Chapter 23
Chapter twenty-three
The Rescue
It was a long drop when I had time to think about how long a drop it was while I was dropping. The good news was that I didn’t see any obvious rocks or shallow spots directly below me. The bad news was that I was falling too fast to be sure.
When I hit the water, my open mouth snapped shut, and I narrowly avoided biting off my tongue. The rushing current dragged me along below the surface. Trails of bubbles streaked down as arrows pierced the water. My lungs burned, but I let the river do the work to carry me away.
When I couldn’t take it any longer, I surfaced.
Loud bursts of horns came from the Citadel Library, sounding an alarm.
I floated along until the river ran under a bridge, where I quietly pulled myself to shore.
In a few short moments, I climbed to the top of the closest building and raced along the rooftops of Analon toward home, soaked with river water.
The Royal Guards on the streets below were on high alert, stopping anyone who looked suspicious.
My mind was still reeling at the idea that Elena might be in danger, and I worried that much of this was my fault. My thieving activities and the Emberlight Trials had brought this pressure upon our family.
A shadow crossed my path from the sky above. Zephyra’s caw cut through the din of city noise. I paused to look up. The moment I did, she landed softly on my shoulder.
“Thank you, Zephyra,” I said, stroking her golden feathers. “I owe you one.”
Returning the favor, little Cas.
“After I freed you, I thought you’d head straight back to Garrick.”
Zephyra does like Garrick, but Garrick doesn’t own Zephyra. Plus little Cas is better at understanding Zephyra.
“High praise indeed, but I need to go. I have to get to my sister.”
What does sister look like?
“A bit shorter than me with long red hair.”
Zephyra looks!
Zephyra flapped her wings and took to the sky, circling high above.
The closer I got to our barn, the more my worry grew.
Wisps of smoke curled above the buildings near our home, and a murmur of deep voices carried up from the streets below.
Using every ounce of self-control, I paused on a rooftop across from our home and peeked over the edge.
My stomach dropped at the sight before me.
The barn we called home was charred and smoking. The chicken coop was open and empty, the crops in our side yard trampled. The remains of our herb cart were strewn about the street, now just a pile of wood, broken vials, and spilled reagents.
Royal Guards stationed outside the barn door stood with their swords drawn while other guards walked about, conversing with passersby, exuding an air of toughness and superiority.
Elena was nowhere to be seen.
Images of our burning farm and my parents’ slashed throats flashed before my eyes, and my chest ached like my heart had been ripped out. I squeezed my locket so tight it cut into my palm.
And then I saw a face that made my heart drop. Barking orders at the guards was Syra, Orlik’s bodyguard, the very same woman who’d run into us in the market and pursued Darion. I shuddered, remembering her ghastly transformation into a beast.
She had seen Elena in the market that day, and now she knew where we lived.
Fueled by rage and despair, I pulled out two daggers, ready to slash her throat and the throat of every other guard. I moved to stand, but Zephyra’s thoughts burst into my mind as she circled in the sky above me. Stop, little Cas! Sentinels!
I paused and scanned the surrounding area.
Sure enough, Sentinels perched on the rooftops surrounded our home, standing next to archers armed with crossbows.
It was a minor miracle that no one had spotted me already.
It still took all the willpower I had not to race down there and take out everyone before their bolts cut me down.
Girl with fire hair nearby, running with a man.
Fire hair! That must be Elena. She was alive! There was still a chance to rescue her.
“Can you take me to her?” I asked.
Yes, Zephyra will fly to them.
I slunk away from the roof’s edge and headed in the direction Zephyra was flying. Once out of sight of the Sentinels, I broke into a sprint, heart pounding.
Zephyra guided me away from our smoldering home. Soon she soared upward and then dove into an alley. Looking down, I saw two people racing along the cobbled path below, both in dark cloaks, one with unmistakable red hair flowing out. The other was a man of large stature.
They were running so close together that I couldn’t tell if the man was holding Elena against her will.
He could easily have been pressing a knife against her side.
They turned right at the next road, so I cut across the roof to make up for lost ground.
I bounded down from my perch, jumping off balconies and awnings and dropping to the street right in front of them.
I pulled out my dagger and aimed it directly at the large robed figure. “Release her now!”
Zephyra landed on the balcony behind me. Should Zephyra pluck out their eyes?
“Cas, don’t!” Elena cried.
The person beside Elena drew back their hood, revealing a familiar handsome face and green eyes. Darion smiled. I ran up and wrapped them both in a big hug.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I said to Elena. “I was so worried when I saw our home.”
“It’s all thanks to Darion,” Elena said. “He got me out of the barn, although I’m still a little confused about how.”
Darion nodded and smiled, but I could see the fatigue in his face. He must have used his Ember to get them out. He looked drained.
There was so much more I wanted to know. How had the Royal Guard found our house? How had Darion known Elena was in trouble? I opened my mouth to speak, but Darion cut me off.
“We’ll have time for questions later,” he said. “We have to get you two underground. The upper city is no longer safe for either of you.”
The three of us raced along back alleys, ducking into the shadows several times to avoid passersby and once to avoid an entire group of Royal Guards who were moving along at a swift trot.
“We’re nearly there,” Darion said, ushering us along, his fatigue clearly evident. “Just a bit farther down this street.”
That was the moment we crossed an intersection and spotted an entire company of guards—twenty at least—just a stone’s throw away, marching in the other direction. We all froze. I held my breath, but my heart rate skyrocketed.
Darion gestured for us to move, and we all crept along, trying to get past the intersection without a sound. I could sense that Darion longed to use his Ember again but that he was too tired after rescuing Elena.
We were almost out of sight when one guard looked our way. His eyes went wide the moment he spotted us. “There they are!” he yelled.
The entire company spun around.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Elena ran toward the guards.
“Elena, don’t!” I cried as I ran after her. What in the dust was she doing?
The smell of ozone and citrus hit me so hard it was like a punch to the face. To my utter amazement, it wasn’t coming from Darion but Elena.
A wooden scaffolding ran along the building just in front of the guards.
Elena grabbed a supporting leg and broke it free with one sweep of her arm, sending the entire structure toppling down in a mass of splintered wood that blocked the entire street.
The shell-shocked guards pulled up just in time to avoid being buried in the rubble. They watched in amazement and horror.
Elena turned and shrugged. “I probably should have told you. I have a few secrets of my own.”
I yelped out a laugh of surprise, staring at my amazing and apparently powerful little sister. “I can’t believe what I just saw!”
She smiled, but her tired eyes betrayed the cost of using her Ember.
A loud shrieking sound came from all directions. The Sentinels must have detected that large burst of Ember from Elena. They’d be on us in no time.
“Let’s go!” Darion yelled as he raced down the road with us in fast pursuit.
We turned left at the next alley, and then Darion led us down a darkened staircase beside a nondescript building.
We danced around rubble strewn along the stairs until a collapsed passageway barred further progress.
Darion reached into a hole in the wall and turned his wrist. Something behind the wall clicked, followed by a low rumble like the grinding of gears.
The wall parted along a seam, revealing a passageway lined with flickering lanterns extending as far as the eye could see.
We all hurried in, Darion glancing up the empty staircase one last time before ducking inside.
He activated a switch on the other side, and the door slid shut.
We all took a moment to breathe, safe for now and relieved that we’d made it unscathed.
“Elena, that was incredible,” I said. “So you have an Ember that makes you strong?”
She nodded. “To be honest, I didn’t even know if I could pull the scaffolding down, but I had to try.”
“How long have you known?”
“A couple of months,” she said. “I’ve been practicing here and there, but once you warned me about the Sentinels, I stopped.”
“You were right to stop, but thanks for saving us back there.”
“Elena,” Darion said. “Do you think you have a bit more strength left?”
“I think so. Why?” she asked.
“This entrance is compromised,” he said. “If Sentinels find it, we can’t let them get in. Can you destroy the gears of this door?”
“I can try.”
And try she did. Elena reached into the machinery and bent inch-thick iron rods as if they were made of straw. The metal groaned and snapped. In moments, the mechanism looked broken beyond repair.
Darion grinned. “Impressive. Okay, let’s get a little farther, and then we can rest for a bit and talk.”
Elena smiled, but it melted away quickly, and she nearly collapsed. I raced to steady her.
“You okay?” I asked.
After a moment and a deep breath, she nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
Darion guided us through the mazelike tunnels of the Underworld, turning confidently at each intersection as if he’d walked this route a hundred times before. He stopped in front of a large archway leading into darkness.
“We’re safe enough now to pause for a moment,” he said, then turned to me. “First things first.” He wrapped me in a hug. I was still on high alert, so the intimacy caught me off guard, and I stiffened. But that didn’t stop him.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Darion whispered in my ear. His gentle voice had a calming effect on me, and I melted into his embrace. He kissed me on my forehead, then nuzzled his nose against mine. “Watching you go through the Trials has been hell.”
I smiled and let out a quick laugh. “It hasn’t exactly been easy for me either.”
Darion laughed as well. “When I heard the Citadel alarm, I feared the worst. I wasn’t expecting you back until tomorrow morning at the earliest. What happened? Did you fail the third Trial?”
“No, I made it to the tower,” I said. Darion noticeably relaxed, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
I told them about everything—the tower, the note, the escape. The only thing I held back was that I could hear Zephyra’s thoughts. Something about that felt dangerous; even the idea of saying it made my chest tighten. Trusting someone with that truth had once cost me dearly.
“Do you have the message Adela Fenn gave you?” Darion asked.
“I do.” I pulled out the note and handed it to him.
He looked it over and let out a long breath. “Thank dust. This is your ticket to see the Emberlight Council. And since Elena’s on the watch list, I can bring her along as well.” He turned to her. “But we’ll have to blindfold you, Elena. I’m sorry.”
“I understand,” Elena said, looking happy just to be included.
“How did you know Elena was in danger?” I asked Darion.
“I’ve been worried about the two of you ever since our run-in with Orlik in the market. I’ve been keeping an eye on your house.”
My heart swelled. For much of my life, it had been only me caring for Elena, constantly worrying and bearing the burden of the promise I had made to my mother.
Of course I would always honor that promise, and I loved Elena dearly, but the weight of that burden got a bit heavier each day.
And now, for the first time, there was somebody to share it.
“Thank you for keeping my family safe,” I said, voice cracking. I put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“Looking out for the people you care for isn’t something that needs repaying,” Darion said.
The three of us hugged again. I choked back the tears that were welling up.
“We should get going,” Darion said.
“Where to now?” I asked.
“Now I’m taking you to the Emberlight Council.”