Chapter 40
As they emerged back at the center of the gardens, a Lightguard sent a castle guard sprawling to the ground, magic hitting them in the chest. Corinne threw out a blast of fire, blocking them from going after another guard a few feet ahead.
They turned to her and growled. “Traitor!”
Yes, Corinne thought as she leapt forward and overpowered the woman. I am.
Defector. Defector.
It was a bloodbath as Lightguards and castle guards fought in the gardens, the latter group directed by Captain Ekhana, who was bellowing orders as he fought off a Lightguard himself.
“Corinne!”
She whirled. Nik was standing several yards to his father’s left, close to the castle wall with a bow in hand. Corinne and Aryel ran for him, ducking as more arrows flew over their heads, taking out two other Lightguards nearby.
“Nik,” she shouted over the fighting, then sent an arc of fiery light toward a Lightguard who ran at them from behind.
Another Lightguard stared at her in a daze before falling to his knees and muttering prayers.
Corinne blinked and returned her attention to Nik. “Danai and Iliana?”
“Fighting inside,” he said. “A handful of guards and servants avoided capture or worse, and my father was able to get everyone here just in time.”
Captain Ekhana caught sight of them then and hurried in their direction.
“Get the prince out of here now,” he said. “Take Danai and Iliana with you if you can find them.”
“I’ll go too,” Nik said.
Captain Ekhana looked to his son for a moment before pulling him into a fierce, quick embrace. “Get somewhere safe,” the captain said. “And don’t come back unless Toro or I send for you.”
Nik nodded and, alongside Corinne and Aryel, ran for the castle doors.
They slowed as they entered and found it mostly quiet down the first corridor, but the sound of shouts echoed from up ahead.
Corinne brandished her sword and took Aryel’s hand again, noticing the burn on his neck for the first time, and a bit of the fire in her quelled.
She’d done that. She’d hurt him.
“Come on,” he said, squeezing her hand and pushing onward.
They ducked around several skirmishes as they approached the entrance hall, dodging the body of a falling Lightguard from one of the stairwells.
Corinne wanted to scream at them all to stop, that this wasn’t the way, wasn’t what Helaera wanted, but no one would listen to her. Not her, the traitor. The defector.
Just like your father.
Corinne shook her head as they emerged into the entrance hall. She could deal with that later.
Several Lightguards took notice of Corinne, then Aryel, and hurled magic at them. Without even blinking, Corinne let her flames engulf the light. The Lightguards gaped at her, stunned. Two more fell to their knees like the one outside, but Corinne couldn’t hear if they were praying or not.
“Corinne!”
Danai and Iliana, more than any other guards, were holding their own against the Lightguards, fighting off two particularly vicious ones by the doors.
“Danai! Iliana!” Corinne shouted.
Both of them disengaged from the fights they were in, dodging flares of light, and hurried for the entrance. Corinne covered their retreat with a blast of fire, forcing their attackers to back down.
They burst through the doors, and another magic attack immediately hit Danai’s shoulder, sending them reeling back. Iliana caught them while Corinne leapt down the stairs to face the two Lightguards waiting by the gates.
Their magic didn’t touch her—it only served to feed her own as they attacked.
The flames climbed higher around her as they fought, until finally she landed a blow to one’s head, sending them crumpling to the ground.
She twisted, catching the other’s sword with her own.
They growled at her as she grabbed their forearm and shoved them back with a burst of fire, disarming them and knocking them unconscious.
Corinne flipped their sword in her right hand, and both hers and the new one ignited with the flames of her magic, rivaling the brightness of the setting sun.
Aryel and her friends were staring at her when she turned to face them. She breathed heavily as the flames danced around her, framing her body in their wild glow.
“Goddess above,” Danai said.
Corinne ensured the Lightguards were subdued before dampening the fire again and beckoning the others forward.
“Where can we go?” she asked as they ran through the castle gates.
“My house,” Iliana said.
Wordlessly, they all agreed and followed Iliana into the streets.
If Corinne had thought the journey to Iliana’s felt long on horseback, it was nothing compared to walking, or rather sneaking, through the streets. Every passing second heightened her worry that they would be caught, even as twilight fell.
For the most part, though, the streets were empty, shops closed and curtains drawn. A face appeared in a window every now and then, only to disappear quickly. The occasional Lightguard strode past, and Corinne held her breath each time, certain they were about to be discovered.
She’d tapped into a depth of her power she hadn’t known was possible, but that didn’t mean she was immune to exhaustion. If another group of Lightguards attacked them, she might be overwhelmed.
“One more street,” Iliana whispered as they crouched behind a cart full of hay in an alley.
If they could make it to Iliana’s undetected, hopefully the night would be quiet, allowing them time to plan for what came next.
After ensuring the street was clear, they darted out from the alley and hurried for the wall of a shop, shaded by a green cloth awning.
Only a few more steps until they’d be in front of Iliana’s, and Corinne could let herself breathe.
She looked to Aryel, whose face was drawn, and a pang of nausea rolled through her at the sight of the burn on his neck.
Two of Iliana’s siblings were out front when they reached her house, immediately running to the door at their approach. The five of them scrambled inside as quickly as possible, Petyr and Isa shutting the door behind them and drawing the curtains.
“What’s going on, Ili?” Petyr asked.
“The Lightguards have turned on us, Atta,” Iliana said, her voice strained. “Can we hide here for the night?”
“Of course,” he said, looking at the faces of each guest in his house. All five of Iliana’s siblings were scattered about. “I assume Corinne is not amongst those who’ve turned?”
“No,” Iliana said. “I’ll explain, but we all need to rest a moment.”
Danai flopped into a chair by a tiny fireplace, and Nik leaned on the arm of it, one hand on their shoulder.
Isa insisted Corinne make use of the bedroom she’d slept in two weeks prior if she needed to rest, and shuffled her along despite her halfhearted protests. Aryel followed shortly after, Isa bowing deeply to him and reiterating what an honor it was to have him in her home.
“Apologies that we don’t have enough comfortable seating in the front area, but this should do just fine,” Isa said. “Just yell if you need anything. I’ll make everyone some food.”
Aryel looked rather queasy as he sat on the bed. Corinne approached him hesitantly, her eyes locking on his burn again.
“Let me heal that,” she said, taking a step toward him, and he looked up at her with exhaustion and grief in his eyes.
“Are you going to pass out if you do?”
Corinne shook her head. “But it…won’t be pleasant. Magic wounds are painful in healing.”
He took a deep breath. “So I’ve discovered.”
Corinne’s stomach lurched. She knelt before him, taking his hands in hers.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“I’ll be fine. Go ahead.”
Bracing herself, Corinne summoned her light and placed her hand gently on his burn. He hissed in pain, and when her magic really began its work, he bit back a cry.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed. “I’m sorry.”
It only took a few minutes to heal, and he endured it remarkably well. He sighed in relief when Corinne was done, her light fading again.
“I’m sorry,” she said again.
Aryel took her hand. “Stop apologizing for saving my life, Sunshine,” he said. He gave her a weak smile. “Or Sunfire, more like.”
Corinne fought the urge to burst into tears. She didn’t deserve to fall apart in front of him, to seek comfort from him after all he’d just been through. She started to stand, but he took her face in his hands.
“Corinne,” he said, and she tried blinking away her tears before looking at him again.
But tears welled in his eyes now, and he pushed himself off the bed and onto his knees, clutching her to him. She held him just as tightly as the relief of it all, coupled with the grief, washed over her.
He was alive despite all they’d done to him, all they’d tried to do. Her people had betrayed her and hurt her in ways she could never forgive. Corinne didn’t know when she started crying, but she’d dampened the tattered, bloody fabric on his shoulder.
She couldn’t wrap her mind around it all, how everything had changed so drastically in only a matter of days. In only a matter of hours.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “For coming back for me.”
Corinne squeezed him tighter. “You don’t need to thank me. I’m your guard.”
He leaned back, brushing her hair out of her face and wiping away a tear on her cheek. “We both know you’re more than that, Corinne.”
Her heart thudded so hard in her chest she wondered if he could hear it.
“I’m just yours, then.”
Her words hung between them, carrying the weight of what she didn’t say, and Aryel began to respond when a voice called to them from the front room. They released one another and stood, headed into the little hallway.