26. Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Six
Astrid
Shouting and slamming doors sound from the hall accompanied by the sound of many people running through the halls. I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting against the door like this. The floor vibrates underneath me along with the rhythm of the crowd outside. Before I can formulate a coherent thought, I am racing to my room. I snatch up my sword, still encased in its sheath before rushing to Embla’s room. We’ve been found. I won’t let King Daemon’s men take my sister. Even if that means I must kill every single one of them. I will sacrifice each and every one of them for my sister to live.
I crash through the thick wooden door as fear clings to me. Embla remains fast asleep, her body wrapped around the comforter, one leg extended across the mattress away from the blanket. Light snores drift through the air. I release a sigh of relief, maybe the noises were just people staying in the motel, being rowdy after visiting the bar below. I turn to reach for the door, ready to return to my room to get some sleep myself.
A crash lights up the room as Embla’s scream pierces the air. Glass jingles as it rains against the floor, and white feathers fill the air. A lithe body shadows the hole that was once the window. The street lights silhouette her, but the skin tight leather bodysuit she wears leaves nothing to the imagination. Periwinkle and purple ombre hair stand out against the shadows. Her lavender eyes glow as she surveys the mess she made. Her short hair doesn’t quite reach her shoulders as it sticks up at odd angles as she gives it a light shake. White feathered wings stretch behind her back and two odd metal hilts without a blade are raised in my direction.
“Astrid?” Embla’s panicked high-pitched voice calls, her once sleeping form now backed as far against her headboard as she can squeeze. She clutches the blanket to her chest, her golden eyes wide, it’s the only part of my sister not hidden by the comforter. There’s a rustle and something jingles at Embla’s bedside. With a soft click, light floods the room. Warm brightness reflects off the stranger’s pearlescent skin.
“It’s okay, Em, just stay there.” I raise a hand motioning for her to stay still and the stranger steps into the room. Glass crunches under her boots as she walks toward s me, her eyes assessing. She doesn’t appear to pose a threat, the hilts she holds in her hands are bladeless. I have never seen someone with wings though, they seem to stay close to her body as she moves. Everything about the woman says killer except her weapons. Every single one of my instincts screams for me to leave, move, or do something. But a small piece of me wonders what it would be like to fly. And that’s the thought that keeps me rooted in place.
“I must be early,” She sucks on her teeth; her unfamiliar accent has an up and down sing-song quality. She sheaths her hilts on her thigh. “Hi, sorry this room was supposed to be empty. Or it was when I saw it.” She squints her eyes just a bit, as if to remember, before she continues cheerfully, “I’m Thea.” Before I can respond, the door to the bedroom explodes. Embla’s shriek sends chills down my spine as men sporting black armor trimmed with gold. Three roses cover their chest plates as they charge into the room, swords drawn.
The Demendian soldiers freeze when they come face to face with Thea, she quickly pulls her hilts from where she stowed them. She closes an eye as she aims, a finger resting on a lever.
“If any of you survive, tell King Daemon that leaving your city was a mistake.” A smirk crosses her face before she squeezes the lever. The ends of the hilts explode over and over. The noise fills the small space and a bitter smokey scent fills the air. Soldiers fall to the ground dead, and blood puddles and soaks into the carpet as it grows closer to where I stand. In the chaos, I move, throwing myself in front of Embla’s cowering form on the bed, small whimpers come from where Em has hidden herself under the blanket. I pull my sword from my sheath, noting how it feels lighter outside of Demendia. My eyes dart to the room, wishing for Effie to reappear and help us get away. The soldiers take a few steps forward, and I bend my knees dropping into a defensive stance, ready to protect my sister at all costs. She’s all I have left.
A few soldiers remain in the main part of the chambers. They are forced to step over the bodies of their fallen comrades as they step into the room. Thea’s hilts click as she pulls the levers , and she drops them. A look of disgust rolls over her face and the weapons land with a thump. She rips an ax off the body laying closest to her.
“What do you want?” Thea brandishes the axe as she sidles next to me. A stranger ready to stand with me against those who would drag me back to watch my sister die. I can barely believe it. She could die doing this, and yet she’s still helping me.
“Malia wants what he is owed," one of the soldiers growls, stepping forward to lead the company.
“He isn’t owed a damn thing,” I seethe, swinging my sword. The blade sings through the air, and slices through his neck in a single arc. The other soldiers stare unmoving as his head tumbles to the floor and rolls toward them. His body drops to its knees, blood sprays my chest and face. Warm against my skin but it cools rapidly leaving me shivering. The body falls and a wicked grin curls across my face. I’ve never been in true combat before. Something inside me whispers everything I have always known. I was meant to fight. Men that make up what remains of the company, stare at the headless bodies. Their eyes tracking to my face, and the blood drains from the cheeks of every soldier present. I can’t see the horror on their faces, obstructed by the ridiculous helmets they are forced to wear, but I can feel it coming off them in waves. A new soldier is shoved to the front, a replacement leader, or a sacrifice I can’t be sure. His gaze bounces from me and his fallen brother-in-arms. He slowly backs up to the doorway, stepping over bodies before he turns and sprints back the way he came, his company close behind.
“Embla, are you okay?” I crouch until I’m at eye level with my shaking sister.
“They came for us. They never leave the city, wh—why would they come after us?” Embla asks, tear stains trail down her flushed cheeks.
“I don’t know.” I shake my head, taking my sister’s hand in mine. “We can’t stay here though.” Screaming sounds from somewhere else in the inn. “We need to get Effie and go.” I turn to Thea who has taken up guarding the door.
“The hallways are clear but I don’t know how long it will stay like this, we need to go quickly,” Thea insists, and I nod. I scramble to toss our belongings into a duffel bag before throwing the strap over my shoulder. I rush to my room and do the same, slinging the bag over my other shoulder before returning to my sister. I pull Embla out of the bed and onto her feet. Wrapping her in the blanket as if it’ll keep her safe. Thea runs out into the hall, and I drag Embla behind me to make a beeline for the lobby. I just have to keep Embla safe until we can get back to Demendia. My sword leads the way as we clear the hall, and finally we shuffle into the elevator. The three of us moving as one.
“Effie!” I call as soon as the elevator doors open to the lobby, my voice echoes through the dark emptiness. Bodies litter the pink and white marble floors. Each boasts Demendia’s sigil across their breast plate. Effie isn’t among them, and I can feel the tension release from my body with an exhale.
I follow the path of unlit candles and bodies back to the room I fled mere hours ago. But this time instead of skin against skin the sound of clashing metal rings through the air, and battle cries full of anguish. A few fae warriors who were staying at the inn join Effie as she stumbles into the lobby fighting off a Demendian. I step further into the room, our three-person group moving in unison with Thea behind Embla.
A soldier separates from the rest, his sword raised as he rushes for Thea’s back. Effie steps into his path. She doesn’t back away. She lowers her hands in front of her and a blade of black flame springs from her hands. Effie’s blade cracks like thunder as she blocks, and metal drips from the sword of her enemy with each impact, creating melted divots in the human’s sword before Effie finally ends it. Her flaming blade sizzles as it enters his body and she releases the weapon. The flames consume him in shadow fire. He doesn’t have time to make a noise before all that is left is a pile of ash that stains the floor black.
Effie doesn’t make a noise—she seems to revel in watching her magic, her fire. She snaps her fingers and the flames from the body jump from soldier to soldier. Each of them becomes a bonfire until they are reduced to a pile of ash.
A large man walks into the room from the outside entrance. The long gold plume of his helmet identifies him as the commander. Effie sashays across the room, closing the space between her and this massive man. She stops just in front of him before she reaches out a hand and boops his nose. Thea drops her stolen axe and crosses her arms to watch. I expect him to ignite like the others and reduce to a pile of ash. Effie’s face scrunches in confusion and disappointment when he doesn’t.
“Oh, boo, no fair,” she says, her eyes going to a bracelet he wears on his wrist. “A handy protection charm you have there.” She waggles her eyebrows. The commander brandishes his sword, prepared to kill her. A blade of black fire forms from her hands, and she twirls it with practiced ease.
Blade meets blade, and the commander’s melts under her heat. “Seems it only works on you.” She smirks as the commander lets out a growl. Effie moves faster than my human eye can track as she snatches the bracelet from his wrist. Effie swipes a finger down his uncovered cheek to his lips, like a lover would before his body erupts into black flame.
Effie dusts her hands as the flames cease, leaving even her clothes intact. “I’m sorry you had to see that,” she says as she approaches me. I can’t formulate words; I can’t do anything but stare. I never knew how formidable she was in a fight, but watching her now, I can’t tear my eyes away. I’ve heard of the powers the fae can wield. Each fae’s magic is different but usually remains centralized around a single element in a family.
“That’s your power?” My voice comes out like a squeak in my disbelief. I rub my eyes to make sure I’m still awake, pinching my arm for good measure. The pain stings, but I’m still here. I’m still outside of Demendia fighting with a fae.
“I also dabble in telekinesis sometimes, but that one is harder for me,” she says as a long-stemmed wine glass flies through the air half-full without spilling a drop to land in Effie’s hand. “That’s the most I can manage.” Effie drains the glass before tossing it behind her. It crashes to the floor, adding to the chaos of blood, ashes, and now glass.
“What?” I ask, I’ve never heard of a fae having more than just elemental magic, but I’m learning there is a lot more to the world than I ever thought.
“It’s all about how you channel your power. What comes naturally. Shadows and their fire are easy for me.” Effie shrugs and holds up a finger. A black flame dances to life like she is a living candle. She seems recharged even though she hasn’t slept.
There’s so much more about magic that I want to know, and I can’t stop myself from wondering if I would ever be able to learn. Even though I have no magic myself.
“We have to go.” Thea leans forward from where she protects Embla’s back. Effie doesn’t argue. I run, Embla in a blanket burrito in tow, we leave the motel the same way we arrived.