Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
My heart pounds like a battle drum as we run back along the river and towards the stone bridge that will take us out of the pocket reality.
Just like when we were searching for the Gold Clan’s city, Orion is at the front of our little procession while Isera and I bring up the rear.
However, this time, there is a fourth person here as well.
That long golden tassel swings back and forth across the back of Severin Godblessed’s neck as he runs through the woods in his flowing robes.
Gold and beige fabric flutter in the air, while the white parts of his garments remain more firmly fixed to his body.
For someone who is supposed to be solely a man of faith and prayer, he is surprisingly fit.
I shift my gaze from him to the Unseelie King, and my heart clenches. There is almost a spring in Orion’s step now. As if, now that we have convinced Severin, he is certain that we will be able to pull this whole thing off and make it back to the Unseelie Court in time to save his eye.
But I can’t help but feel worried. Half of this plan that I’ve come up with is based on something that Jocasta told me when she was teaching me how to use emotion magic.
And the other half is based solely on faith and a sudden hope that blossomed when I realized why the Icehearts kept moving us from place to place.
It’s an absolutely insane plan. But it has to work. Because it’s our only chance.
The thing that worries me, though, is that the Icehearts have outsmarted us time and again.
Every time I think we’re one step ahead, we walk right into a trap that they planned five steps ago.
They’re so cunning, and they have so much life experience.
If they have managed to anticipate my plan, we’re not going to survive this.
As if she could feel my worry, Isera slides her gaze to me and asks in a low voice, “How sure are you of this plan?”
“The first part? Very. The second…” Trailing off, I give her a long look.
She lets out a forceful breath but doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t need to. We’re all thinking the same thing. It has to work. By Mabona, it has to work.
For a while, we just run in silence. The river flows steadily next to us, creating a soft rippling sound that is almost drowned out by the thudding of our feet and the sound of my increasingly labored breathing.
The island was bigger than we thought it would be, so getting in, finding the Gold Clan, convincing Severin, and then running back out again has taken longer than I thought it would.
I glance up at the distorted sky visible through the thick and clear barrier of the pocket reality. The sun has slipped dangerously low on the horizon, which is both good and bad. It’s good for my plan, but bad for Orion.
The Unseelie King, however, just keeps his spine straight and his chin raised as we continue running.
“I am going to kill him,” Isera suddenly says.
It takes me a second to realize that she is talking about Emperor Bane. Not Orion.
Cold fury burns in Isera’s blue and silver eyes as she slides me a glance from the corner of her eye.
“I don’t care what it takes. I don’t care what it costs me.
I am going to kill Bane Iceheart. No matter what.
I will get my revenge. It’s the only thing I truly care about. You do understand that, right?”
Emotions twist like thorny vines in my chest. Because I do.
From the bottom of my furious heart, I understand the depth of her terrible need for revenge.
Probably better than any of our other friends.
But it also terrifies me. Because if our plan doesn’t go the way we hope, she might go rogue.
And if that happens, our chances of winning this war might worsen even more.
But I know that I can’t stop her. Truth be told, I don’t actually want to stop her.
We had Bane at our mercy once, and we let him go just so that we could get Draven back.
To me, it was worth it. But I know that it was a huge sacrifice for Isera.
She deserves her vengeance. And this time, I will not be the one who stops her.
So I just incline my head in acknowledgement and reply, “I understand.”
Relief and a flicker of gratitude blow across her face. Then she gives me a nod back.
Silence settles over us again as we run the final distance to that natural stone walkway we used when we got here. Once we reach it, we slow to a walk.
“Ah, so that’s how you got in,” Severin says as he spots the tear in the barrier.
“Someone else with this type of magic opened a hole. I have to say, I’m quite impressed.
I didn’t think it was possible to open a pocket reality that someone else has created without the original creator’s permission. Your magic user must be quite skilled.”
Another flicker of worry pulses through me. I know that Hana is a talented magic-wielder. That has never been a concern. What worries me is whether she will be able to handle everything else.
The way she acted with Bane before we went into the pocket reality drifts through my mind as we start across the stone bridge.
With a deep breath, I try to push all of my worries aside and just focus on the next step. I really wish that I could use my magic right now. Then I could just give myself a little boost, and then I would feel much better.
“What’s…” Severin begins. He suddenly sounds very apprehensive. “What’s the outside world like?”
All sorts of memories crash through me. Heartbreaking memories. Delightful memories. Grief. Joy. Regret. Love. Hatred. Laughter. How do I even describe this strange world we live in? It’s both wonderful and challenging, full of both endless opportunities and devastating hardships, all at once.
“Harsh,” Isera replies in her no-nonsense tone before I can get so much as one word out. “Brace yourself.”
“Azaroth give me strength,” he says.
Rolling my eyes, I shoot Isera an exasperated look. We need Severin to actually do his part, and that will be a lot easier if he truly believes that we can actually pull this off.
Isera just shrugs and gives me an unapologetic look in reply.
We reach the end of the bridge. Orion doesn’t bother stopping to ask if we’re ready. We have to be ready regardless of how we really feel. So with his shoulders straight, he strides out of the hole in the barrier and back onto the grass outside without hesitation.
“Brave of you to step out first,” Jessina is saying from the other side. “The leader of the Gold Clan had better be right behind you. Or you’re about to lose your other eye in the next thirty seconds.”
To his credit, Orion doesn’t even bother to respond. He simply takes two more steps away from the hole and then moves to the side.
I swear I can hear the Icehearts suck in a short breath as Severin becomes visible. Isera gives him a gentle shove forward. Or fairly gentle, at least. Isera isn’t exactly known for her soft touch.
She and I quickly follow Severin as he steps out onto the grass.
The moment that all of us are through, Hana closes the tear in the pocket reality behind us.
My pulse thrums in my ears. This is the moment of truth. We’re about to find out if my insane plan might actually work.
Isera and I take up position next to Orion and Severin. Across the grass, Jessina and Bane are smiling like satisfied cats as they watch the dragon shifter who is standing between us.
“This is Severin Godblessed,” I announce. “The leader of the Gold Clan.”
“And he is wearing the dragon steel,” Jessina says, her normally pale gray eyes gleaming like rubies in the red light from the slowly setting sun. “Excellent.”
I glance down at the crude dragon steel bracelet that Severin is indeed wearing on his left wrist. Then I look back up at Hana, trying to catch her eye. She, however, keeps her eyes on the ground. My heart thuds in my chest.
“Prove it,” Bane says, his voice ringing out over the now red-painted landscape. “Create a shield in front of me. If you are truly the clan leader, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
Severin raises his chin, his earlier composure now back again. “No. Our magic is a gift from Azaroth. It is not meant to be used for frivolous reasons.”
“Oh, God,” Jessina drawls while rolling her eyes. “Theodora’s descendants are just as stuck-up as she was.”
“Please, do not invoke Azaroth unnecessarily,” Severin says. “It will—”
“Order him to create a shield in front of me,” Bane suddenly snaps, cutting him off.
My heart jerks as Hana at last lifts her gaze.
I don’t think I’m breathing.
For a moment, it’s as if the entire world is holding its breath.
And then her eyes begin to glow as she locks them on Severin. “Create a shield in front of him.”
“No!” I scream. “Hana, what are you doing? We had a plan!”
Severin, forced to obey her orders because of the dragon steel, draws his hand through the air. A thick and mostly transparent shield appears in front of Bane. The Icehearts chuckle.
“Excellent,” Bane says. “He can drop it.”
“Drop the shield,” Hana immediately relays.
“No!” I yell again. “Hana, what—”
“I’m sorry,” she calls back, her voice desperate and broken. “They’re torturing me. You have no idea what it’s like.”
The shield in front of Bane fades out again as Severin is once more forced to obey.
“Tell him to come over here,” Jessina orders.
“Come over here,” Hana repeats.
A snarl rips from Isera’s throat as Severin immediately walks over to them. “We have no idea? You think we don’t know what it’s like to be tortured?”
Hana winces and then just drops her gaze to the ground again.
Next to her, Jessina lets out a smug laugh.
“Did you really think that we wouldn’t figure out your plan?
That we wouldn’t realize that you were planning to use Hana to force little Severin here to protect you with his magic while you escaped?
” She scoffs. “Of course we did. We are over six thousand years old. There is no plan, no scheme, we haven’t already thought of. To us, you are like children.”
Narrowing my eyes, I glare back at her. “I am going to kill you one day. Mark my words.”
“Oh really?” A cruel smile stretches her lips. “That’s going to be very difficult without eyes.”
Bane’s gaze darts to her in what almost looks like surprise, and he opens his mouth to say something.
A massive black dragon shoots down from the sky.