Chapter 32
Training is brutal.
The sun beats down on us. It’s heat like a thick blanket, smothering. Constant motion of swinging our shields, thrusting our weapons, and quick footwork, has sweat pouring from me. Dirt we kick up with our movements has clung to my skin, coating me in a level of grime I didn’t know was possible.
A large plume of it kicks up around where Lachlan faces off against Odr. The reverberation of steel against shields from their sparring makes my teeth rattle in my skull.
Sweat beads on Lachlan’s tattoos. It makes the ink appear to ripple as it drips down his forearms before splattering onto the ground.
Mathilda hands me a glass of water as we rest by the refreshment table. The condensation trickling down the glass is ice compared to the heat of my skin. I shoot her a grateful smile before chugging the entire glass and setting it down on the table.
“I’ve never seen him move like that…”
Mathilda gives a quick jerk of her chin. “Because we’ve never trained like this.”
My brow raises and I reluctantly pull my eyes from the men. “Not even before?”
Her lips purse as she thinks. “No—not even then.” She swings her eyes to Tane and Piominko.
Piominko is walking around Tane, who has a spear outstretched in his remaining arm. He rolls it over the top of his hand before thrusting it out.
“Luckily, he never favored his left arm too much.” A slow breath makes its way out of her chest and she deflates beside me. “But it’s still a big enough change he’s having to relearn most of his skills.”
“Has he said anything?” I ask, peering at her.
“Not really. He’s not one to complain, but I can tell he’s struggling.”
“Is there anything we can do?” I bite my lip. I don’t know how to help him.
“No. And he won’t ask for anything either. He just needs time.”
Time.
The one thing I don’t think I could offer even if I had it. We’re running out of time.
Cursing pulls our attention to the furthest end of the training ground.
Mina has Harald floating five feet off the ground, while Luna travels in blips, disorientating Freya. Well, there’s something at least. We’re not completely out of practice.
Mina slams Harald to the ground. The ground shakes with the force.
He stands swiftly, turning to find her, but she’s too quick.
She runs at him. Her left foot lands on the top of his thigh while her right foot is already pressed against his stomach, propelling her up his body.
In one graceful movement she has literally climbed him like a tree. Her legs wrap around his neck, and she swings herself around his throat and leans back.
They fall together. A leaf attached to a felled tree.
Mathilda chuckles beside me and my eyes bulge.
She did it. She fucking climbed him like a tree.
But as soon as the thought whizzes through my mind, Freya rips Mina off where sits on Harald’s neck, raining blows to his unguarded face, and throws her, sending her hurtling through the air. She bounces on her butt several times before she skids to a halt.
Luna, sensing the change in the tide, stays still long enough for Harald to launch to his feet and send a well-timed punch to her face.
Fuck.
Bright red blood spurts from her nose before running down her chin and splattering onto the dirt. The color snares my attention, a vision bursts behind my eyes.
A red petal floating alone on the floor.
A voice calling for help.
Deeper and deeper I sink.
Fog hangs heavy in the air. The weight of it is so thick I struggle to breathe. But the scent is of the ocean.
Brine, and something else—something ancient.
I hold my hand up in front of me and take a step forward, trying to find a way out of it. But my fingers brush against solid stone. I rip my hand away.
Tentatively, I take another step forward. A black stone wall materializes out of the fog.
Moisture beads on the ends of my hair.
A scream rents the air. My head swivels side to side, trying to discern where it is coming from. But to no avail. The sound tapers away, and I’m met with eerie silence.
My body wobbles as the ground beneath me trembles.
No—not the ground.
Me.
“KEY!” Lachlan yells. His voice tugs me out of the fog. “Breathe!”
I follow the sound of his voice and turn back to see a figure emerging from the fog. Sandy blonde hair and a leering smile.
My eyes blink open.
The brilliant rays of the sun blind me. Ouch. Everything hurts. Like I’ve been dropped from the sky. My wings that were vanished away, rest beneath me cushioning the hard ground.
“What happened?” I croak out.
Lachlan moves his head just right to block out the sun. All I see is him. His beautiful face wreathed in a halo of golden light.
“Ye fainted.” His voice sounds broken. “Why didn’t ye say you were nearing burnout?”
“I wasn’t.”
His face crumples up into confusion. “Well, ye fainted for some reason. Ye can only use so much magic before it’s gone. Ye must’ve used too much earlier. ”
Freya hovers beside Lachlan, squished beside Mina and Mathilda.
And Luna, of all people, is on my other side. Her sharp eyes study my face.
“She didn’t faint. She went somewhere.”
Blood drains from my face. My hands tremble and I squeeze them into fists, my fingernails press into my flesh.
“I saw mist, or fog. And a black stone wall.”
Freya’s face tightens, and she glances at Odr before turning back to me. “You saw Toraigh.”
“How could I see another realm without leaving this one?”
Her head shakes, a frown creasing her brow. “The gods must be leading you.”
Lachlan grabs my hand, pulling me to my feet.
His familiar callouses scraping against mine ease my fear.
I fluff my wings out and the movement is jerky as I try to clear some of the dirt from my silver feathers.
Tilting my neck awkwardly to the side, I feel the bones crack and relief eases the tension.
“Let’s call it a day and regroup tomorrow,” I breathe, needing a moment to catch my bearings.
Something is happening, changing even, and I can’t quite keep up.
Alone in our room, the silence hangs heavy like a cloud leaden with rain. I feel my heart pump blood through my veins. The muscles of my back twitch, holding my wings aloft, and the grime of dirt still clings to the back of my neck and hands.
Lachlan studies my face, his own, not giving a hint of what he’s thinking. But then his brows crease and his mouth opens.
“Are we going to talk about it?”
I grimace. “Talk about what?”
He crosses his arms and gives me a look that says I know exactly what he’s referring to. Averting my eyes, I toy with a braid and shrug my shoulders.
“Key, ye went somewhere without ever leaving this plane. That’s huge. Not to mention ye went to an enemy stronghold.”
I continue toying with the ends of my hair. I feel like I’m about to enter an interrogation about what I saw. My heart beats faster and my palms prickle. I didn’t really see anything, not anything useful anyway and I’m worried that if I tell him that—he’ll be disappointed.
His palms scrape lightly against my bare shoulders before he grabs my chin, tilting my head up to meet my gaze.
“Are ye alright?” He asks, his eyes searching my face for even a hint of discomfort.
A breath works its way out of my chest.
He’s not disappointed, or even gearing up a full-scale interrogation.
Of course—he’s worried.
I bury my face into his chest and inhale his rain-kissed scent. His arms wrap around me.
“I was worried you’d be disappointed,” I murmur into his chest.
He pulls back, holding me at arm’s length. “Disappointed?”
I nod. “That I couldn’t remember any details or how it happened.”
“Ach,” he spits. “Never. I was worried about how ye were holding up.”
I squeeze him tighter again. “I’m okay.”
We stand wrapped in each other for a long moment. I close my eyes, delighting in the feel of my body held by him. Peace settles over me, sharpening my mind.
Toraigh.
I went to Toraigh and saw…Julius.
Flinching out of Lachlan’s arms, my entire body tense with the information I uncovered.
“Julius was there.”
Lachlan’s arms are still outstretched from our embrace. His face slips into a mask of fury.
“You saw Julius in Toraigh?”
“Yes! Right before I came back. I was standing at the wall, and I heard a scream. Then the ground started shaking, but it was you shaking me. I heard your voice, and I turned around and that’s when I saw him. It was only a glimpse, but it was definitely him.”
Lachlan’s chin juts down in one swift motion. “You’re sure?”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I nod. “I’m positive it was him.”
Lachlan rubs his jaw, his mind working just as fast as mine.
“So if Julius is in Toraigh, that’s all the confirmation we needed for Odessa and Odin’s whereabouts! We have to go get them!” I spin on my heel, heading for the door. A hand wraps around my wrist, tugging me to a halt.
“We canna just burst into Toraigh, Key. We need a plan.”
This feels like our rebellion all over again. And that thought makes me pause. I jumped headfirst into our last battle and it cost us—cost me. “You’re right. Let’s call for a meeting and start planning.”
Battle plans and strategies whiz through my mind. We know where they are. A missing piece of the puzzle finally slides into place.
But now Julius knows I know.
Would he move them quickly? Is that even possible?
“Lach—he saw me.”
“We need to call a meeting now. I’ll get the others and meet ye in the council room.”