Thirty-Three
CHAPTER
“Rowan,” Zathrian said, beckoning one of the guards, who approached instantly.
With mocha skin and rich curls, he stood tall.
Zathrian handed him a scroll, ehis eyes darkening.
“Deliver this. You know what to do. Leave now,” he commanded.
The guard nodded, tucking the scroll into his lapel.
He bowed to his High Lord, his eyes briefly meeting Mateo’s as he passed him before exiting the room.
Viotto buttoned his cufflinks. “Now, to reiterate the plan once more,” he took a breath, “the men will surround the perimeter. Mateo and I will box Neil in. Aerilyn will stay with Zathrian and Acheron will lead Neil to us. Understood?”
Everyone in the room nodded and the men replied in unison, confirming that they, in fact, understood.
I bit my bottom lip, unsure if this plan was thorough enough.
Viotto rolled his neck, cracking his bones in the process. “This is not meant to be a battle, but we are prepared for one. Get in, get Neil, get out. As quickly as possible,” he said, adjusting his sword at its sheath.
“Are the men ready?” Zathrian asked, turning to Viotto. The squadron of warriors that were accompanying us on the mission stood not far behind Viotto.
“Yes, my Lord,” Viotto replied.
I watched Zathrian struggle to button up the outer layer of his shimmering navy-blue moonstone armor. Hesitating for a moment, I closed the distance between us.
“Here, let me,” I said, reaching up to button the strap for him.
“Thank you,” he whispered, his eyes softening.
I smiled. “Mmhm.”
Zathrian pulled me closer, pressing my head against his chest with both his arms wrapped tightly around me. One arm across the middle of my back, the other resting between my shoulder blades.
“Everything’s going to be okay, Airhead.” He planted a kiss at the top of my head.
Although unconvinced, I nodded at his proclamation. Zathrian’s arms glided from my back to my shoulders as he lowered his gaze to mine. His fingers gently kneaded my flesh, trying to get me to relax.
Ironic, really.
“I promise,” he whispered, holding up his pinky finger.
Lifting my own pinky finger, I linked it with his. The most important promise he had made in his entire life.
“Promise,” I replied.
He leaned down and kissed me, and fireworks filled my insides. His lips were soft and pillowy, a fleece blanket on a cold winter’s eve. Everything I was about to do was for him, whether he realized that or not. Now that I had him, I was afraid to lose him.
Everything was bathed in pure white light, and honestly, I was really starting to dislike the brightness.
I had such disdain for the smell of fresh dew and crisp apples.
A smell I once enjoyed was now ruined, amongst many other things.
I was not sure I would ever enjoy an apple again simply because of how it reminded me of here.
Gods above, I’d rather be anywhere but here.
Not everything was as it seemed, and I learned that a long time ago.
There was something unsettling about the Realm of Clouds now that I knew the truth of the darkness that truly lay hidden within it.
This time, I had Zathrian by my side and that was all that really mattered.
Zathrian gave my hand three little squeezes, and in turn I did the same. Three little words that I was too scared to say, but deep down, I meant them. I really did.
Breathe…
I turned toward him when I heard his voice in my head. Nodding, that’s what I chose to do.
Breathe.
It all happened so fast. In a mere blink of an eye, Zathrian pushed me back, using his body to shield me from the guard who attempted to swing at me.
As I cowered behind him, he shot a relatively small burst of Starfire in their direction.
The guard barreled back, slamming into the marble wall behind him.
It cracked, leaving the wall with an indent from the sheer force of the impact.
Zathrian’s hands balled into fists as I attempted to grab his forearm. I turned toward the sudden gust of cool air that circulated around us. Neil was fast approaching with sharp shards of sleet in either of his hands.
“Zathrian!” I yelled in distress.
“Get her away from here!” Zathrian yelled.
Aradia rushed to my side amid the chaos, pulling me back, away from both of them. I attempted to protest, but despite the force behind my attempt to yank away from her grasp, her grip tightened, harshly yanking me toward the front doors of the Manor. “We have to get out of here, Miss!”
A bright beam of light filled the room, followed by a loud crash.
The room shook. Marble toppled over, paintings fell from the walls and onto the floor below.
I nearly lost my own footing, falling over in the process.
Everyone was fighting all around me. Swords clinked and clashed against one another.
Daggers and knives were drawn, as was magic, and bows and arrows made of ash and fool’s gold, too.
The Realms fought amongst themselves with bravery and honor, but for all the wrong reasons.
And then there was me.
Being dragged away by Aradia like some sort of helpless child. I told myself that I would be brave. Instead, I was a coward.
I had to do something. I had to help. I just had to.
“Let me go!” I barked.
“NO! You shouldn’t be here! Please! Let me help you! Please! You don’t understand what he’ll do to you. We need to get you out of here, please!” she begged, yanking me closer and closer to the Manor’s entrance.
“I said let me go!” Shadowy tendrils emitted around me, forcing her to let go of me.
The sound of storm clouds, lightning strikes, and blasts of Starfire filled the room. The Manor shook with each blow. This was bad. This was very, very bad.
Turning my head, the familiar whispering wind of Deus’s voice rang in my ear. “Do something, Bringer of Peace,” its voice echoed. “Save them. Save them all.”
I don’t know what to do.
All I could do was stand there and watch Zathrian and Neil fight.
Viotto was overpowered by three guards from the Realm of Clouds.
Acheron was fighting relentlessly to defend both him and Mateo as they stood side by side, surrounded.
I swallowed hard. Aradia attempted to yank me by my wrist again, and the shadowy tendrils evaporated, melting away like they were never there in the first place.
My heart raced, and panic flooded my very being. In every direction I looked, there was blood being spilled and magic all around.
We were outnumbered.
Zathrian was taking on Neil all on his own.
His Starfire manipulation created a vibrant light that illuminated the surrounding area. I was nearly blinded by it. Neil’s weather manipulation counteracted the strike by summoning fierce gusts of wind and sleet, trying to extinguish Zathrian’s light.
I watched, wanting nothing more than to intervene, but I couldn’t muster up the courage to move, to do something, anything. I stood there in horror.
Zathrian dodged the gusts, but Neil was relentless.
Summoning a series of lightning-fast storms that were directed straight at Zathrian, he sent debris flying in every direction.
Zathrian clenched his jaw, using his Starfire to create a series of small explosions that disrupted the storms sent his way.
Neil adapted to his counter-attack by summoning a massive whirlwind that sent Zathrian flying back, crashing through one side of the marble wall and out the other.
My hand covered my mouth, shaking.
Get up. Get up. Please, get up.
Zathrian struggled to get back onto his feet. Neil took the advantage of the whirlwind he had created to strike Zathrian with a powerful blast of lightning.
“LOOK OUT!” I cried.
Zathrian was caught off guard, stumbling backward, blinded by the light.
Neil took the opportunity to make the ground shake, sending shards of sleet into Zathrian’s direction.
Ice hit his armor, denting it. Zathrian lifted his hand, using his Starfire to create a blast that melted the sleet and caused steam to form within the room.
I coughed, the air thick from the smog that formed. I backed up right into the courtyards into the middle of the Manor. I couldn’t look away. I wouldn’t. I tried to find an opening, anything that I could do to possibly help Zathrian, but there wasn’t anything I could do.
I could feel his pain. His pain became my own.
Neil went stumbling backward.
Every strike made was met with yet another, twice as strong.
Over and over and over again. Zathrian sent a series of blindingly bright lights toward Neil, who attempted to extinguish it.
Their battle raged on for several minutes.
Minutes that felt like hours. No matter how much I begged my body to move, it didn’t.
I was frozen. By fear, or something else, I couldn’t be certain.
Zathrian breathed heavily, mustering up all his strength to create a massive explosion that not only sent Neil flying across the room, but led to the Manor partially collapsing all around us.
Screams echoed. The world spun. Nearly seeing double, I realized I was entrapped by the rubble alongside everyone else.
It all happened so fast.
The wind was knocked out of me so quickly I didn’t see Gelia push Aradia into the crossfire when it happened.
All I saw was kicked up dust and debris from the Manor practically collapsing in on itself from the destruction Neil and Zathrian were causing in the midst of their fight.
A fight that was still ongoing. It wasn’t them that I was now focused on, but that sound.
Soft, choking noises.
The scent of iron lingered in my nose, as did dirt and dust.
Turning my head toward the sounds, my eyes widened.
Aradia was pinned beneath the crumbled marble.
Blood pooled from her lips; she was choking on it.
A sharp beam impaled her chest. Her white dress was stained red, spreading with each passing moment.
The beam pinned here there. Her blood pooled onto the marble floor beneath her, staining my boots.