Chapter 39 #2
‘Oh, I’ve always had three powers, but with my condition, I know I’ll be bed bound tomorrow. I save it for special occasions.’
The sound of grunting and grinding chains drew me towards the cell.
‘Matthias!’
His bloodied wrists were chained to the walls, his hair stuck to chunks of dried blood on his temple. Tears shone in his eyes while his shoulders sagged as I entered. I grabbed his face, ripping the leather strap from his mouth and gently, reverently, kissed his cracked lips.
He grunted, tugging on the chains.
‘Did he hurt you?’
Gods, his voice cracked as though they’d denied him water. I shook my head, tears coursing down my face, and placed another kiss to his dry mouth.
‘I’ll kill them all for this.’ The veins in his neck bulged as he strained against the chains again. I jumped as the screws connecting him to the wall groaned, loosening slightly.
‘What the fuck?’ Asher cried.
Glesni hobbled up to us, glinting dark eyes locked on her king.
‘Seems I’m not the only one hiding a bit of strength,’ she said, snapping the iron bindings as if they were a paper chain.
I winced as they clanged against the damp ground. Matthias drew me in. I knew we didn’t have time for this but, closing my eyes and exhaling, I dug my hands into his back. He kissed the side of my head before holding me at arm’s length, scouring my body.
‘How – how did you manage to pull these out?’ Asher ran his fingers over the bent brackets.
‘I heard Sorrow,’ Matthias said, wrapping an arm over my shoulder while grasping a shaking Skye with the other hand. ‘I had to reach her.’
Glesni raised a sceptical brow. ‘I knew you were smitten, Matthias Elmswood, but that’s something else.’
He flashed her a wide grin and a wink. ‘Power of love, eh?’
Glesni opened her mouth, a retort ready, when we all spun around as shouts rent the air; boots pounded towards us.
Matthias stood before me, trembling, swaying. Pablo dropped his head. A snarl rumbling through him as a group of guards burst down the corridor, swords ready.
One took a few steps forward, her hands raised. An Anomaly, I realised, taking in her lack of weapons.
‘There’s so many of them,’ Skye muttered.
Asher gripped her hand.
‘And yet, they’re still fucked,’ Glesni added, limping forward, her jaw set.
The Anomaly tilted her head, a smug grin swirling across her blurry face.
‘Is that so, old bitch?’ She spun her hand, a wind whipping up before us, twisting, tugging at my skirts. The Anomaly kept her cold gaze locked on Glesni as her winds built. ‘You’ll regret—’
We all swore, falling back as a tsunami of flames burst forth. The guards fell, screaming and writhing as Glesni doused them with fire.
Skye hid her head in Asher’s chest; he covered her ears, shielding her from their screams. The Anomaly raised her head as the flames tore into her flesh. I gagged as her eyes dissolved, her skin sizzling and popping. Finally, turning away as her jaw crumbled.
Glesni brushed her hands together as their dying screams echoed off the damp walls.
‘She won’t be calling me a bitch again in a hurry.’
‘I don’t think she’ll be doing anything again in a hurry,’ Asher cried.
‘Or us,’ Matthias said, taking a few steps forward before the flames forced him back. ‘How do we get out of here, Gles?’
The old woman rolled her eyes.
‘Youth of today,’ she muttered. ‘No patience.’
She raised her hands, and the flames receded, leaving the smoking, still shuddering forms of the guards for us to pass. The threads of deepest plum crushed the breath from my lungs. I swallowed them down, fighting to contain them.
Pablo barked a warning as more boots pounded towards us.
Glesni’s shoulders drooped, a weak flame igniting in her hand.
‘Wait,’ I shouted, racing forward and grabbing her wrist, being careful to keep away from the flames. ‘Let me try.’
A spark lit up her ancient dark eyes as she glanced at the charred bodies, and the violet threads crashed against my feeble attempts to hold them at bay.
I shook my head, visions of Mama’s cold fingers tearing apart her baby girl chilling me.
I’d no idea who they’d attack. I could end up killing us all.
Instead, I reached in and sent out a call of silver as the new guards arrived to see the mess Glesni had made of their comrades.
‘Throw down your weapons,’ a guard screamed, unaware how the walls awoke around him.
My chest heaved as I told them to hurry.
Glesni glanced back, a questioning look in her eyes as the corridor rang with the skitter of a thousand tiny claws.
‘I told you to throw down your weapons, traitors.’ He took a step forward, sword raised high. ‘Final chance.’ He stepped over the burning remains of the guard at the rear. ‘Drop your—’
The corridor exploded into a flood of swarming, squealing ebony. The guards cried out. Asher swore as Skye threw her arms over him and every single palace rat tore past us, smothering the guards, devouring them with relish.
Glesni barked out a laugh, hobbling after the seething mass.
‘I always knew that gift of yours was useful.’
‘Really?’ I tugged Pab’s fur as he snapped at one of the rats.
‘Never doubted it for a second.’ Glesni cackled.
I clung to Matthias, and we got ourselves as far from the dungeon and the screams of the dying as possible.