26. Chapter 26 #2
“What are you—“ My body swayed against the current of gravity threatening to pull me down. More memories swam to the forefront of my mind, bringing me visions of what had transpired just moments ago. “That won’t do anything.”
“I might not know the damn words to control you, Ancient One, but I will not hesitate to shoot you.” Ancient One?
My eyes locked onto light brown ones. Sury’s eyes were full of hatred, and his mouth twisted into a snarl.
He blinked and instantly relaxed his stance, now looking at me with concern.
“Shit. Your eyes are gray… Are you in control?”
“Yes.” My body swayed again as it threatened to meet its breaking point. My stomach churned like it had been flipped too many times into the air.
Arms grabbed for me and held me steady. “Hey. Hey! Are you going to make it, brother?” Even in the greater timeline, Sury was nothing but an infant to me, and yet hearing the concern and plea of brotherhood settled a belonging I didn’t realize I had been missing.
“Where is she?” I croaked.
“It’s not good.” That’s all I needed to hear for something primal to awaken within me and pull me back together, all the memories flooding my mind at once. I ignored my body’s screams and protests to rest, to recover. No, I needed to see her.
“Where. Is. She,” I all but roared, causing Sury to lightly duck his head before pointing a finger in Fyom’s direction.
It clicked now. Ora’s screams and Fyom carrying a body.
Hers.
I raced across the square and down the road Fyom and Ora hurried through. In a matter of steps I was upon them, pulling Fyom by his shoulder, causing him to stumble.
“What the—“ He lashed out as Ora whirled on her feet and pointed a green-edged golden dagger from her palm.
The dagger floated toward me, the power humming loudly and making me want to cover my ears in pain.
Could no one else hear this? My monster wanted to hiss, but its power was too weak to lash out.
Aurora’s golden eyes relaxed, her magic absorbing into her skin as she stared at me, calculating. “We need to get her to the tent. Now.”
My eyes flew to the body in Fyom’s arms and my heart threatened to stop altogether. Ophelia lay there, pale and motionless. The pinkness of her lips was bold against her ashened skin.
Without asking or caring, I pulled Ophelia from Fyom’s arms, her weightless body shifting next to mine like it had been made for it. “Go,” I ordered them both. Fyom didn’t hesitate as he began barreling down the road once again.
By a miracle, all the Raiders had been accounted for and I quickly saw why as we turned a corner leading us to the western field with a large burning pile in the center. I didn’t need to ask what burned. Centuries on this plane and death remained the same.
Fyom’s tent was set off a distance from the gate, but I quickened my pace to run past him through the flaps. In swift moves I carried her to our room of the tent and placed her upon our shared bed, adjusting her body to keep her comfortable.
“Let me work,” Fyom said and pulled me by the tunic away from his patient.
Any other time, the soul who dared such a thing would have lost their hand, but I was at Fyom’s mercy.
I caught my reflection in a faraway mirror, seeing what I had already sensed.
Sury was right—my eyes had turned a dark gray, proof that Ophelia had poured just enough of her power into me to allow me control before she fell.
A sacrifice she should never have had to make.
“Will she be okay?” I shifted to the other side of the bed and took in her too-warm hand.
“She’s on burnout’s steps. Any more from her dregs and her heart would have given in.”
My fingers clutched tighter around her hand, willing her body to recover. I couldn’t lose her. I wanted to pray to her giants, to beg my life for hers. Anything to bring her back and make her okay.
“You.” Aurora’s voice was next to me. I turned toward her and was met with her fist colliding with my jaw.
“Ora!” Sury scrambled to pull her away from me. I didn’t stop it as another fist collided against my temple. I would have to tell her later how impressed I was with her form.
“You bastard! What did you do? What did you do?“ Sury held Ora back as she kicked into the air, attempting to scramble toward me.
“Calm yourselves so I can work!” Fyom hovered over Ophelia as if his life depended on it. “Outside, the lot of you!”
“Now.” Aurora’s eyes glowed with an intensity I had never witnessed. My heart refused to leave Ophelia, but one look at Fyom told me to move.
Smoke from the pile drifted into my nose from the charred rot of dozens of soldiers, all wearing the telling signs of Dokvalon. I should have been shocked to see the number of bodies, and was almost inclined to ask, but then I felt another thrash of knuckles meeting my skin.
“Ora, enough!“ Sury pulled Aurora away again, venom still in her eyes.
“What did you do to her?” Ora roared, still fighting against Sury’s hold.
I held my hands up in surrender. “I did nothing to your sister.” My words fell on deaf ears as Aurora continued fighting to free herself. Her energy finally wavered as her kicks and flailings lessened. Sury whispered something quietly in her ear that caused her to momentarily placate.
She landed on her feet but Sury still gripped her arms, holding her in place. I wanted to think it was to protect her from me, but my pride wouldn’t allow it. I knew I didn’t have the strength or energy to fight off the outrage she unleashed. Because I deserved it.
“She would never do that to people! Why did you attack them? They are my people! You had no right!”
“I HAD NO CONTROL!” I thundered across the space. I heaved for breath, hating to admit my hands were once again bound and had done the unthinkable…even by her hand.
Aurora and Sury blinked at me, seemingly lost for words. “What do you mean?” Sury finally asked.
Could I admit what happened? Was Aurora ready to face another terrible endeavor? I deeply inhaled and sighed to the heavens. “She’s losing control.”
“You’re a liar!” Aurora spat. “That wasn’t her! She would have told—“
“Look around you, Aurora!” I flung my arms out wide. “Does this look like control? Her grip on her power is wavering. Why else would she call on that beast?” I took a step forward, my eyes pleading.
Aurora gulped. “She wouldn’t hurt those people on purpose…”
I shook my head. “No. No, she wouldn’t. She’s still your sister.”
Sury released his hold but kept his gaze on her like she was a young foal ready to bolt. Aurora ran her tongue along her teeth and placed her hands on her hips.
“She would have told me if she were facing something wrong.”
“Would she, though?” My question sparked something cold inside.
“You and your court already face the impossible. Is it unlike her to hide in the shadows and support who she loves so they can acquire their needs above her own? Is it not like her to be quiet about her own thoughts and struggles? Is that truly so unlike Ophelia?”
Aurora blinked, lost for words.