he has lurking beneath his skin, so I glare at him, wishing I could set him on fire.

For a moment there, I thought he was an actual human, one I could possibly tolerate. Now, I hate him again, and he is an asshole. But he is also the man who convinced me to fight the magic surrounding this city. Again, two things can be true at once.

“Take me to the king before I hack your head off. I’m not the best swordsman but for you, I’d do my worst,” I brush past him, still cradling my sore hand that is throbbing, cursing myself for following him in the first place.

Secretly, I do enjoy our time together. His sarcasm is the most excitement I’ve had in— well…ever. Will I ever tell him this?

Absolutely not.

* * *

From my viewpoint, the palace looks as if it were carved from the mountain itself. Obsidian spires rise into the clouds until I can't tell where the stone ends and the sky begins. Towering stained-glass windows break up walls of black marble, their dark panes reflecting the dim light that hangs over Solaris. Arches span impossible distances between towers, and every inch of stone seems carved with figures I can't make out from here. The palace rises above the city beneath it as if daring anyone to forget its presence.

At its highest point, a massive balcony juts from between the tallest towers, overlooking a marble courtyard so large it makes the buildings surrounding it look insignificant. Beyond it, Andell stretches farther than I can see. Slate rooftops, silver spires, canals, and crowded streets spill through the valley until they're swallowed by the haze at the horizon. Even from this distance, I know every road, every bridge, and every person below can be seen from that balcony. I instinctively know that the palace wasn't built to admire the city. It was built to watch it.

The architecture is so magnificent that I have to remind myself to close my mouth. It’s gaping at this point, and I don’t know what’s more embarrassing—the fact that I’ve never ventured outside of my small village and had no idea that this was how Andell looked, or the fact that I’m staring at it the sprawling city as if I’ve never seen anything at all before. I’m sure Onyx is getting a kick out of my reaction, but I don’t turn to look at him.

Inhaling deeply, I keep my own little protection intact, but it’s as if my magic senses that there is something inherently wrong about this place. There is an underlying pull drawing me in— I know I’ll need to be careful and keep my guards up, because I feel the tug of the city. It’s faint now, like a barely-there pulse, but I know it exists.

As beautiful as the city is, Andell feels like a trap meant to lure you in with beauty, only to leave you ruined after it’s drained you dry. I push the thought to the back of my mind, turning my attention to Onyx.

“Well, what are we waiting on?” I ask, gesturing for Onyx to lead the way. “Let’s get this over with.”

His mouth shifts, not quite smiling, and his demeanor is different now too. He seems more composed, as if entering the city immediately brought him back to being the captain of the Shadow Guard.