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Strong, gentle arms curved around my back, and a mighty, broken, roar reverberated in my chest. The sound like agony embodied in the form of sound.
There were running footsteps. A hot, blinding blaze of light. The chain around my neck was ripped away. My body lifted into the air.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Alaric
The power holding my body in place vanished like a cut thread. And all at once I came back to myself. Liana fell into my waiting arms. Broken and bleeding. I screamed at the feeling of her pain, using all the air I had in my lungs. I pushed out the anguish. Shoved back the fear. Accepted the ugly truth.
Kade ignited. His Grace freed from its tomb. A blaze unlike any I’d ever seen him wield shot from his palms—filling the entire space—the entire world with its blinding light and scorching warmth.
Valin was reduced to cinder, scattered to the wind.
This was our chance. I tore the necklace from Liana’s neck. Hoping—prayingto whatever gods could hear me that she be able to heal. But there was so much blood. Seeping from her stomach, soaking through her gown. Pooling on the pockmarked stones.
Kade could only keep the Mad King at bay for so long. We had seconds before he regained focus and wiped us all out.
“Take her!” I ordered Finn as he approached.
I kissed Liana swiftly on the forehead. “I made you a promise. And if you go, Iwillfollow you.” And then I wrenched the sword from her body.
Finn lifted her, cradling her in his arms. Tears fell freely against his cheeks. “Get Tiernan and get out of here. Get her home.”
The Draconian nodded once and spun, hunting for Tiernan in the melee that ensured. I saw him, the blond warrior, with two dead soldiers at his feet. And a third, falling from the edge of his sword. “Go!” I shouted, and he sprinted for Finn, the three shooting into the air.
“The stone!” Someone bellowed, and I remembered the ring on her finger. It was why he’d brought her here. He wouldn’t stop until he got what he was after.
“Kade,” I hollered, unable to get near him—a wall of roaring flame blocking my path. A winged male shot down from the sky, barrelling into Kade. A mistake. He squealed, and I cringed inwardly as he burned. “Kade,” I hollered again, and two glowing yellow eyes fell on me. I nodded to the sky, and he looked up. Saw his brother with Liana under one arm, and Tiernan under the other. He saw other Draconian flying straight for them.
Kade clenched his teeth and charged for me, extinguishing the flames on one hand. I caught that hand in mine as he took off from the ground.
We wouldn’t make it.
“Finn,” I called, and he spun, his eyes widening when he saw the other Draconian speeding towards him.
A flash of brown and white. It was Arrow, loosing a hair-raising screech before the falcon dug his talons into the Drac’s face—scratching at his eyes, giving Finn the chance to get away.
The Mad King’s winged soldier didn’t stand a chance. Arrow left him blinded and Kade sped up, grabbing hold of the Drac’s flailing arm when Arrow was done. Burned him to cinder and ash that fell like morbid snow over the throne room below.
Ricon was down, and another Drac tried to rouse him. The force of Kade’s blast must’ve knocked him unconscious.
I doubted we were lucky enough for him to be dead.
We needed only seconds more to be out of the reach of his Grace. Not even he could control a mind from miles away. It simply wasn’t possible. Though, what I’d seen and experienced was thought to be impossible too—before he’d done it.
No one followed, so, I had to assume they were all dead save for the last remaining Drac and the creature he bowed to. His followers’ bodies would rot away with what remained of the ancient palace.
Finn flew in close, “Here, take Tiernan,” he said to his brother, and a lance went through my stomach at the sight of her. Pale—her skin almost gray.
I shifted out of the way so Kade could take Tiernan under his other arm, “She won’t wake,” the blond warrior said, his voice strained. He grimaced when he tried to raise his head. A long slice ran from his shoulder blade up the side of his neck. But he would live. Though it bled, it wasn’t deep.
“Faster, we have to get her to Loris. She’s too weak to heal herself.”
Finn beat his wings harder and Kade—even with the extra weight, matched his brothers speed. I didn’t dare look up at the Draconian, at my fire-Graced comrade. I wanted to tell him it wasn’t his fault, but I still couldn’t make sense of what happened. I watched him run her through with his own blade. I saw in his eyes the moment he gave in to the compelling force of the Mad King’s Grace. If he had held on, just a little longer—
No.It wasn’t his fault. But the Kade I knew wouldn’t be reasoned with. Not right now. His skin was still hot to the touch, and his chest heaved with each powerful flap of his wings. Now wasn’t the time for words.
We had one purpose—one goal: Get Liana home. Nothing else mattered.
