Chapter 32 #2
An uneasiness had fallen between us ever since I had cast that fragile word in his face.
Neither of us had uttered it until that moment of desperation, and I had weaponized it without a second thought.
It was a cruel thing to do, and I knew it, but I could not undo what had already been spoken.
I could have apologized, but that would have meant broaching the topic again.
I was too raw, my head and heart a tangled mess.
All that mattered now was the safety of my family and my people.
Even after we made landfall, a long inland excursion remained before we would reach my home.
The Gods must have deemed my cause just; the land was blanketed in a heavy shroud of fog and mist that morning.
It made for a gloomy journey, but for my escorts the conditions were perfect.
My greatest fear—that a cruel sun might keep us captive in the lower decks until nightfall—had been avoided.
Yet I knew in my soul that even the sun would not have stopped me.
I would have seen my family that day regardless, even if I had to leave the protection of the ships alone.
When the representatives from Leto arrived at the shore to greet us, they looked hollowed out.
Their eyes were framed by dark circles, heavy with grief and sleepless nights.
They could spare so few horses that the animals were used exclusively to tow the carriage and weapon stores.
Most of the Vampyr were forced to make the journey on foot; the humans, unable to match their tireless stride, mounted the few remaining steeds to ensure we moved with haste.
I joined Vastion on horseback, a necessity born of Orin’s demand that a king must never enter a territory on foot.
While Vastion echoed his sentiment, I suspected more calculated motives were at play.
Normally, I would have welcomed the closeness of my husband—we had even made a game of our time in the saddle—but he could tell from my rigid posture and cold silence that I was singular in my purpose.
Until I could look upon the faces of my father and brother, until I could assess the scars left upon my home, I had no other interest. There were long stretches where I realized I had been holding my breath, my chest tightening with sharp pangs until I was forced to grant my lungs a frantic reprieve.
When Leto finally appeared in the distance, it was unrecognizable.
Since my departure, great ranges of tall fencing had been constructed around the town center, marking where the Watch had taken up their posts.
It now mirrored the other grim districts we had visited throughout Devana’s territories.
Pockets of thick, grey smoke billowed into the sky; the unmistakable breath of pyres spanning far and wide.
It was the scent of death and decay, the burning of the fallen.
Human, Vampyr, and Forlorn alike, all reduced to the same ash. I shuddered at the thought.
No welcome party awaited us within the heavily guarded gates.
There were no children lining the streets with outstretched hands, no gifts offered to a queen returning to her own soil.
Those few souls who remained went about the grim business of clearing wreckage from shattered buildings and overturned carts.
The roads were choked with debris, and Vastion navigated our horse with a careful, steady hand.
I felt my chest constrict, a sob threatening to wrench itself from my throat. Before it could break, Vastion shifted, pulling me back against his chest in a silent offer of strength. I leaned into him, anchored by his presence.
“Stay strong for them,” he whispered, his breath warm against my ear. “You are their queen.”
I nodded once, drawing a jagged breath before squeezing his gloved hand.
I fought to feel anything other than the rising tide of dread.
The air tasted of ash, and the village felt like a hollowed-out version of my memories; the only place where the Leto I loved still existed.
The cruelty of the Forlorn was such that we were forced to fight them with fire, a desperate measure that risked consuming our own world just to purge the monsters within it.
Oftentimes, the Forlorn would assault houses and other structures while their own forms were ablaze, spreading the fire.
They did not fall easily. The flames served to weaken their iron-like resolve, making it possible to wound and eventually behead them.
There must have been a sea of them to overwhelm our fighters so completely.
It was the only explanation for why they had resorted to such a rampant, desperate use of oil and flame.
Gods, Leto had burned. From what I could see through the haze, it had barely been left standing.
My hand trembled in Vastion’s, and I was certain he could hear my heart racing. “Just a moment longer,” he offered, trying to gift me courage.
When we arrived at the Town Hall, I was shocked to see it still standing. Like a beacon amongst the darkness, it stood untouched. He halted the horse and helped me down.
“Please give us some privacy,” Vastion said to our party, leading me into the empty sanctuary.
The moment we crossed the threshold and the doors closed behind him, I came undone. I fell to my knees and sobbed for all that I had beheld. For all that I could not have prevented.