Chapter Thirty-Three #2
Particles of earth and sand sprang up, suddenly surrounding her body.
The magic lunged for her, tightening around her and Ellie before launching them into the air.
She held her sister’s legs tight as they soared at breakneck speeds, passing floor after floor.
Arianna barely glimpsed the images of dark creatures as they zoomed by.
Her body jerked violently to the side, and Arianna landed on the hard stone floor, rolling and doing her best to soften Ellie’s landing. Arianna’s elbow cracked against the stone, and she bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to scream from the sharp pain.
Rion landed beside her, but he didn’t pause. The male threw his magic up again, shoving the Dark Fae back long enough for everyone to get their bearings.
He’d grabbed them all.
Rion was on one knee, his entire body trembling with exertion. He panted hard. Even so, Rion forced himself to stand. He assessed their situation, then glanced up through the circular opening above. Arianna wondered if he was gauging whether he possessed enough strength for one more push.
Panic pulsed through her when another crack, this one far deeper, spread up the wall at the rear of the room.
It raced toward the ceiling, beyond her line of sight.
She looked through the opening above and swallowed hard when that fracture reappeared, expanding.
Then a massive chunk of the ceiling broke off and hurled straight for them.
Talon shoved them all away from the edge. Raevina, Liam, and Saoirse kept the creatures at bay, the horde notably thinner here.
The slab fell slowly, as if the world had stopped to watch its rapid descent.
Arianna sucked in a breath, bracing for impact.
It slammed into the topmost floor, breaking off more pieces of stone before tumbling down the staircase opening.
Talon threw up a thick sheet of ice, but it shattered upon impact, sending shards flying in all directions.
Arianna covered Ellie’s head with her body.
Rion’s arms wrapped around them both, his back to the stairs as that chunk of ceiling slammed into structure after structure, tossing and turning as it fell.
Arianna heard the creatures below howl in terror before a large portion was silenced forever. An earth-shattering boom rocked the entire place. More rocks fell from above. Rion pulled his arms away, and Saoirse ran for the opening, glancing up quickly before turning back.
“Hurry, before this entire place comes down.”
Rion stumbled to his feet, rocking sideways as he rose.
He couldn’t do it, she realized. He didn’t possess the strength and, loathe as she was to admit it, Arianna didn’t either.
Fear gripped her heart at the prospect of this being her last image of him, a male fighting to the death to protect those he cared about.
And she’d called him a monster.
Liam’s and Saoirse’s magic snaked out and wrapped around their bodies. Both peered through the hole above, ready to make the jump as soon as the rubble cleared. Talon and Raevina were still fighting off the creatures. Then the wall behind them shattered entirely.
Saoirse cursed, and a resounding roar echoed from above.
Arianna scrambled to the edge. Zylah descended fast, clutching vines created by the dozens of warriors following in her wake.
Wind tore Arianna’s hair from her braid.
The female hit the platform and barked out commands.
Trees and vines spread, consuming the horde that had just broken through the rear wall.
Saoirse and Zylah locked eyes, then they were all yanked from the crumbling floor and pulled straight up past the remaining levels.
Magic flew in all directions, fighting off Fae and falling chunks of the walls all at once.
The final floor crumbled, and Arianna gasped, but Rion’s magic yanked her away from the falling surface.
She pressed into him, relishing his warmth.
A strong arm pulled her close. Arianna clutched it with one hand, and the area where their skin connected came alive like fire to kindling.
It didn’t burn as much as it had done before.
They landed ungracefully on what was left of the first floor and darted for the exit. Sive was there, arms outstretched, fingers moving through the empty air as she cast rune after rune after rune.
Arianna tried to pause beside the female, but Rion tugged her forward. “We have to go.”
“I thought I had to be the last one out.”
“The magic has been broken,” Sive said through gritted teeth. “Go.”
Another tremor and the stone beneath their feet cracked, forcing everyone back.
“I’m not leaving you here,” Arianna screamed. Sive didn’t have time to respond as the floor collapsed. Rion’s magic grabbed Arianna and Ellie, flinging them toward the door. Sive leapt through with them. Warrior after warrior followed. Then Talon, Raevina, Zylah, and Saoirse emerged.
“Go,” Talon roared, scrambling to his feet.
Arianna slipped, then Gavin was before her, tugging on Ellie’s arm. She relinquished the hold on her sister, and the male sprinted for the exit. In the hall, they passed Weaver after Weaver, all drawing runes, their bodies alight with that ethereal blue glow.
Arianna didn’t question it. She didn’t have time to.
She slid to a halt at the final staircase. It led into the palace. If the creatures followed, they’d overrun the city. The citizens couldn’t defend themselves.
“Go,” Rion pushed, one hand on her back.
She gritted her teeth and hesitated. Then the Weavers began moving in perfect synchrony. It took a few seconds for the runes to appear. To her eye, they were nothing more than wisps of smoke dancing on an invisible breeze. She allowed Rion to pull her up the stairs. Ellie was already out.
Arianna burst into the palace halls, panting.
She blinked against the sudden brightness, but spun to watch warriors spilling out into the room right behind her.
Rion pulled her away from the entrance. Gavin held Ellie to their left.
Talon and the others stood before the doorway, magic and weapons poised.
Arianna held her breath, counting the seconds, waiting for those last familiar faces.
Come on, Sive.
The floor trembled, and for one terrifying second, Arianna feared the entire palace might collapse. They’d cracked the foundation. The library was directly under the palace—
Saoirse emerged, dragging Zylah by the arm.
More Weavers followed, their hands still moving.
Their eyes never left the door. Tendrils floated from the Weavers’ fingertips, all feeding into the doorway.
The symbols melted into the stone itself, twisting in the same familiar pattern as the runes that had winked out below.
Arianna could hear the Dark Fae now. Her skin prickled at the sound of their claws raking across the stone below.
Alec and her father rounded the corner, sprinting straight for them, their magic already flaring.
Avalon took count of his daughters. Alec’s eyes found Saoirse, then both High Lords paused before the entrance.
“Seal it,” Sive called from below. Arianna’s blood went cold. She ran toward the entrance. Avalon grabbed her arm, stopping her. Just below, in the center of the stairs, Sive moved her hands, blue wisps of smoky runes surrounding her body.
She was still so far down.
Sacrifice.
Sacrifice.
Sacrifice.
No. Not Sive. Not a new mother who still had a lifetime to watch her child grow.
The Dark Fae closed in, fighting against the translucent smoke holding them at bay.
Arianna steeled herself, then let what was left of her magic cascade down the stairs, blowing the creatures back.
They tumbled, then runes exploded from Sive’s body.
The glowing symbols climbed through the stone, layering the walls and floors, and ceiling.
Fear gripped Arianna’s heart.
Avalon’s magic joined hers, shoving the dark creatures further back. Fear clouded the air. Rion joined as well, rocks and stones blowing chunks of flesh away from the beasts still scrambling toward Sive. Alec’s vines filled the hall next.
“Don’t touch her,” a man beside them warned. “She’s closing it off.”
“She needs to step back,” Alec growled.
“She can’t. She has to be in the room.”
Alec gritted his teeth. “I’m not letting her die in there.”
The man grabbed Alec’s arm, and The High Lord’s nostrils flared. “If you touch her, this will have been for nothing.”
Alec cursed, but resigned himself to beating the horde back. They were never-ending.
Arianna took in the scene. Sive was safe with all their magic protecting her, but what if she couldn’t get out in time?
Sive finally took a small step back. Runes still poured from her body as if she were a fountain. It was only then that Arianna realized the other Weavers were pouring their magic directly into her.
Sive was beautiful, even from behind. Her arms moved in a fluid pattern, never hesitating, never faltering. Her hair billowed from the sheer amount of energy pulsing from her body.
Another step back. Another sweeping motion with her arms.
They all watched. Helpless and reeling.
Another step and the Weaver’s foot faltered, slipping on the stone.
Alec righted her with a trunk braced against her back to hold her steady.
A reptilian creature burst past Alec’s line, racing for Sive, but Arianna’s father lifted his arm, and the creature shattered on the stone, his body nothing more than flakes of red snow.
“Almost there,” a woman called from behind Arianna. “Come on, you can make it.” Sive didn’t turn. She just kept up that fluid dance. A Weaver to Arianna’s right collapsed. Another beside them did the same. Others gritted their teeth against the strain.
Arianna held her breath, not daring to look away. If Sive fell, did that mean everything the Weavers were trying to do would fall as well? Would the creatures rush the entrance, or would the entire palace collapse into the abyss of monsters below?
Is this where the war would start and end?
Another step. Runes surged from Sive’s body, then she collapsed, going limp.
The symbols stopped pouring from her center, but those on the walls only glowed brighter.
The entire palace rocked violently. Alec’s magic wrapped around Sive and yanked her through the doorway right before rocks rained down from the other side.
Avalon pushed Arianna back. Rion took her arm and placed her body behind his own.
The deafening roar of crashing stones filled the space, and Arianna gritted her teeth against the sound.
Sive landed directly to her left, wrapped in Alec’s magic.
A cloud billowed up from the entrance, and smaller stones rolled across the marble floors.
Then the world fell silent.
No one moved for a long time. Even the Weavers remained poised, though a few more had collapsed.
Arianna counted the seconds.
One.
Two.
Three.
A Weaver stepped closer to Sive, kneeling to examine the woman.
Arianna waited for the Weaver’s face to fall, but she drew a rune instead.
Then Arianna saw Sive’s chest rise. She loosed a sigh of relief and approached.
The woman’s beautiful blonde hair was plastered to her forehead.
Sweat still rolled down her neck. Her bodice was soaked with it, but she was alive.
Seconds shifted to minutes, and Arianna’s heart began to slow. No more tremors rocked the palace halls. More warriors arrived, forming lines on either side of their group. Each was dressed in full armor, their hands on their weapons, prepared to defend their home with their lives.
Arianna’s body trembled, but Rion was the first to sink to his knees. Her gaze snapped toward him, searching for any obvious wounds. Zylah tried to approach, but Rion waved her off.
Arianna limped a little closer and sank to the floor beside him.
She still watched the entrance, praying Sive had succeeded in locking the creatures out.
Runes. They were everywhere. It was clear the Weavers had had a large part in forming it to begin with.
Weavers and Fae. Had the two traveled from the northern continent together?
Was that another piece that had been deleted from their history books?
“We’re safe.” Arianna jolted at the sound of Sive’s raw voice. The woman still had her eyes closed.
“You’re sure?” Raevina asked, flames sparking around clenched fists.
“I’m sure,” she sighed. “It’ll hold for a while yet. Years, if we’re lucky.”
Tension melted from Arianna’s shoulders. Years. It wouldn’t take years to defeat Vairik. And years gave them time to find another way to eradicate the creatures and discover exactly how they’d broken through.
“What the hell was that?” Saoirse exclaimed.
“Vairik,” Sive answered, as if it were obvious. She still hadn’t moved.
“I thought he couldn’t get in.”
“It seems he prepared for the day it might open.”
“Is it permanently sealed? Can we try creating a new path?” Zylah asked.
“No,” another woman answered. “If we lift the runes, the Dark Fae will break through. They’re not all dead, just contained.”
“I hope they starve,” Saoirse said, glaring at the door.
“But that leaves us right back where we started,” Zylah said. Saoirse rested a hand on the female’s shoulder. Arianna’s own heart sank like a stone. The whole reason they’d gone down at all was to gather information. Find a weapon. Anything that might give them an advantage.
And they’d come back with absolutely nothing.