THE TIDE CHANGES QUICKLY #2
I glimpse Gabriel a short distance away—he and Theon are fighting several soldiers at once. They’re fully occupied as attackers stream past the dismantled net.
A scream—sharp and achingly familiar—catches my attention. I spin around, seeking the source, and when I find it, fear rushes through me.
My feet are moving before I’ve even decided to run.
Skyler is here, fighting a pair of assailants. If she’s left the schoolhouse, it must be a sign the evacuation efforts are going well, right?
I don’t know.
Two men are advancing on her, and she’s keeping them back, but blood is pouring from a gash on her leg.
I run towards her, picking up my pace when one of the men knocks her sword from her hand.
She falls, scrambling on all fours for her weapon.
The soldier with a shock of pink hair steps on her wrist, and she screams.
The sound is as sharp as any sword in my gut.
“Get away from her!” I shout, drawing magic to my palms and throwing it as soon as I’m in range.
The magic flies to the right, missing the soldiers and slamming into a tree. It fizzles out, and a sob rips through me.
The attackers straighten, the pink-haired one takes his foot off Skyler, and they both turn towards me.
“Fuck,” I whisper.
The badges on the soldiers’ chests identify them as Protectors. It’s not their rankings but the glimmers of recognition in their eyes that have my stomach wrenching.
I’d spend more time worrying about why they’re looking at me like I’m the prize they’re here for, but there isn’t any time to waste. The two soldiers seem to reach a horrible consensus as one turns to Skyler and the other advances towards me.
I reach within myself and gather as much magic as I can. Two flames burst to life in my palms, and I fling one, then the other towards the soldiers.
They sail through the air, and my heart thunders. It feels like an eternity passes before the blue flames wrap around the Protectors. They scream, the pink-haired soldier flailing as the fire consumes him, but their deaths come swiftly.
There is no time to rejoice in my victory.
I race to Skyler and drop to my knees at her side. Her lips are pale, her face is ashen, and blood trickles from the corner of her mouth.
“You came for me,” she whispers hoarsely.
“You looked like you needed help.” I run my hands up Skyler’s injured leg, unable to hide my full-body wince as I reach her cut. It’s deep, and judging by the blood all around her, she doesn’t have long. “I couldn’t let my first rebel friend die.”
I try to infuse lightness into my voice, but I don’t think it works.
Skyler smiles, but her features contort as a cough racks her body. She needs help now. I scan the forest, but there’s no one around us. No healers, no one to save her.
No one but me.
She coughs again, and I return my gaze to Skyler, knowing what I must do.
Trying not to think too hard about the fact that this is the first time I’ve used my magic in this capacity, I force my features into a semblance of reassurance.
“Hold on, Sky. I’m going to fix this for you.”
She nods weakly. “Okay.” A low laugh. “I always . . . knew befriending you was . . . a good idea.”
Standing, I hook my arms under Skyler’s armpits and drag her away from the worst of the fight. She lifts her injured wrist to her chest, but blood trails in the wake of her leg.
My stomach sinks as I release her, resuming my position beside her.
“Hold still, Sky,” I instruct, placing my hands on either side of her leg injury.
She looks at me, a brow raised as if asking What else am I going to do?
I scoff and return my attention to the wound. It looks worse up close, and my stomach twists with nerves. There is a big difference between helping a few stray and injured animals over the years and thinking I can do something like this.
And maybe the Wren from a few months ago would’ve given up. Maybe she would’ve tried to find someone else. But there isn’t anyone else, and I’m not about to lose another friend. Not without putting up a fucking fight.
Forcing myself to concentrate, I block out everything around me.
The din of battle. The grass prickling at my legs.
The heat of the suns warming my back. It all fades away until it’s just me and Skyler.
Keeping my hands on her leg, I shut my eyes and reach into my well of magic, pulling up as much as I can.
I think strong, healing, life-giving thoughts, and my Mark burns as I work, collecting as much magic as I can before I open my eyes.
Blue flames sweep over Skyler’s injured wrist and leg, passing over her clothes and targeting the skin beneath.
The healing thoughts swirl through my mind, and I focus on them. I don’t allow myself to think of anything else, or for my intentions to waver.
Seconds that feel like hours pass as the blood flow slows. Skyler’s skin knits together, the wound on her leg glowing a faint blue as it closes.
And then the bleeding stops. Her leg is whole once more, and she lifts her wrist, turning it in a circle without wincing. Instinct tells me that Skyler will be sore for several days, but she’s no longer bleeding out and about to die.
I remove my shaking hands, dragging my eyes up.
“Thank you,” Skyler breathes. She clutches my hand with hers. “Fuck, Wren, I really thought that was it for me. Thank you so much.”
“Of course, I . . .”
My words trail off as I catch a glimpse of something in the woods. Blood drains from my face, and time seems to slow as I blink twice, wondering if I’m hallucinating. But, no. The scene in front of me remains the same.
My chest constricts, and I stumble to my feet.
“Wren!” Skyler calls. “What are you doing?”
I start to run. I don’t stop or look back even though I’m vaguely aware I should get help. I should tell someone what I saw. Even my familiar would be helpful right now, but I don’t know how to summon the raven or speak with it like Gabriel does with Mist.
And there’s no time.
Because the king has my sisters, and he’s dragging them deep into the woods.