Chapter 101
Chapter One Hundred One
Lex
Vespera was silent, bubbling with charged anticipation. UnAwakened cadets and full-fledged soldiers alike fiddled absently with bracers and crystals. The fresher-faced Mages jumped at every sound, eyes wide and brows sweaty, relaxing briefly when they realized there was no attack.
Yet.
We could all feel it coming—the promise of battle hung heavy in the warming spring air, constricting our lungs and making it difficult to breathe.
Ilyas’ heavy hand landed on my shoulder, squeezing once.
“It will all be okay, Lex,” he said with a small, tense smile, one I couldn’t find the energy to return.
Either we would leave here victorious and join Rohak and Torin in the mountains south of Alvor, or we would fall here together, leaving our quad in shambles.
Was it selfish of me to think of my lovers in a time like this? Probably. But it wasn’t something I could prevent. We were all separated—by choice—and now had to live, or die, with the consequences.
“Mage d’Talionis. Ilyas,” Sol said, her softly accented voice cutting through the silence of the courtyard.
Ilyas and I positioned ourselves as the first line of defense should an army come crashing through our gates.
There were some unAwakened cadets at the wall—young boys who were as fast as the wind—who would alert us to an incoming force.
But I refused to sit idle, waiting for something to happen.
If I was to wait, I would do so in a place I could defend my home.
“Sol. Thandi,” I said back, quickly nodding to them.
“Much different than our mock battles on the training grounds, hmm?” she said, hands resting lightly on her belt.
It was the first time she and Thandi would see true action since that fateful day in Isrun. Rohak had wisely removed her from active combat in an attempt to help her mind and body recover. Now, I simply hoped she was mentally prepared enough to command our troops.
“Stop looking at me like that, Lex. I’m not going to have a flashback right here, right now,” she admonished.
I shrugged my shoulders loosely.
“They happen when you least expect, Sol,” I muttered quietly, Ilyas’ hand squeezing my shoulder in comfort once more.
“Still?” she asked, her wide brown eyes finding mine.
“Always. I’m not sure how you witness or survive what we did and not continually have a trauma response from it. That shit sticks with you whether you want it to or not.”
Sol’s dark eyebrows quirked in surprise. She opened her mouth, but her words were drowned out by an earth-shattering, bone-shaking roar.
The sound had the soldiers behind us shouting in alarm as Sol, Thandi, Ilyas, and I ducked down, hands covering our ears.
With the noise muffled, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as the ground reverberated beneath my feet.
They’re here.
“Fuck,” Sol cursed loudly, spinning around to immediately bark orders to the Mages and Vessels stationed outside.
The attack came too quickly for our scouts to sound the alarm. My heart ached for the deaths of those boys, but I knew they’d only be the first of many.
Residual booms and cracks echoed throughout the mostly empty courtyard as rocks and stones fell from the stone wall to the streets below.
As the tumbling rocks began to settle, my heart rate calmed once more, though I knew this was far from over.
Ilyas’ hand rested against my neck, allowing me to pull my magic through him.
Pleasure wasn’t the greatest weapon, but it could incapacitate long enough for others to finish the job for me.
In his other hand, Ilyas clutched a wicked-looking blade.
Serrated and wider on the end, it was made for hacking and pulling muscle from bone.
Months spent training with Folami and the others gave Ilyas an edge over other Vessels, or so I hoped.
Boots shuffled behind me as soldiers moved into their positions, prayers and hopes muttered as the air grew heavy with magic.
Seconds later, the unmistakable sound of horses echoed through the empty streets. Hooves pounded against stone, loud whinnies carrying down abandoned streets. An occasional man’s snarl or whoop of delight accompanied their charge.
“Steady!” I called to the soldiers behind me, briefly overriding Sol’s authority. Once our adversaries crossed the invisible line into the courtyard, all pretense of command would be forgotten.
Let them come, I thought, guarding my heart and preparing to hurl my magic at whoever appeared around the bend first.
Pleasure built in my palm, a giant gold ball of light nearly rivaling that of the sun. Sweat coated my brow from holding so much at once, and, just as I thought I could hold it no longer, the first horse came into view.
I pushed my hand forward, intent on releasing my power, but stopped, eyes wide.
There, with blade raised and raven-black hair all asunder with gritted teeth and a look of pure malice flashing in her almond eyes, was Sasori.
I blanched, just long enough for the tip of her blade to plunge into the neck of an unAwakened cadet—one she and I had trained together—as he foolishly stepped in the way in an attempt to dislodge her from her horse with his spear.
Blood spurted from the wound, the boy falling to the ground in a crumpled heap, only to be trampled and flattened as countless riders flooded the courtyard.
Sasori’s sword pulled easily from his neck, her horse never breaking stride, as she raised it above her head, the blood of her kill dripping down the blade to splatter against her arm and face.
A pang shot through me at the memory of who she used to be, of the woman who claimed to love me and warmed my bed, but this was no longer the Sasori I knew.
She was something darker, twisted beyond all imagination, her pain making her a slave to wickedness.
With a guttural cry, I released my magic, watching in triumph as the ball of light split into smaller spheres, each attacking an approaching rider.
Miraculously, or unfortunately, my attack missed Sasori completely, allowing her to continue galloping into the courtyard.
Dozens fell, knocked unconscious by the Pleasure coursing through their systems.
“Now!” Sol shouted as fire rained from the sky, our Mages aiming for the unconscious bodies on the ground.
Horses reared and shrieked, throwing off riders who were too late to grab the reins. Other attacks from our Mages quickly followed as I withdrew my own blade, my Pleasure Magic nearly extinguished.
Ilyas and I retreated to the cover of the Academy, back behind a small Air Ward that was loosely held by Leal and another newly Awakened Air Mage.
“Sol, this won’t hold for long,” I called as ice spears shattered against the ward, causing it to ripple and buckle.
“Fucking fuck,” she swore, sending a wave of her own magic out in an attempt to sweep horses from their feet. Water Mages joined her, creating a small ocean in the courtyard while an additional Air Mage created a vortex in the water nearest where the soldiers entered.
But, despite what seemed like an early advantage for our soldiers, I had the sinking realization that we were outmatched and outnumbered. Horses with riders still poured through the alley, the sheer size of their force clogging the entrance completely.
Some of the most powerful magical attacks I’d ever encountered were hurled at our shield, creating small holes that slowly grew.
“Who the fuck are these Mages?” Sol grimaced, sweat coating her brow and running down her neck.
I shook my head, feeling rather useless.
“Earth Mages!” I shouted, seeing an opening. “Collapse the alley’s entrance. See if you can buy us a bit of time.”
Sol nodded at me in thanks as six Earth Mages worked to topple the buildings. Horses and men screamed as chunks of rock fell from above, flattening them in a shower of blood and crunch of bone.
A younger girl to my left retched on the stones beneath our feet.
“It will only get worse,” I said with a sad shake of my head.
The collapse of the alley separated the troops in the courtyard from the rest of their forces, but it was only a matter of time before they found their way over or around.
“Sol, if you’re going to attack, you need to do it now,” I said, tension rising in my neck and back.
I tossed my sword from hand to hand, wiping the sweat on my pants as Sol cursed.
“Fine. Release the Air Shield on my command, then hit them with everything you’ve got,” she said.
“And spread out! Become a moving target. Try to stick in groups of three or four at most,” I called.
Leal grunted her agreement, her right hand already reaching for a throwing dagger in her belt.
“Three . . . two . . .” Sol called, and I heard the scraping of feet as Mages moved. “NOW!”
Immediately, the Air Ward dropped, exposing our army to attack.
As Leal released the hold on her magic, she threw her knives with scary accuracy, a new one in her hand and flying through the air before the first had even struck.
Each found a home in the throat or face of an enemy Mage, felling them as she raced for cover behind the obelisk in the middle of the courtyard.
Magical attacks came from every way, both in front of and behind me, as both sides realized the barrier had collapsed.
Men and women screamed in agony as attacks struck true, calling for their mothers in their final seconds. The scent of burnt flesh and urine clouded the air, nearly sending me into a spiral of memories.
It was always like this when the battle first started.
Ilyas and I charged forward, swords at the ready as we dodged attacks, hacking as we went. Our goal was to ground the enemy, make it easier for our Mages to attack. I lost myself in the swing of my blade, the feeling of my Bonded by my side.
The metallic taste of blood clung to the air as bodies were opened and guts spilled on the ground.
Blood ran down my hand, causing my grip to slip more than once on the pommel of my sword. I cursed loudly, hastily wiping my hands on my just-as-defaced pants. My moment of distraction nearly cost me my life as I saw a wooden spear hurtle toward my exposed torso.
With a shout and a curse, Ilyas threw himself between me and the weapon, taking the brunt of the hit in his side.
He cried out in pain before wrenching the spear from his side, blood instantly soaking his black tunic.
My eyes widened and hands shook as I reached for him, but he pushed me away.
“Pay attention,” he gritted between his teeth, ripping an unsuspecting Mage’s stomach open so his intestines snaked out, landing with a wet plop on the ground. The man didn’t even have time to scream before Ilyas took his head.
“I am fine,” he said again. I shook my head to rid myself of the stupor, moving to cover Ilyas’ back.
“I lost sight of Sasori,” I panted, fatigue starting to wear at my muscles.
“You’re thinking of that bitch right now?” he roared to be heard over the sound of battle.
My eyes canted about, searching for the woman in question, but all I saw was chaos. Battle lines were nonexistent, fights breaking out all across the courtyard and even in some of the buildings. I saw the flash of light inside a home before the entire building collapsed, killing whoever was inside.
For now, we were holding our own against this much more formidable force, but it was only a matter of time before we faltered. We had significantly fewer soldiers, and it was evident these Mages were honed with a viciousness that far surpassed anything we did at the Academy.
It was as if there was no sanctity of life—no regard for who or what they were killing.
The thought made me uneasy.
“Fuck!” I swore, my distraction nearly costing me my life yet again, as my cheek and neck were singed by an errant fireball. My clothes smoked slightly, the overpowering odor of burnt fabric and flesh momentarily eclipsing all else.
Already, I could feel the skin cracking and oozing, the pain of the burn intensifying with every swing of my sword.
Groaning, I switched arms, attacking with my non-dominant right.
“We need to make our way back to the Academy,” Ilyas called. “Reform our defenses and bar the doors!”
I nodded my agreement, our steps slowly making our way back to the relative safety of the Academy.
“Where is Faylinn?” Ilyas panted as he parried a strike from a Mage who had conjured a blade of ice.
I shook my head. “Not here. She followed Rohak.”
Ilyas grunted a curse, but said no more as he was locked in a fierce battle with the ice-wielding Mage.
“Sol!” I shouted as she and Thandi fought against three Mages at once.
Sol combined her Air Magic with that of a nearby Water Mage to encase two of their adversaries in bubbles while Thandi battled hand-to-hand with the third.
I came behind the trapped Mages, stabbing hard through water, flesh, and bone.
Bubbles escaped their mouths as they screamed in pain, the water turning black with blood.
With a gasp, Sol released her grip on her magic, falling to her knees as she caught her breath.
“Lex . . . this—we can’t hold them,” she rasped. “Look.” I watched as she pointed to where we had collapsed the alley, Mages scrambling over the rocks like ants to join the fray.
“It’s no use,” she whispered. The sounds of battle nearly overwhelmed my senses then as I watched the fresh, fully powered Mages join the fight.
They outnumbered our soldiers three to one at this point, fights becoming increasingly uneven.
With cries of pain and despair, I watched as our Mages fell.
“Go, Lex,” Sol commanded, rising from the ground once more and moving to defend Leal, who was savagely throwing daggers at whoever came nearest the unAwakened cadets.
Where did she get so many knives from?
After throwing her last, Leal launched herself at the corpses, blasting Air Magic in nearby Mage’s faces to momentarily distract them before wrenching her now bloody blades free and scampering away once more.
Oh. That would be how.
“Go!” Sol shouted again. “Ride to Rohak. Tell—tell him that Vespera has fallen,” she bit out, her eyes growing glassy.
“It’s not too late, Sol,” I said, neatly dodging an incoming vine, intent to wrap itself around my neck.
She shook her head as she grasped Thandi’s dark hand, pulling him toward Leal.
“It is, Lex. This is to be our final stand. But it is not your fate. Go, warn them of what is coming. Fight well, Lex.”
I sputtered, sword falling to my side. “I cannot let you just . . . sacrifice yourself like this, Sol!”
The sounds of battle swelled and ballooned, the screams of the dying and the roar of magic in the air nearly drowning her next words.
She smiled sadly at me before hardening her features once more. “Not all of us were meant to make it out of this alive. Victory in death, Lex. And I plan to fucking die well.”