Page 196 of Keldori By Daybreak

“Hold your breath this time, got it?” Ciarán panted as we approached the center of the pool.

“Wait!” I skidded to a halt and looked back at Tiernan. “Tiernan!”

Caitria had Tiernan from behind with her rope of Skal around his throat. He grabbed at her wrists, trying to break her grip. Then his face relaxed, and he dropped his hands in front of him.

Golden light flickered between Tiernan’s palms and then expanded as he twisted and drew apart his hands. A golden orb, burning like a miniature sun, lit his face from below, and he smiled.

Cold dread clung to me like the ocean water that weighed on my hair and clothes as I realized what he was going to do.

“Stop!” I tried to run at Tiernan, but Ciarán grabbed me by my backpack to pull me back.

“We have to go, my Lady,” Ciarán’s murmur slipped through my head.

“Let go of me!” I screamed at Ciarán. “Tiernan, don’t!”

“We run and we run and we run. Remember that?” Tiernan, usually so taciturn, let a tear trace the curve of his dark cheek. Caitria tried to bring him to his knees, but he was too strong for his sister. She hissed something in his ear, but he didn’t pay her any attention. “That’s what you said outside Willow’s Grave before you stayed back. Caitria’s going to follow us. We’re going to have to keep running if I don’t do something about it. And I would very much like to finally rest.”

“We’ll take care of her in Keldori!” I insisted. “Tiernan, come on! What about Fana?”

I strained against Ciarán, but he pulled me farther down the walkway.

“You are very easy to dislike,” Tiernan grunted, still struggling. “And you are quick to return the sentiment. But as quick as you are to dislike the people you meet, you are just as quick to help them, even when you can’t stand them. Even when they’ve given you good reason to hate them. I know you aren’t a god, but that’s what makes you so much more spectacular. I wish I could’ve realized that sooner. Maybe then we would’ve had time to be friends.”

“Tiernan!” I elbowed Ciarán in the stomach. The air went out of him with a grunt, but he kept his hold. “Please!”

“My Lady Saergrim. It was an honor to serve you. Tell Fana she’ll do wonderfully in Keldori, and that I’m sorry. I wish I could’ve gone.”

Caitria abandoned her Skal-weapon, finally resorting to hooking her elbow around Tiernan’s neck, grinning, not yet realizing what he was about to do. The final wave of soldiers reached the island, weapons of emerald blazing.

“Tiernan!” I screamed.

Tiernan smiled at me one last time and closed his gold-flecked eyes as Caitria’s soldiers overtook him.

Light burst at his chest, and Ciarán and I fell back into the bright light of the Skal.

40. Office Hours

Everything was light. Searing, metallic, too-bright light, and I fell through it like a stone through air.

And there was plenty of stone, too, dropping through the Skal all around us as the cavern collapsed overhead.

A sharp current tried to rip me from Ciarán’s arms, but he held tight, which was good, because I couldn’t bring myself to hold onto anything.

Tiernan was supposed to come with us.

Skal burned my eyes, but I kept them open against the searing stream. Ciarán’s dark hair was dyed a golden brown in the omnipresent light, and his face stark white, making his dark sclera stand out all the darker. His eyes were narrowed and full of wrath and fire above the hem of his cowl.

The Skal turned heavy, pressing against me as darkness closed in.

I grabbed onto Ciarán as Skal turned to water and the tunnel turned dark the farther down we were sucked into its depths.

The current jerked us to the side, then spit us out, pushing us forward once more to slam us into a wall. I hid against Ciarán’s chest as my own chest screamed for air.

The water stilled. Ciarán fingers dug into my back, and his body against mine was the only thing that existed in this oppressive, dark space.

I wasn’t sure which way was up or down, I only knew that Ciarán was still here, so I held tighter.

Something brushed against my leg and then pushed between us, nosing her way between our chests until we draped over her muscled back.