47. Chapter 47
The few soldiers in the atrium rushed to organize the line, creating a zigzag and allowing more Fae to squeeze in.
Yareli, once again, had to admire their self-control.
No one screamed, pushed, or rushed forward despite the anxiety in the air; their restraint told her they trusted Tonio, and although she disliked the egotistical, bloodthirsty general, she had a newfound respect for his dedication to his people.
Augrys took the lead, Leo followed behind him, and Erick matched Yareli’s pace.
As they walked by, growing shame at skipping the line slowed her steps. She whispered to Erick, “Do we really have to cut?”
He glanced at the crowd and nodded. “We can’t let you fall into Tuom’s hands.” Then, he added, “Augrys will never allow it.”
The ceiling shuddered, and dirt rained down on them, coating them in grime.
She stared at it worriedly, wondering if all the evacuees had made it inside.
By the way the soldiers were rushing everyone, it seemed like the answer was no.
She caught up with Augrys and asked him if they could wait until everyone else went.
He shook his head and beckoned to the soldier manning the front of the runegate. The soldier rushed over, and they exchanged words in hushed tones. The soldier nodded and gestured at Leo to follow him. Yareli gave Leo a questioning look.
“Coordinates for our destination,” was his answer.
She watched him walk to the side of the runegate where a pedestal with buttons was erected, then she turned back to Augrys.
“Why not? We can help defend them if it comes to it.”
Augrys scanned the atrium, pausing at the end of the line by the doorway; it was still flooding with evacuees. The crinkle in his forehead told her he was worried.
“We can fight,” she insisted. “You can fight.”
He was the ultimate weapon against the nox. With him, they could repel any nox that made it past Tonio, ensure the evacuees’ safety, and Yareli would be secure by his side.
He looked at her then. “My priority is you. The Fire Court is capable of handling this attack. I am not needed here.”
She was interrupted by a loud mechanical hum. The runegate whirred, and its blue portal shuttered as Leo tinkered with the coordinates. The soldiers stopped the line’s proceedings.
“Just give it a few seconds here,” Leo called out to everyone.
“Please,” she told Augrys. “I want to help.”
He replied, his shoulders stiff, “Listen to me. Tuom wants you badly enough to reveal his trump card—the nox. Whatever he wants you for, it can’t be good.
We won’t be staying at Samire very long.
I need to get you somewhere safer and retrieve a sample of Tuom’s blood as soon as possible.
We don’t have time to spare. The best way to help is to go.
” He called Erick over and turned to him, effectively ending their discussion.
His dismissal stung. She walked a few feet away from him, unable to hide her frustration.
Yareli sat with his words, her mouth downturned from distaste of the truth.
It singed her tongue, coated her mouth in iron, and tasted of shame.
She didn’t belong in Izmari; it was best to keep out of Fae affairs.
The runegate whirred to life, its bright blue maw blinding her momentarily with its light.
“It’s ready,” Leo yelled.
“Let’s go,” Augrys called to her.
And she had been about to walk to him, she really had, but then the ceiling shattered.
Large chunks hurtled toward them as a dark blur slammed into the ground.
As the impact shook the ground, Yareli lost her balance, the ground rising fast to meet her; a hard yank on her waist stopped her fall, and she grunted.
Augrys held her, keeping her upright, his eyes flashing gold.
Shields went up, catching the debris before it hit the evacuees.
She spun toward the epicenter, exclaiming, “Wha—”
“Shit,” Augrys said. “They brought a brawler.”
A roar filled the air, and the dust settled, revealing a hulking nox monster.
Half the height of the atrium, it stood on its knuckles, its muscular frame rivaled its stature.
Dark as night and with the same smoke-like texture, its gleaming red eyes homed in on a hole in the wall.
Tonio hobbled to the hole’s entrance, blood trailing down his temple.
A sneer curled his lips into an almost feral-like expression, and with a burst of speed, he shot toward the creature.
Their clash sent shockwaves their way, and she lifted her hands to protect her face.
Tonio’s blue lightning crackled and sparked along the brawler’s body as he raced along its long limbs toward its thick neck.
“Look out,” a soldier shouted, pointing upwards.
A horde of nox creatures appeared at the crack of the ceiling; it filled the entirety of the hole, giving the impression that the ceiling was whole once more, that is, until they began falling.
The crowd, finally panicked, surged toward the runegate while the soldiers attempted to rein them in.
They were losing control of the situation.
The first of the swarm barreled toward them, their numbers so great it looked like a growing dark wave.
Augrys met her panicked stare, his own hazel eyes resolute. He let go of her waist, his spear materializing in his hand.
His face softened, and he murmured, “I know things are complicated, and you think I’m an ass, rightfully so, but I promise I’ll tell you everything. Wait for me. Please.”
She faltered, confused at his plea. “What do—”
“Leo,” he barked.
Understanding came to her too slow. Leo appeared, latching onto her abdomen as he pulled her away.
“Let me go!” She struggled against him.
Erick walked forward to stand by Augrys; he winked at her. “We’ll be right behind you guys. Dontcha worry.” He turned to face the incoming mob. “Augrys, you owe me a bonus.”
She was being left behind.
“Augrys,” she yelled.
He didn’t turn around, eliciting a pang in her chest. He had always turned at her voice. Something splintered in her heart, ripping apart the stitches that held her conflict at bay. August had always turned; the Fae in front of her was decidedly First General Augrys, not her friend.
White magic showered the atrium, incinerating the horde running at them.
Augrys’s spear turned golden before shining white; he took a step back, then hurled it at the brawler.
It pierced its thick skin, exploding into a million white particles.
The brawler disintegrated, its dying howl cut short.
Augrys took off, disappearing into the dark swarm, Erick right on his heels.
Leo carried her to the runegate, impervious to her swears and struggles. He said nothing as he pulled her through the portal—away from Augrys and Erick—and they landed on the Lhuth Mountains once more. His grip loosened, and she broke away. She spun on him, jabbing his chest.
“You had no right. We could have helped.”
“You mean, I could have helped?” he retorted.
His implication was not lost on her, and she blinked, taken aback. It was not like him to be cruel.
He sighed, pinching his nose. “War means difficulty, and that’s what it is now—war. Your role isn’t to fight. You’re meant to be protected until we can get you out of here, away from Tuom. Augrys told you as much.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks, and her eyes burned. “I can do more than stand around and watch my friends risk their lives.”
His voice softened. “I know it’s hard, but don’t you think it’s been hard for me, too? Being forced to wait, work in the shadows while knowing my father and sister’s killer is hailed as a lord? But life isn’t about what you want. It’s about sacrifice.”
The pine trees behind him shuddered in the wind, snow falling off their great branches.
A few snowflakes landed on her and reminded her of the chill, but she didn’t feel it.
Leo’s words had already frozen her to the bone.
How he had managed to nail all of her insecurities and guilt in one go was beyond her.
“Earlier, you told me to do what I want,” she whispered.
His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed; he looked away. “Because I was sure of your answer.”
Her heart slowed, her breathing coming quick. “You tricked me.”
“I said what you wanted to hear.”
She shook her head, the movement stiff in her horror. He had read her and calculated what to say to nudge her toward his preferred outcome. Had he done so in the past? Their earlier kisses seared her, and she stumbled backward. His arm shot toward her as though he meant to help her.
“No,” she said, slapping his hand away.
He sighed. “Listen, why don’t you help me get the refugees to Samire while we wait for Augrys and Erick? We can talk more later.”
When she didn’t respond, he added, “They’re going to be fine. Augrys, after all, has been battling the nox for decades. His gift alone is enough to turn the tides.”
He was right; all she could do now was aid the evacuees. She agreed to help, but she ignored his outstretched hand. His words had left a sore spot. She walked toward the sound of hushed voices in a nearby clearing. Allyah’s words came back to her.
Break your core.
She stood taller, determined to do so when Augrys returned. With her magic, she wouldn’t need to be protected.
A few hours later, Leo followed her as she stomped to her bedroom.
They had finished settling in all the evacuees from the Fire Court, handing them bedrolls and assigning them shared rooms, but Augrys and Erick still hadn’t returned.
Reports were sporadic, and everything indicated that Andhar was under serious attack.
Her anger rose with every step, and by the time she entered her room, she was fuming.
She should have been given a choice; regardless of the threat against her, she deserved that much.
Augrys knew better. Or so she thought.
“Reli,” Leo said.
She ignored him as she had for the past few hours. He caught up to her, grabbing her wrist, and before she could snap at him to let her go, she noticed it—a small, white envelope on her bed. She shrugged him off and picked it up.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Not sure.”
She pulled out a note. She shrieked, dropping it when something furry touched her skin. Her eyes grew wide in horror at the piece of brown hair on her floor. Bri. She met Leo’s startled eyes and shakily picked up the note.
Leo,
An invitation to dinner.
-E
Leo read the note over her shoulder, taking it from her to read it again before crumpling it into a ball.
“An invitation?” he growled. “Those bastards…”
Her heart thudded. Bri had checked in yesterday… She must have been captured between the last check-in and today. That meant she had, at worst, a full day at the hands of Tuom. Horror dripped down her spine, chilling her.
“We have to go,” she murmured.
“I’m going to go,” Leo corrected.
“Bri is my friend too,” she cried. “I can’t stay here knowing she’s at Tuom’s mercy.”
His eyes were ablaze, flashing silver, and he shook his head, adamant. “I’ll free her. You stay here and wait for Augrys. Tell him I’ll be at the weeping willow in the Earth Court.”
“Weeping willow?”
“He’ll know where.”
Yareli was being left behind again; her throat tightened.
She had meant it earlier—she didn’t want her friends risking their lives for her anymore.
Thoughts of home flitted through her mind.
She would go home, she reassured herself.
Yareli only had a couple of things to do first. The energy in the room changed, tightening like a coiled spring, and she launched herself at Leo.
His mouth formed an “O,” but it was too late—they shadowstepped.