Chapter 14 Ezryn
Ezryn
Ican’t believe this. It was only days ago Caspian and I battled across Hadria, trying to kill each other.
Now, I’ve traversed into the most dangerous city in all the seven realms and purposely put myself between Caspian and death.
Not only that, it looks like I’m going to rescue his murderous little sister too.
The prick better let me win at moonlight mastery for ten years.
Well, there’s nothing for it. Everything about my life went sideways the moment I saw a dark-haired human running across the bridge outside Castletree. I should come to expect the unexpected now.
Even if that means saving the lives of two people I loathe.
But if Rosalina’s taught me anything, it’s to look on the positive side of things. I’m hungry to test out the Hammer of Hope, and I really don’t like that bald guy’s face.
“Well, well, well, so nice of you to visit, Ezryn,” Caspian coos from behind me. Somehow, he still manages that annoyingly smug tone, despite looking half-dead. “I’d invite you to my palace for tea, but you’re sort of interrupting my execution.”
“Lucky for you, Rosalina doesn’t want you dead,” I say, shooting a look back at him. “And my queen always gets what she wants.”
A blush rises to his ghastly pale face.
“Enough talking,” the Nightingale snarls. “Can you fucking swing that thing or not?”
“My pleasure.” I heave the hammer over my shoulder and meet the gaze of the bald man with the whip. “Let’s get this done.”
I surge forward, a sense of exhilaration rushing through me.
The twenty men jeer and raise their weapons, running to counter me.
Instead of attacking their leader at the front, I leap into the air.
With a boom, my hammer connects with a cluster of stalactites.
I roll backward just as the jagged rocks crash to the ground.
Screams echo through the halls as five of them are buried under the rubble.
The Nightingale dashes forward as gemstones rain down upon her. Her gaze locks on the man with the whip and the glowing weapon at his feet.
Rosalina’s Bow of Radiance. My teeth grind together.
The Nightingale—Wrenley—is the only person besides Rose—or Queen Aurelia—who can wield that bow without its token.
Dayton told me of the queen’s blood they share, how she nearly killed him with it.
But it would turn me to ash the moment I put my hands on it.
I can’t stop Wrenley and all these assailants. I have to choose.
“Fuck,” I growl under my breath, then rush toward a man raising a crossbow directed at her. With a single swing of the hammer, I send him clattering down the tunnel, his broken bones making him limp as a rag doll.
Let’s hope this decision doesn’t get me killed. For now, Wrenley seems intent on the man with the whip.
“The little bird wants her shiny?” the bald man laughs. He cracks his whip, the end curling around the bow and snapping it out of Wrenley’s reach. She snarls and draws a knife from a holster on her thigh, the hilt jewel-encrusted.
“Laugh at me again, Emberlash, and I’ll cut out your tongue and stuff it down your throat.” She lowers her body, preparing to pounce.
I narrowly block the next surge of attackers. A swing of my hammer sends them scattering like leaves. But another group rushes to take their place.
I chance a look back at Caspian. His eyes are frantic, hands outstretched. A few pitiful, half-dead briars snake along the floor. He’s completely drained. With a sigh, I swing the hammer again, connecting with a set of ribs.
I’d found one of Caspian’s portal seeds in Kel’s room, which got me into Cryptgarden this morning. But we’re so far Below, the transportive powers of my token are nullified; I was counting on Caspian using his briars to get us out.
Guess it will be up to Rosalina’s half-mad sister.
“Here, birdy, birdy, birdy!” Emberlash calls, followed by a maniacal laugh as he whips the bow around.
With a roar, Wrenley lunges. A sound like a thunderclap echoes through the tunnel as Emberlash cracks his whip. Wrenley screams, the flaming barbed point striking her on the shoulder. She falls, then hisses, staring at her molten armor.
Seven realms, where does Sira find these demons? I can tell by the glint of Wrenley’s armor it was forged with Spring steel, and his fire burned even that.
A part of my mind wanders, eyes caught on the remaining pauldron of her armor. Who forged these pieces? The craftsmanship is remarkable—
“Ez, watch out!” Caspian cries.
I backflip out of the way of the swing of a morning star, sprinting toward Caspian to get my bearings. My breath is heavy as I assess the situation. There’re still ten attackers, plus Emberlash.
“So what’s the big escape plan?” Caspian asks, ducking behind me.
“We can’t leave Rosalina’s bow here. I thought you’d be of more use. Is that all you’ve got?” I gesture down at his limp briars.
“And this.” Caspian grabs a handful of scattered gemstones.
With a pathetic motion, he tosses them in the direction of an ugly, pockmarked man charging us.
The gemstones scatter off the man’s chest plate like drops of rain.
He stops and looks down in disbelief before throwing his head back and laughing.
I take the opportunity to turn his skull into jelly.
“See?” Caspian shrugs. “I’m a good distraction.”
Just as I release a sigh, ready to run back into the fray, Caspian’s brow furrows.
“A distraction…” he mumbles. “That’s it. Do whatever it takes to get Emberlash’s eyes off me.”
“Why?” I growl.
“We can’t leave without the bow, right? Wrenley can touch it.”
I grab his wrist. His skin is papery, bones frail. I’m surprised by how weak he feels. I loosen until I’m only lightly holding him. “How do I know you won’t direct her to shoot me as soon as she gets a hand on it?”
I expect him to tell me that’s exactly what he intends to do or at least give some snarky comment. But instead, his dark purple gaze finds mine. “Trust me.”
Trust Caspian? Rescue him, that I can do. Accept him as Rosalina’s mate? Of that I have no choice. But trust him?
With a growl, I raise my hammer over my shoulder. “Fuck this up and I’ll kill you myself.”
I charge at Emberlash. His wild eyes catch sight of me. His whip cracks forward, a searing line of fire slicing through the air, but I block it with the hammer, sparks flying from the collision. It coils around the hilt. He grins, an ugly, jagged thing, and yanks the whip, dragging me closer.
Meanwhile, the bow has fallen to his side. Wrenley stalks toward it, a cat hunting a mouse.
“You think you can stop me, hammer boy?” he growls, flames licking along the barbs of his weapon. His shadow flickers in the gemlight.
“Not stop you,” I grunt, pulling back with all my strength. “Stall you.”
I rush forward and swing again, forcing him to dodge. His whip untangles from the hammer. He lashes out, and I barely roll out of the way. My hair sizzles from the near contact. I saw what it did to steel armor. What would a lash like that do to my skin?
He turns his attention to Wrenley, striking at her.
She somersaults, nearly rolling into a grizzled attacker with a mace.
Pivoting, she cuts his thigh with her knife, then springs up, setting her eyes on the bow, glowing in the rubble by Emberlash’s feet like a taunt.
I can see her calculating the distance, the odds.
Another strike, and he could shatter her entire chest plate.
“Don’t!” I slam an attacker into the ground with the hammer. “You’ll never get past him.”
“I don’t need your permission,” she snaps, already moving.
Damn it.
“Come on, Cas!” I call and charge, running at Emberlash full-on.
Wrenley sprints faster, this time feinting left before rolling to the right. Emberlash’s whip strikes the spot where she was, leaving a molten scar in the stone. Before he can react, I hurl the hammer at his chest.
Emberlash staggers under the impact, but he cracks his whip out, the flaming barbs heading straight for Wrenley.
A dark mass slithers across the ground. A shadow.
Emberlash’s shadow, detaching from his side and rising behind him like a giant cloak.
It ripples in the gemlight, limbs twisted and stretched.
Emberlash looks over his shoulder, grin faltering before his expression becomes one of complete and utter fear. “Sira?”
“No, sweetling,” Caspian says. “If only you were so lucky.”
Caspian has his arms outstretched, face beaded with sweat. I remember the feel of those shadows pinning me down.
“Turns out my mother’s magic rejuvenates a lot faster down here,” Caspian grits out. “Not as pretty as my thorns, but you’ll forgive me, won’t you, Ez?”
“I’ll add it to the list of things to forgive you for,” I mutter.
The shadow engulfs Emberlash, wrapping around his legs, his arms, snaring him in place. He thrashes, his whip snapping, but the darkness clings to him, tightening with every movement. Caspian’s face is pale, beads of sweat dripping down his temple.
“Wrenley, now!” I yell, my voice echoing through the cavern.
She doesn’t hesitate. With a burst of speed, she dives for the bow, her fingers closing around it as Emberlash lets out a furious roar. The weapon bursts to life in her hands, the prismatic glow illuminating her skin. Emberlash recoils, his whip flailing.
Wrenley rises, the bow already drawn, her eyes blazing with power. The prismatic arrow forms, its light refracting through the gemstone-laden rubble like a broken rainbow. A stillness descends, as though time itself is bracing for what’s to come.
“Burn, bastard.” Wrenley releases.
The arrow streaks through the air, a blinding cascade.
It strikes Emberlash square in the chest, and the explosion that follows is deafening.
The last of his men are flung by the blast, smashing against the walls and falling in heaps.
The prismatic energy swallows him whole, his whip falling lifeless to the ground as the roar of magic drowns his scream out.
When the light fades, nothing remains but ash.
I stagger back, my chest heaving, and glance toward Caspian. He’s leaning on a chunk of rubble, his face pale but victorious. “Told you that you could trust me.”
I grunt, too exhausted to argue. “Don’t get used to it.”
Wrenley doesn’t stop to bask in the victory. Already, her briars are rising, twisting through the rubble to carve an escape path.
A prismatic vine slithers up my leg, and I step back.
She rolls her eyes. “Do you want to stay here?”
I’ve gotten this far. I take a breath and let her vines wrap around me. Then with a sharp tug, I’m yanked into the earth with the Nightingale and the Prince of Thorns.