Chapter 45 #2
I shift and pull Darcy with me, letting the shadows and light propel us forward through the wind, chaos, and churning sea below.
We move like a bolt of lightning engulfed in darkness.
The wall tries to keep us out, but I push, grinding my teeth together, letting out a vicious scream.
Even being mist, my muscles strain with the weight of Darcy with me, and I push one last time through the wall and toward the people who still need protection.
We crash land a few hundred yards from the pier and are immediately surrounded by civilians of Andorwood. I release Darcy’s hand and roll to the side, making sure he’s alright.
“Help him,” I shout. “Where is a healer?”
The civilians freeze, and a few shuffle away to get someone to assist. Blood drips from my body along with water, and quickly pools around the dry ground.
“Please take him away from the danger. He needs healing.”
Darcy groans beside me, and I get to my knees, placing my hand on his forehead.
“Now.”
A woman parts the crowd, just like she did during our time in the city square.
Pia Herst sprints toward us, landing beside Darcy to begin assessing his leg.
With a shaky hand, Darcy removes the stone from his pocket and places it in my hands, closing my fist around it.
I offer a soft smile, and tuck the jewel into my pants, feeling the vibration of power once more.
“Thank you,” Darcy whispers.
I glance at Pia, and her eyes are wide but focused, ready to do what needs to be done.
“Can you help him?”
“He will be okay,” she says. “But I need to take him, now.”
I nod, moving out of her way, while a few others rush from the crowd to assist her in lifting him and carrying him through the kingdom to the primary healing base. A few civilians dressed in armor gasp as I stand on wobbly legs, but I ignore them, pushing my body to move back toward the pier.
“Prepare to fight,” I shout as I move along the cobblestone streets toward the Wielders, yelling at anyone who looks in my direction. My legs carry me forward, and I’m unsure how I’m still going.
“They are coming.” I race forward toward the dock.
The howling wind rips around me, pushing my soaking wet hair in my face, and I continue toward the pull I feel in my chest.
Toward Silas.
“I’m here,” I scream in my mind. “Silas, I’m here.”
The crowd parts for me, and I glance at their horrified faces. Many of them are ready but fearful of what the near future brings. I offer any reassuring looks I can, but in my state, the shock settles in like the night around us.
“Where are you?” Silas’s frantic voice echoes in my mind. “Where the fuck are you?”
I stumble forward, not letting the exhaustion slow me.
The crowd lessens, and I move as quickly as I can.
Tripping, I catch myself and look up to stare directly into Silas’s eyes across the short distance as he pushes against the flow of the crowd.
Panic contorts his beautiful eyes, but he charges toward me.
Relief overtakes me, and I race forward, crashing into his strong chest. His hands wrap into my tangled hair and pull me into him.
“Thank the fucking Gods,” he whispers.
“I’m okay,” I say, burrowing into his chest.
Silas pulls me back, his eyes moving up and down my sore body. He grimaces and cups my face. “You don’t look okay,” he says.
I glance down at my armor—gashes and blood cover most of the fabric now, exposing my hip and various parts of my arm.
My skin is already bruising, and blood trickles from my split lip.
Silas remains untouched, still in perfect condition, and compared to the other people on the pier, I look horrifying.
I pull away and shake my head. “We need to prepare for them to collide with the pier, and fast.”
“Catch your breath,” he says.
“They are almost here, Silas. We are outnumbered, even with one of their ships. This one is the strongest, and it doesn’t just carry resurrected Wielders. There are creatures on that ship.”
“I heard you, Briar.”
“You did?”
“The creatures can’t swim. I prepared the pier with the information I was able to get from you. It felt like our connection was hazy, but I heard you in pieces.”
“Oh, thank Gods,” I say, still sucking in deep breaths.
“They are ready,” Silas says.
“That isn’t all.”
He hesitates before speaking, so I continue, desperate to get everything out.
“Silas,” I grab his arm. “They are after Fen. We have to get her to the house and hidden, right now.”
“They?”
“Rohhit,” I say, struggling to get my words out. “He’s here.”
Silas pales. “I didn’t fucking hear that.”
I feel like I may vomit. “For her.”
“That isn’t Rohhit.” Silas’s eyes go dark. “You know that.”
Without another second passing, Silas spins to a man standing near him, whom I’ve seen a few times, but can’t remember his name.
Silas grips his shirt. “Where is Warrick Pierce?”
The man points toward a dimly lit alleyway. “Last time I saw him, he was there with Captain Nastronde.”
Silas takes a step forward, and I stop him.
He spins, his face contorted with concern and rage.
“You can’t go, Silas. We need to stay on the pier until the wall breaks.”
He looks at me and hesitates, but slowly accepts the truth of my words.
Silas shoves the man, releasing his grip on the shirt. “Go find Warrick immediately and tell him to get Fenmore to the cliff house.”
The man nods, but hesitates.
“Now,” Silas orders, and a deep voice rattles from his throat that shocks me. “Run.”
Without another word, the man sprints toward the town in search of Warrick.
I clasp my hand around Silas’s arm. “He will keep her safe.”
Silas nods, but I know he doesn’t trust anyone but himself in this moment.
His eyes grow wild, but he stays focused. Silas turns, screaming at the warriors around him to get into position and draw their weapons. Metal clinks into the air, and everyone faces the dark wall of shadows, waiting for the creatures to crash through at any second.
Oak stands near the front lines and smiles when we make eye contact. He runs to Silas and me, wrapping his arms around me.
“I’ve never been so happy to see you, Briar,” Oak says.
“We did the best we could,” I respond, quickly.
Oak smiles. “You are incredible. Disgusting at the moment, but incredible.”
I huff a laugh, wiping the creature’s blood from my face as best I can.
“Where’s Larkin?”
I pause and look to Silas.
His eyes grow hard and worried.
“He should be here by now. He left before me and shifted to the third boat with a few men," I respond, catching my breath.
“Third boat?” Silas snaps.
“They attacked us, sinking one of our ships. Darcy and I sank the second one.” I push past them and run closer to the edge.
“Gods,” I hear Oak whisper.
Silas steps forward, “Briar.”
“He should be here.” I snap back.
“We…” Oak hesitates, “We haven’t seen him.”
Dread fills me like rising water.
The shadow wall begins to pulse, and from behind me, I can hear Silas grit his teeth against the power surging through his body with a heavy groan. How he’s been able to hold this amount of magic for this long, I’ll never know.
The King of Darkness is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
In the corner of my eye, toward the small beach, the pulse continues against the wall.
Anticipation floods me as I wait for the creatures to slither through at any moment.
Before my eyes, hands begin to claw through the shadowy barrier, and a few men tumble through as Silas opens up his magic, allowing those of Andorwood to cross over, desperate for a moment of reprieve.
Men I don’t recognize fall on our side of the wall, and I realize these are some of the men who went with Larkin to the second ship. The waves push them onto shore, and they crawl as fast as they can across the shadowy wall.
My world pauses as I wait to see one last hand come through the opening.
“Come on, Larkin,” I whisper, my eyes focused only on the beach.
He doesn’t move through the wall.
“I need to close it back up,” Silas says. “I can’t keep it open if someone else isn’t coming through.”
“Wait,” I plead. “He’s coming.”
“Briar, I don’t want to, but I have to,” Silas warns, and I can tell he’s struggling with this decision.
“Wait!” I scream at him this time.
“I have to close it…or I risk the entire wall falling.”
In this moment, seconds feel like hours as I wait for him to pass through the wall, but only the crashing waves come through. My anxiety churns like the sea, and a dread I’ve never felt before washes over me as my hands tremble.
“I can’t hold it with the tear, it’s too much for me,” Silas admits, as his face contorts in sheer pain.
“We will find him, Briar,” Oak calls.
I close my eyes and feel hopelessness seeping into my soul. The small hole fills once more with a thick shadow.
I begin to cry.
He should be here.
The small opening begins to close fully, but I feel as if a new wound in my heart begins to open. The wall pulses once more, and I gaze at the obscure fog, tilting my head.
“Silas!” I scream, and he grits his teeth against the hesitation. “Wait.”
I narrow my eyes, watching the shadow wall flicker like a lit candle, and time slows. I suck in my breath, and attempt to steady my pounding heart. I step closer, the slapping waves drown out all sounds, and my body vibrates with anticipation.
Come on.
A bloody hand punches through the wall, and I step closer, not breathing.
Come on, Spiridon.
Silas curses under his breath, and I watch in disbelief, ignoring everything else around me.
Please, Gods.
Another bloody hand grips the sand, turning the white beach a shade of red around it.
The two arms drag its body toward the shore, and my eyes widen.
A few of the surrounding Wielders pause, waiting for the figure to fully emerge.
The shadow wall seals shut as the figure appears on the beach, coated in blood, sweat, and desperation.
Larkin Spiridon slumps to the ground on our side of the wall.
Relief strikes me harder than any blow I’ve ever endured, and I take off in a dead sprint toward him, shifting in small bouts to get there faster.
He rolls onto his back, and his chest heaves with exhaustion as his hands fall to his side. The waves nearly obscure his body, and the sand conceals his torn armor, but he’s here. I reach him as he struggles to lift his weary form.
“Larkin,” I exclaim, and feel as if my legs can’t move fast enough.
He lifts his head, and a tired smile appears on his sand-coated face. He gives us a shaky thumbs-up.
Larkin rises on his elbows, allowing the waves to crash against his body, before rolling to stand on shaky legs.
He begins to limp up the shore as quickly as possible, trying to create distance between himself and the ship.
Silas follows behind me, along with Oak, as I slam into Larkin’s body.
He staggers back a few steps as I wrap my arms tightly around his neck before his unsteady hands wrap around my back, returning the squeeze.
He groans against my hold, but I squeeze tighter.
“We took out as many as we could,” he says, breathlessly.
“That doesn’t matter right now.” I let go and examine his body. “Are you hurt?”
“I’ve been worse,” he responds. “I’m fucking tired, to be honest.”
Silas and Oak laugh, but my gaze doesn’t relax.
“I’m okay, Briar. I promise.”
I push Larkin’s chest. “You fucking scared me to death.”
“Sorry, I’m late.” He straightens up, dusting the sand off his body. “But, we need to get ready.”
“We are,” Silas says.
“It’s bad, Silas. That boat is covered with the resurrected beings. With everyone I killed, I felt like I was surrounded by three more.”
“We’re outnumbered,” Oak says.
“There is something beneath the ship. Growls I’ve never heard before were coming from below, and it made my skin crawl.” Larkin’s gaze shifts toward the dark barrier that separates us from the ship.
“It’s Figgawen and other creatures. Not just Wielders,” I begin to explain, but before I can continue, the wall pulses forward.
Silas widens his stance and glares at his forcefield. The wall pushes inward, causing it to curve. He grinds his molars, keeping his magic focused forward. Screams and growls that could fuel nightmares begin to seep from the other side of the wall, and my stomach rolls.
I glance at Silas, and he’s not speaking. His face is pained, and I know he’s barely keeping that wall up with everything he has.
“It’s like they are all pushing against it,” Silas whispers. “I can’t keep this up much longer.”
We all nod and draw our weapons. I turn to the Kingdom of Andorwood. The civilians before me look as horrified as the men on the ship.
“Fight,” I yell over the crowd. “Fight for your family, your honor, and your kingdom. We can take them. We will rest when the last one dies.”
The crowd screams into the air as I turn back to my friends, waiting for the dam to break.
“I can’t hold it,” Silas rasps.
I touch his shoulder, and he peels his gaze from the wall to mine.
“Let go,” I whisper. “It’s okay.”
For the first time, fear fills his bright green eyes, and we stay locked in this moment for a second longer.
“Don’t go far from me,” he pleads, groaning against the power being drained.
I nod, and smile. “Silas, let go. We’re ready.”
Silas inhales deeply, letting the magic swirl around us for a second longer before it fizzles out, like a candle in the breeze.
The shadowy wall falls like a curtain being torn down, and my eyes widen.
Hundreds of creatures and resurrected Wielders stand on the opposite side.
Their razor-sharp teeth gnash together, and they all lower their heads, like hunters poised to pounce on their prey.
“Don’t stop for anything,” Larkin tells me, Oak, and Silas. “Tonight is a test of what’s to come.”
The world pauses.
Silas whispers, “Tonight, we will genuinely fight for our lives.”
“Together,” I whisper, and Silas cuts his eyes to mine.
“See you bastards when this is over,” Oak says, as we all take off into a sprint toward the resurrected.