61. Diar
Diar
Ihad seen mutilated corpses strewn outside the gates of Tsuyan, and even that could not have prepared me to behold the remains of Fort Rainier.
All was black. Charred wood, singed grass, trees that had burned to their roots. Even now, the air scorched with lingering embers and persistent heat.
Agendra pulled another corpse from the collapsed stage and laid it by the others. He wiped the sweat from his brow and turned back toward the wreckage.
The earth trembled beneath his feet as his hands clenched.
He didn't often show emotion, but when he did . . .
Steadying himself, Agendra knelt back down.
"What was that?" I finally asked.
He paused before answering. "I don't know. Magic like that shouldn't be possible."
I looked up, remembering the woman consumed by fire, who'd become a phoenix that knew only death.
"She was fucking furious though," Agendra added. "That much I could see. And Cleiv Solais . . . "
Reese's sword flared red with fire, moments before chaos unfolded.
Sighing, Agendra regarded me. "You're too young to be searching for corpses. Let me handle this."
"I don't mind helping."
"I know." He turned back to the wreckage. The soil beneath my feet shifted like a rushing stream, carrying me a few paces away from him.
I caught my balance and folded my arms, wondering if he'd keep pushing me away if I returned to his side.
Few could best me in a match of stubbornness.
Ferris limped to my side, hair damp with sweat. His voice was scratchy and hoarse. "My family is okay. We were near the back."
I nodded. Had Ferris' father burned to ash, I wouldn't have mourned.
"The queen escaped, too. That's all I managed to learn." He breathed heavily. "It's a mess."
Dragging my eyes from the corpses, I looked him up and down—his silver finery was scorched, cut, and bloodstained. "Go see Reese."
"He has enough on his plate. I'm fine." Ferris took a step away, but I grabbed his arm.
"Wait," I ordered, studying his wounds. The worst was a burn across his left chest. Touching Siotha, I coated my hand in ice and pressed it to his injury.
He released a shuddering exhale. Grabbing my wrist, he held my hand in place. "Okay, maybe I'm not fine."
My mouth twitched, trying to smile. My lips cracked, burning.
"So." Ferris managed a slight smirk. "When all hell breaks loose, you come running for me?"
"I don't think before I move."
"Right. You're like an animal—all instinct," he teased. "And your instinct was to protect me?"
How could I argue? I'd run straight for him.
My insides felt like they tied themselves into knots. That which I'd denied for weeks could no longer be ignored.
Why did it have to be him?
Ferris' hand tightened around mine. "Are you still going to add my blood to your necklace?"
I didn't know. My road had become shrouded again. Reese was here, but I hadn't seen him fight.
He might still be the one whose head I sought. But his skills were legendary—I would not best Reese in an honorable fight.
Part of me didn't want those truths revealed, didn't want a reason to turn on Ferris.
My fingers curled into a fist and fell from Ferris' chest. He dropped my wrist and pulled me into a hug, tucking my head below his chin. His fingers brushed my neck, plunging us into our shared world of water and winds.
I froze, arms hanging by my side. A cool, damp breeze caressed my cheek and rippled the endless sea.
When was the last time someone had hugged me?
I always followed reckless instinct. So I wrapped my arms around Ferris and held on tight.