46. Chapter 46
Augrys and Erick were waiting on the couch in Yareli’s room.
They had clearly expected them to be together, but not holding-hands-together.
Augrys cleared his throat, glancing away from them, and embarrassment flashed through her.
Erick raised an eyebrow; she shrugged, fighting the urge to defend herself.
There was nothing to explain, nothing to defend.
“What happened?” Leo asked.
She startled, finally noticing the sharp tension in the room. It clung to Augrys and Erick, making them appear stiff.
Leo let go of her hand, and she followed him to the sofa.
Augrys answered. “There’s been a coup against the queen.”
Silence fell on them like a blanket—heavy and suffocating. The words reverberated through her, clanging through her bones like an unwanted tremor.
“Who?” Leo said, his voice tight like he had barely restrained the bellow that wished to rip free from his lungs.
“The Earth and Air courts.”
A pause.
“And the Water Court.”
Yareli exclaimed, “What? Aren’t you the commander of all the Water troops?”
He closed his eyes, grinding his teeth, and said, “My father has reclaimed the role. I am to report back to the court as soon as possible to accept my new position.”
“And you didn’t see this coming? There wasn’t any movement reported to you?” Leo asked, but his tone hadn’t lost its edge, and it came out accusatory. Yareli frowned at him.
“The report reached me too late. I was there yesterday for fuck’s sake, and there was nothing amiss.”
“What of your trusty general you left in charge?” Leo retorted. “What became of him?”
Yareli cringed, reminded of Sir Hua’s admonishment of the Keepers’ leadership and their self-imposed helplessness. She wished Leo would cease his blame.
“Leo,” Erick said sharply.
But Augrys didn’t falter. “I suppose friendship only stretches so far. I have been away for so long, I missed the signs. It was my mistake. Though I doubt I could have changed my father’s mind, the vital information may have allowed us time to coordinate a response.”
Yareli’s stomach dropped. He had been away because of her; he had failed because he was occupied playing babysitter for her. Guilt gnawed at her, and she bit her lip.
She opened her mouth, asking, “What can we—”
An explosion rocked the room. She grabbed onto Leo, and they looked at each other in stunned silence.
The trembling faded; she followed Augrys to the windows and gasped.
Smoke, summoned by the roaring flames underneath, curled upwards in the sky.
She met Augrys’s eyes; it was just like the Keepers’ Village attack.
Her door banged open, flying off its hinge as it slammed on the wall. Allyah walked in, the ground under her shoes sizzling. Her hair was tied up, and she wore a sleeveless golden shirt and pants, ready for battle.
“You need to leave,” she declared.
“You’re under attack,” Yareli protested. “We can help.”
“Obviously. But we don’t need it. We received this.” She tossed a scroll at Augrys, who caught it with one hand.
He scanned it, looking up in alarm and saying, “Who else knows of this?”
“No one. It came to me first, luckily.”
“What does it say?” Yareli demanded.
“It seems someone misses their toy and wants her back badly enough to incur the Fire Court’s wrath,” Allyah drawled.
Tuom. His obsession knew no bounds, chasing after her even in her dreams. Yareli was tired of his shit.
“And you’re not turning me over?” she asked.
Allyah looked at her then, blinking lazily. “The circumstances have changed. To give you over now is foolish. You must have something they want. Though I can’t say I know what that could possibly be.”
Yareli’s eyebrow twitched, but she smiled. “Don’t tempt me, or I might just hand myself over to see what it is.”
“You wouldn’t dare. I’d sooner throw you in my dungeon than let you risk my court.”
Augrys placed a hand on Yareli’s shoulder, quieting her retort, and interjected, “Allyah, now isn’t the time for barbs.”
Another explosion went off, quieting them. The argument passed with the reminder of the urgent situation they were in.
“How bad is it out there?” Augrys asked Allyah.
“Initial reports indicate this is a strike force with larger units approaching from the east and south. All Nox, so far.”
The interaction fascinated Yareli; they were no longer Augrys and Allyah, knives at each other’s throats, but generals at war.
Allyah continued. “We’ve placed Andhar on lockdown, and are evacuating non-combatants as we speak.
In order to leave, you’ll need to use our emergency runegate located under Tonio’s villa on the other side of town.
I trust you can make it there on your own.
Augrys, take some of our evacuees with you.
We’ll collect them after we’ve defeated the morons who thought they could bring Andhar to its knees. ”
She spun on her heels, readying herself to leave, then paused. She directed her steel gaze at Yareli and said, “And you must break your core. Stop relying on others to save you. Save yourself.”
And although that was the closest thing to advice that she had given her, Yareli gave her a look of reproach, rolling her eyes.
Allyah said nothing and departed from the room as another detonation went off in the distance.
Yareli turned back to the window, eyeing the growing battle.
The flames called to her, and she shivered.
Not for the first time, she wondered if she was destined to walk a path of flames.
Yareli thumbed the hilt of her dagger on her hip as they ran through Andhar’s streets.
The fighting had not yet reached the innermost depths of the city, and they had made their way across without meeting another soul until they reached the eastern outskirts, where Tonio’s villa was.
A steady line of citizens flowed into it, and Yareli had to admire both their efficiency and organization.
They were silent, awaiting their turn with a calm patience she couldn't replicate.
Instead of lining up, Augrys directed them toward the gate where a lone figure stood on guard. Tonio’s features became clear as they neared; he dropped to the ground, greeting Augrys and ignoring the rest of them, which suited her fine. He certainly wasn’t on Yareli’s friend’s list.
“Allyah sent word. Take the back entrance; you’ll find a cellar door under the cook’s table. Take the stairs down and skip the line,” Tonio informed them.
Augrys thanked him, and they moved past him.
He called after them. “Consider us an official ally of the Keepers.”
Yareli whispered to Augrys, “How does he know?”
“I’m sure Allyah informed him.”
She glanced at Tonio’s back. “Is he the only one defending?”
“Seems like it,” Augrys replied. “He sent his troops outward to meet the encroaching army to buy more time.”
She wondered how he knew, but they had arrived at the back entrance. Leo made quick work of the door, kicking it down and entering. He had already moved the cook’s table and opened the cellar door by the time she entered. He held his hand out to her.
“You go first.”
She jumped down, sneezing as she landed on a staircase with stale air. Erick landed next to her, his blue eyes worried but determined.
“Ready?”
“Never, but let’s go,” she replied. Erick led the way; his conjured light orb floated above, lighting the stairs.
She held her nose as she walked down; the layers of dust suggested the stairway hadn’t been used in centuries.
Heck, maybe since its inception. When she heard Leo and Augrys catch up to them, she relaxed.
It was wrong to run away when Andhar was under attack, but if the festival had been a testament to anything, it was their military prowess.
She thought of Vanessa, Erbert, and Dre.
They were probably on the frontlines, defending their home, and she prayed they would be okay.
Erick slowed as they reached the rusted metal door at the bottom; it refused to budge at first, but after a few more attempts, it creaked open.
An expansive underground chamber awaited them; the giant runegate, buzzing with energy, stood in the middle.
Evacuees waited their turn to pass through its blue portal; they moved steadily forward, but the line’s end was nowhere in sight.
She fretted they weren’t moving fast enough, but she held her tongue.
Inciting panic would lead to chaos, further inhibiting evacuation.
She stepped forward, stumbling when the ceiling above them rumbled, and she looked at Augrys in concern.
He gave her a nod of confirmation. The nox had arrived.