10. Bash
Chapter 10
Bash
M y dreamwalk had ended in a panic, every fiber of my being yearning to go to her. I had no more patience for waiting. Not when I could still hear Eva’s gasp of pain in my ears, the vision of her bruised cheek so fresh in my mind. Not when she was with him .
Waiting would be the death of me…or her.
My friends were already gathered around the round wooden table in the war room, grim-faced and fighting leathers donned, dark circles under their eyes betraying their similar lack of sleep—if they had slept at all. But despite their obvious weariness, the determination in their gazes was a testament to their unwavering resolve. The low din of voices and sharpening swords as my rangers gathered in the great hall leaked in through a crack in the door, Marin’s voice cutting above it to shout orders. They had amassed a small arsenal of weapons as I slept, more of my people joining their contingent with every passing minute. The enormous rectangular mirror loomed over it all, its polished surface reflecting the controlled chaos around it, rippling as if in anticipation.
My fingertips drummed on the ancient grain of the oak table, worn smooth from years of use, a silent witness to the strategic deliberations of more than one war. Rivan had gathered as much as he could about Soleara’s defenses as soon as I reported the reason behind Aviel’s journey north—which wasn’t much. He looked markedly better, the cuts from Aviel’s magic mostly faded. His neck was still mottled with faded bruises, his voice less hoarse as his vocal cords healed. Tobias was as helpful as he could be, roughly sketching the schematics and surrounding area of the castle, as the two of them pored over them, looking strangely conflicted as he did so.
He had the same look on his face as Eva did when she was hiding something. The same tightening of that familiar, downturned mouth, the carefully smoothed expression. But I knew I wasn’t the right person to press, even if we had reached a reluctant truce.
I was only half-listening as Tobias explained the magic that had kept Soleara hidden, flipping through an ancient tome my sister had found in the castle’s library about the Source. It was hard enough to stay focused on the tedious, faded text, my every thought returning to Eva. Especially as the book had only yielded more conjecture about the magic of the land and its bond with the High Queen or King, rather than anything that could actually help her.
“It was a precaution to keep the enchantment while the False King ruled. To keep Soleara protected and out of sight.” Tobias swore. “That Aviel even knew where to look…”
Marin frowned. “Perhaps it was your blood. If it breaks the magic hiding Soleara, then when he took yours to find Eva…”
Tobias grimaced. “Then he’s known about it all this time.”
I paced, wanting to walk right through the mirror Tobias had described in the main hall of the Solearan castle and run to her.
“Don’t you dare,” Rivan rasped.
I had walked to the doorway without even realizing it, my eyes fixed on the rippling looking glass. Whether Rivan had seen the look in my eye or had simply seen the direction I was going, it was obvious he had tracked my thoughts.
“I was just?—”
“Don’t bother lying to me.” The glower on my brother’s usually amused face was enough to stop me in my tracks. “Besides, we don’t even know if their mirror is blocked.”
If the gate was closed to us, our other option was to go by horseback on a too-long journey. Far too late to stop Aviel from doing what he wanted to Eva. Especially if we dragged an army along with us.
To check would be to engage the magic of the mirror, and if someone was watching it from the other side and saw the warning of the ensuing ripple…
“Then give me a better option. Every second we waste?—”
Rivan slammed his fist down on the map in front of him, the outburst so unlike him I jumped. I knew that half his frustration was from wanting to follow me through—to save her by my side.
Yael’s eyes widened in surprise. “Rivan…”
“We all want to get her back,” he said, slowly uncurling his fist. His fingers shook slightly. “To save her the same way she did us. But we only get one chance to do it right, otherwise, we’re just failing her all over again.”
“If it is open, I can hold them back long enough for our people to follow and make it a fair fight.”
Rivan got to his feet, hands scrunching the map as his fingers curled. “Fair until Aviel arrives, and we’re back where we started with no one to bail us out this time.”
“It’s our only chance of getting to her quickly. Otherwise?—”
Rivan swore under his breath. “We still need a way to drain Aviel’s power before we rush through that mirror. Or it’ll be just another trap.”
He was right. Side by side, we could maybe fit four at a time through the mirror at once. Stealth would be useless when walking into the bright entry of a palace. Even with my magic, it would be a slaughter, and that was if we could even make it through.
“We’ll have help,” Tobias cut in. “We just need to get there. I’ve already let the Solearans know.”
All eyes snapped to him, though Yael spoke first. “I thought you said the Solearans went into hiding when your parents left.”
“Yes and no,” Tobias muttered. “But I don’t have time to explain now. They’re ready to move on my word. To provide a distraction when we need them to.”
“And they’re close enough to do so?” At Tobias’s nod, Marin raised a brow. “How many?”
Tobias shrugged slightly. “Enough. Based on the numbers your spies saw leaving Morehaven.”
“This still only works if we can get through the mirror,” Rivan grumbled. “If not, we won’t get there quickly enough to change anything.”
Tobias grimaced. “I have another way in if we can’t. But we’ll be wasting time.”
Rivan’s gaze sharpened on him. “One you didn’t think to mention before?”
Tobias’s brows drew together. “It wasn’t?—”
“Not now, boys.” Yael put a hand on her hip. “Main mirror plus the Solearan distraction, then Tobias’s backup route if it doesn’t go to plan.”
Nodding, I rested my hand on my sword. “Then let’s?—”
I staggered on my feet. Then my heart stopped beating entirely as I realized I could feel Eva again, the bond between us flickering to life without preamble. If I could feel her, she must have gotten the collar off. But there was no sense of relief, nothing that felt like freedom or safety. Cold sweat broke out on my skin, my grip tightening around my pommel.
Everyone’s eyes sharpened on me, my sister stepping forward as though her magic could fix whatever ailed me.
“I can feel her,” I gasped out, my blood roaring in my ears. Then sucked in a breath as her fear ripped down our bond, as sharp as a blade as it sliced me apart. Whatever had caused this, she was far from safe. Her terror was multiplying despite the grit of her resolve.
Marin grabbed my arm. “Did she escape?”
“She’s...I think she’s fighting.” I choked as pain tore through our bond, the feeling of it so excruciating I nearly dropped to my knees with a howl. My horror hardened into molten rage. “She’s fighting him.”
Panic that wasn’t my own skittered down my spine paired with a resilience that made my chest heave. My stomach lurched sickeningly as I realized I was about to feel my anima be forcibly taken by another. My hands balled into trembling fists, my fear mirroring her own. I could barely think, barely breathe—about ready to fly out of my skin.
Tobias stood, shaking with rage. “We need to help her.”
There was another wave of stinging distress and pain so acute it was all I could do to stay upright. For a heartbeat, I felt the suffocating sensation of being caged…of being trapped. Then there was only her fear paired with the heaviness of resignation.
“We go now ,” I growled, unable to fathom failing her yet again. “We have to try. I’m not leaving her to fight him alone. My magic can block enough of whatever’s waiting for us there to get enough of us in. Then we take down whatever we find when we get there. And get her out.”
Rivan’s gaze fixed on me. “And the False King?”
“I’ll distract him long enough for the rest of you to save her. Maybe between our forces and the Solearans, it’ll be enough to defeat him this time.”
Yael stared at me. “You’d better mean we. We’ll distract him.”
“She won’t forgive you if you trade your life for hers,” Tobias murmured, his gaze shrewd. “Or those of your people.”
“And he’ll just use you to get to her,” Rivan added, understanding dawning on his face.
“I can deal with that,” I countered stonily. “As long as she’s free.”
Rivan was already shaking his head. “ Bash ?—”
“We don’t have time to come up with a better plan,” I gritted out. She was blocking the worst of it from me, I realized, as a muted shock of pain still reached me despite her efforts to keep me out. “He won’t kill me, not when he can use me as leverage.”
“Absolutely not,” Marin hissed. “You don’t know that. He very well might.”
“And it’ll give the rest of you and her enough time to figure out how to weaken him,” I stubbornly continued.
Yael grabbed my arm, fear and concern warring on her face. “You’re not thinking clearly. You need to slow down, block her out, and think this through.”
“If this were Marin, you’d already be through the mirror,” I said accusingly. Shadows streamed from my fingertips, prying away the hand holding me back.
Her jaw flexed. “We’re not letting you trade yourself for her. Eva wouldn’t want that.”
But I was already walking toward the door, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might tear through my ribcage and find its way back to her. “This isn’t up for debate.”