Chapter 8 #2
Something seemed to break behind Arimara’s eyes at my words, the hatred softening into sorrow. “Kauvras hasn’t arrived here,” she said quietly. “There are only two reasons that could be.”
I reached for her hand. “There were so many that survived the battle. He could very well still be alive.” I decided to leave out the fact that I had quite literally almost married Kauvras. From here on out, if Kauvras lived, it was a fresh start without Castemont’s influence.
Arimara gave a weak smile, wiping away a tear that had slipped down her cheek. “Tobyas’ father and I were happy for the short time he’d been in my life. I loved him with my entire heart. Truly, I did. But Kauvras…” Her voice cracked on his name. “I loved him with my entire being.”
“Without reason, sense, or logic,” I murmured, a sad smile pulling at the corner of my lips. “I know the feeling. ”
Another tear traveled down her cheek, and this time she didn’t swipe it away.
A sense of sadness hung thick in the air as her eyes searched mine, but there was a sense of comfort, too.
Only the Saints knew if she’d see her boys again one day.
On second thought, maybe the Saints didn’t know.
But I had a good feeling Cal and Miles would end up here. Maybe Kauvras, too.
Arimara pulled me into a hug, a hand rubbing soothing circles on my back as she murmured in my ear, “Tell them I love them.”
“I will. But they already know,” I whispered back, giving her a final squeeze before it was Berna’s turn to say goodbye.
“I’m glad Cal and Tobyas ended up together,” she said as she held me against her. “Thank you for taking care of them. I hope Castemont ends up here in Heaven if only so I can kick his ass myself.” She pulled back, squeezing my shoulders. “Burn him to the ground, Queen Petra.”
“I will,” I whispered, swallowing hard, and I felt the spot where my powers should’ve been flickering with phantom flames. I would burn Malosym to the ground, even if I burned with him. With one final squeeze of each of their hands, I turned to where Larka and Da stood just before the Gates.
My hardest goodbyes.
“Your Majesty?” Arimara called after me. She took a single, hesitant step forward as I turned to look at her. “Did Tobyas ever find his father?”
“No.” I tried to avert my eyes from the disappointment on her face. “I don’t think he did.”
“Please tell him his name is–”
Thunder cracked, the sunlight suddenly choked out by inky black clouds that blanketed the sky from horizon to horizon in a single breath. No, not clouds — smoke. The black smudge on the horizon was growing, crawling outward like ink spilled on paper.
No. Not yet .
Chaos erupted, screams echoing around me as people clambered in the opposite direction of the decay. Arimara and Berna disappeared into the panicked crowd. All at once, everyone began sprinting for the castle, following the invisible order that I was sure Soren had given.
I whirled to see Larka and Da, both of them wide-eyed and frozen in panic. “Go!” I roared, giving Da as hard a shove as I could manage. He stumbled back, his eyes flashing between me and the darkness that was descending around us.
Larka’s features hardened suddenly, a stubborn look in her eye I knew all too well. “You might be okay leaving me, but I’m not okay leaving you,” Larka growled, planting her feet in the dirt.
“Larka, you won’t survive this!” I shouted as the wind picked up, whipping through my hair.
“I’m already dead!” she answered, crossing her arms over her chest. Her features were etched with determination, her delicate jaw squared.
I whipped my head to Da, my eyes wild. There would be no goodbyes.
Not today. Not ever. These goodbyes were ripped from me the moment lightning lashed across the sky.
The look in Da’s eyes told me he knew that, and that was enough.
With nothing more than a nod, he understood my unspoken plea and grabbed Larka by the shoulders, yanking her backwards in the direction of the castle.
“No!” she roared, clawing at his grip. “Let me go!” Back in Inkwell, Larka would’ve been able to knock him off balance easily, but here, he was stronger. Much stronger than her.
Da’s eyes met mine for one final second, his stare softened with a look I felt in the deepest parts of my soul. Love. He loved me, and I didn’t need him to tell me to feel it.
“Petra!” Larka bellowed. She railed against Da, fighting every step, dragging her feet and throwing her body against his hold. And I knew that was love, too. That was Larka’s love .
And as they neared the castle, I caught sight of the Benevolent Saints standing on one of the dozens of terraces jutting from the structure.
They were shoulder to shoulder, fear contorting each of their faces as they watched the residents of Heaven clamber toward the castle.
But while Tolar, Onera, and Aanh all turned on their heels and sprinted back through the doorway, Soren remained. He stared directly at me.
A slow nod was all he gave me before he turned and made his way back inside, and though not a word was spoken, I knew what that nod meant. “Free them, Daughter of Katia. Free Katia and Rhedros and rid us of this terror.”
I turned toward the decaying horizon. My mind was blank, grappling for an idea, a solution.
There had to be one somewhere amid the deep, heartrending terror coursing through my veins.
But alongside the terror was my fire, too — not the flames that shot forth from my palms, but the ones that had burned in my soul my entire life.
Marita said two things could exist at the same time, and I had fear and fortitude.
Without my powers, without a clear way out, I was likely going to die here. But I’d be damned before I went down without a fucking fight.
Thick smoke descended from above, obscuring my vision. I stumbled forward, only able to see a few feet in front of me. Shit. Where was I going? Where could I go? What could I do?
The sound of galloping hooves cut through my panic, and I whirled to see a figure emerging through the smoke. No, not just a figure. A stallion, black as night.
And on the stallion’s back was Cal.