Page 70 of Dance of Stars and Ashes

He leaned forward, and he opened his mouth. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to hear what was about to come out of it. Probably something else to remind her that while he might be the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, he was also a huge, massive dick.

But at that moment, a soldier ran shouting into the courtyard, pulling every eye towards him.

He stopped and then scanned the table. When he caught sight of Vikram, he headed straight for him.

“Steward,” the soldier said with a bow, “the blight has breached the southern wall. It’s—”

He glanced at the faces surrounding him, turning pale.

“We must evacuate immediately. The blight is consuming the city.”

NINETEEN

Chaos erupted as Vikram began shouting orders, while Yasen leaped up to ready the palace soldiers. Zarya pushed up from her seat, staring at the sky. That same dome they’d seen minutes ago blinked in and out until a bright light flashed, and the sky cleared once again.

“The queen’s magic has failed!” Vikram shouted. “Call her guard to the walls!”

Warnings blared in the air, signaling the emergency.

Zarya then exchanged a look with Rabin. Row and the others were already bolting for the gates, and she wasted no time following.

As she emerged into the street, a wave of chaos surged in the opposite direction. She’d already lost sight of Row in the churning sea of bodies. Rabin stood next to her, and they shared another look before he nodded, and they both took off running. Zarya was shoved left and right as they pushed through the throngs of panicked Dharati citizens fleeing for safety.

Rabin took the lead, his wide shoulders struggling to cut a path through the confusion. He stopped and raised his arms as the tide diverted around him. A moment later, an earthen ramp rose up from the ground, forming an elevated runway. Zarya marveled at the construction offering them a clear path.

Rabin looked over his shoulder, his expression telling her to follow. Though they were now a few feet off the ground, Zarya still couldn’t see what was driving everyone this way. It took them several minutes to reach the southern gates where she had first entered Dharati after escaping the swamp.

It was then she finally realized what was happening. No gates, no matter how tall or strong, would stop the taint decimating the city. Around them, screams echoed against stone and concrete because the soldier hadn’t been far off when he’d said the blight was consuming the walls.

Black rot seeped up from the bottom, spreading like ink tipped over pristine cotton. It scaled up the mortar and bricks, staining their golden glow with decay. For several seconds, Zarya watched, unable to comprehend the horror of what she was witnessing.

“Do you hear that?” Zarya asked.

Rabin nodded as he stared at the infection crawling over the ground, edging closer to where they stood. His jaw hardened. “I do.”

Chewing. Gnawing. Crunching.

The blight was literally devouring the city and everything in its path. Soldiers were shouting orders, attempting to usher people through the streets while trying to maintain some semblance of order. There would be no point in trying to rescue anyone if they were trampled in a stampede of fleeing bodies.

“To the northern forest,” the soldiers shouted. “Take cover in the northern forest. Now!”

“What do we do?” Zarya asked Rabin as Yasen came thundering up behind them. She reached for him. “Yas?”

They all watched in horror as the blackness continued to chew its way forward. Zarya backed up, step by step, watching as it crept closer to the tips of her shoes.

“This has never happened before,” Yasen said. “It’s always moved so slowly.”

“What if it doesn’t stop?” Zarya asked, looking towards the palace. “What do we do about Amrita? She’ll be trapped.”

“Your nightfire, Zee,” Yasen said. “It stopped the demons. Maybe it would work now?”

She watched the blight, hesitating.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure how. It was an instinct. I haven’t practiced it enough. I’ve been trying, but I don’t know how to control it.” She took another several steps back as the rot inched forward. The screams of the city slithered into her consciousness. Everyone would die if they didn’t stop this.

“Just close your eyes,” a low voice said in her ear. Rabin stood behind her now, his hands clasping her shoulders. She tried to ignore the heat of his palms as they burned right through the fabric. “Concentrate on slowly pulling each of your anchors one at a time, like towing in fishing lines.”