Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
The rain starts when we reach the main city. Heavy drops fall from the sky. Slow at first. Then picking up in intensity. Harsh winds rip between the elegant buildings, creating a howling sound. Above us, the dark clouds rumble with thunder.
Pushing my wet hair out of my face, I tie all of my hair back in a bun so that I can see properly without the wind whipping hair into my face every few seconds.
The only good thing about this awful weather is that most people who live here have now taken shelter indoors, which means that we’ve been able to sneak through the city unseen. I glance over my shoulder, but only rain thrums against the wet stone street behind us.
“Rin should be in that building,” Draven says, and nods towards a tall red building on the other side of a massive open square.
“Alright.” I nod and then look from face to face.
“Here’s the plan. Isera and I will go in alone and talk to her.
She healed us after the Atonement Trials, and if she has tried to start her own rebellion earlier, she probably sympathizes with the two of us more than…
” I wave a hand at Draven, who has burned down her home, and Orion, who is just an all-around absolute menace in general. “Well, you.”
Draven stares at me, his eyebrows raised. I think his surprise has more to do with the fact that I formulated a plan for us rather than the actual contents of the plan.
But I just couldn’t get his exasperated words out of my head.
His frustration about how he is always forced to come up with all the plans and make sure that all missions are running smoothly.
He deserves better. He deserves someone who takes care of him too.
Someone who helps take some of that massive weight off his shoulders.
He deserves everything. And I intend to give it to him. Even though he still hates me.
“I agree,” Isera says.
Draven looks like he wants to shoot down my idea out of pure habit, but he apparently can’t find any actual flaws in it, because he just clenches his jaw and nods instead.
“Okay, good,” I begin. “Then we—”
A loud clanging sound, like giant metal bells being rung, splits the air.
We whirl towards the large square to find a mass of soldiers in orange dragon scale armor pouring out of the door to the tall building.
“Fuck,” Draven curses. “She knows we’re here.”
Without hesitation, he stalks out of the shadows and starts out into the open square. The rest of us scramble to catch up with him.
Rain whips down from the sky, stinging my face, as we stride out into the open space. A figure in elegantly decorated armor shoves open both doors to the tall building and walks out onto the short steps outside. Her long black hair whips in the wind as she stares us down from across the wet stones.
“Rin!” Draven calls over the howling winds. “We—”
I shove him forward.
Pain crackles through me as the arrow slams into my side instead. I gasp. Staggering a step forward, I have to blink hard to keep my vision in focus.
Draven whirls around, staring at me in shock. His stunned gaze flits from my face and then down to the arrow that had been meant for him. But before he can say anything, Rin Tanaka’s voice cuts through the storm.
“Capture him!” she yells over the howling winds and rumbling thunder.
Another hail of arrows shoots through the air.
Some are ripped away by the winds, and the others clatter against the walls of ice that Isera yanks up around us. Pain pulses through me from the arrow that is still stuck in my side. I glance down at it, dreading this next part.
However, before I can reach towards it with my already trembling hands, Orion abruptly snaps off the arrowhead and yanks the shaft out of my side so fast that I barely have time to gasp. Pain rips through me, but not nearly as bad as it would’ve been if I’d had to do it myself.
I stare at the Unseelie King in surprise, but he has already spun back to face our attackers.
“Rin!” Draven calls again. “I’m not here to fight! We’re here to—”
“Attack!” she screams.
The soldiers around her lurch forward. Their boots slap against the wet cobblestones as they all rush forward. Atop the sloping rooftops all around us, archers loose another volley of arrows.
“Fuck!” Draven snaps.
Summoning his storm magic, he throws it around us in a circle, changing the direction of the already screaming winds and shoving the hail of arrows off course.
“Orion, handle the archers,” he commands. Then his sharp eyes shift to me and Isera. “You two, get me to Rin. And try not to kill anyone.”
No one hesitates or questions the orders. Not even Orion. He just summons his nightmare magic and throws it across the square. Bows clatter to the rooftops and archers scream in panic as the Unseelie King blocks out their vision by forcing them to relive their worst memories.
Draven sprints forward. Isera and I flank him as we hurtle across the wind-swept square. Soldiers in orange armor rush towards us from all sides.
Steel rings through the air as Draven draws his massive sword. I yank out my own dagger right before the first wave of soldiers reaches us.
Using the already raging storm to his advantage, Draven directs it with his magic and sends a furious blast of wind crashing into the ranks of soldiers.
They call out in shock as a large portion of them are swept to the side as if by a giant hand.
I throw out my own magic and latch on to those brass-colored sparks of shock.
While ducking under a blade swung from my left, I blow that shock into massive fires, which in turn triggers a flare of fear. I quickly release my grip on their shock and instead sink my magic into those bone white sparks of fear.
Screams of pure terror echo through the square as I transform those sparks into wildfires. Half of the soldiers in that section flee in blind fear while the rest drop to the ground and vomit as their knees buckle.
But the other ranks who weren’t swept away by Draven’s wind crash right into us.
Ice shoots through the air as Isera throws massive sheets at them to block their advance. But there are too many of them. And without being able to kill them, we’re at a severe disadvantage.
Steel clangs as Draven blocks a sword aimed at his head. With a flick of his wrist, he forces the soldier’s sword away from his own and then shoves him back with sheer brute force.
“Tell them to stand down,” he snaps at Rin, who is still standing on the steps ahead. “I don’t want to kill them. I want to form an alliance.”
“Capture him!” Rin yells. Rain pelts her armor and face, and her long black hair is completely soaked as it whips in the wind. “My orders are to capture you!”
“Orders? What ord—”
His words are cut off as two people swing at him from the side.
Isera blocks one blade with a sheet of ice while Draven manages to duck the other.
Twisting down and around, he spins and drives his fist into the soldier’s stomach.
Air explodes from the soldier’s lungs in a gasp.
But three more are already rushing towards us.
Releasing my grip on the section to our left, I focus on the immediate enemies around us instead. I don’t want to permanently change any of these people since that would probably destroy any chance we have of getting Rin on our side, so I have to search for emotions that are already there.
Shoving my magic at them in rapid bursts, I test different emotions until I find some that stick.
Two people sway and stagger sideways in exhaustion when I find tiny sparks of tiredness that I increase into massive flames.
Another hesitates for a second, giving Draven a chance to knock him out with the butt of his sword, when I latch on to that emotion.
Steel clashes and ice shoots through the air as we fight for every step closer to Rin. But the horde of soldiers just keeps coming.
Alarm crackles up my spine as a sword glints right next to me. Yanking my head to the side, I barely manage to evade it before it can slash across my cheek.
A fist slams into my side.
Pain shoots through me, blinding me for a second, as it strikes right where the still bleeding arrow wound is located.
I gasp and stagger to the side. Metal clangs against ice right next to my head.
Blinking my eyes into focus, I find a sheet of ice blocking the sword that almost took my head off.
Stumbling upright, I suck in a shuddering breath and throw my magic at the soldier behind Isera.
With a desperate shove, I force exhaustion into his body. He staggers to a halt and sways heavily, his sword hitting the stones before he could stab it into Isera’s back. We exchange a nod.
“Rin!” Draven tries again while parrying two swords and then kicking another soldier in the hip. “I know you hate me, but you need to at least hear me out!”
“No, I need to capture you,” she snaps back, her voice laced with tension.
“We’re on the same fucking side.”
“My orders are to capture you.”
“Your orders…” Draven suddenly trails off. Then his mouth drops open as a bolt of realization pulses across his face. “Azaroth’s fucking flame, you’re wearing dragon steel, aren’t you?”
Shock flashes across Rin Tanaka’s beautiful features, and she opens her mouth as if to respond. But no words make it out. After working her jaw, she forces out a frustrated breath and then grinds out, “My orders are to capture you.”
“The Icehearts are controlling Rin with dragon steel!” Draven bellows across the entire square.
The soldiers from the Orange Dragon Clan hesitate, staring between him and their clan leader in stunned disbelief.
“Capture him!” Rin shouts as she, at long last, runs down from the steps and out into the open square. “Our orders are to capture him.”
And then she shifts into a dragon.