Chapter Thirteen
Emelyn
I hastily shoved supplies into my pack and peered out into the sleeping rebellion camp.
The air was thick with morning mist and dew, obscuring the rows of tents.
Unlit campfires dotted the clearing, cold ashes leftover from last night’s dinner.
My heart pounded as I slipped from my tent, praying to whatever gods might be listening that no one would try to stop me.
I walked quietly until I was on the outskirts of camp, but then a twig snapped beneath my foot and I froze, hardly daring to breathe.
When no shouts of alarm came, I pressed on, the trees swallowing me.
I'd barely made it a dozen paces when a voice shattered the silence.
"And just where do you think you're going?"
I whirled around. Atreya stood before me, leaning casually against a gnarled tree. How long had she been there? I hadn't heard a single sound other than my own footsteps, not even a rustle of leaves. Her ability to move unseen never failed to unnerve me.
"You two really are too similar, you know, you and Ace." Atreya's voice was low. She pushed off from the tree, taking a step toward me. "But at least when you decide to make a stupid decision, you do it alone."
I bristled at her words, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. Who was she to judge me? She didn't understand, couldn't possibly comprehend the burning need to act that consumed me. Maybe that was a selfish thought considering the very life of this place was her responsibility.
Atreya's piercing gaze pinned me in place as she continued, "So what exactly is your plan, Emelyn? Take on Valla's armies at the gate, somehow get into Ember's palace without getting captured yourself, and save Ace?"
The way she laid it out made it sound impossible, foolish even. But I couldn't back down now. My chin lifted defiantly as I met her stare.
"Yes," I responded plainly, my voice steadier than I felt inside. Atreya's eyebrows shot up, a mix of disbelief and grudging respect flashing across her face. For a moment, silence stretched between us.
"I have to try," I finally whispered, my voice cracking slightly. "He's my brother, Atreya. I can't just sit here while he suffers anymore."
Atreya's eyes narrowed, her lips pursing as she studied me. "I understand, Emelyn . . . but do you know how foolish you sound? You are what they want—”
Her words were cut off abruptly, the air around us suddenly thick with an unnatural silence. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I sensed a familiar presence materializing behind me. Kade's Hollow.
I whirled around, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Shadows rolled off Kade's frame, writhing and coiling around him like living smoke. My emotions warred within me—part of me longed to throw myself into his arms, seeking comfort in his embrace. It had been so long since I’d seen him.
But another part wanted to lash out, to make him hurt as much as his lies had hurt me.
All those conflicting feelings evaporated in an instant as my eyes locked onto the figure cradled in Kade's arms.
"Ace," I breathed.
My brother lay limp and unmoving, his skin ashen where it wasn't marred by burns, bruises, or cuts. Blood—so much blood—stained his tattered clothing. My stomach lurched, bile rising in my throat as I took in the full extent of his injuries. "No," I choked out, stumbling forward.
My legs gave out and I fell to my knees beside Kade as he lowered him to the ground, my trembling hands hovering over Ace's battered body.
"What happened?" I demanded, tearing my gaze away from Ace to glare at Kade. "How did— Why didn't you—" The questions tangled on my tongue.
My eyes darted back to Ace, and that was when I noticed something terribly wrong. Where his magnificent wings should have been, there was nothing but torn flesh and exposed bone.
"His wings." I sobbed, horror clawing at my insides. "They're gone."
Another promise broken because Ace wasn’t safe. He was on death’s door. Rage and grief collided within me, a wave of emotion that manifested in a violent gust of wind. It slammed into Kade, sending him flying backward into a tree with a sickening thud.
I lunged forward, gathering Ace's broken body into my arms. His skin was so hot. He was burning up.
"Brother," I whispered, cradling him against my chest. My fingers traced the ragged stumps where his wings had been, and I felt something inside me shatter. Ace had always been so proud of his wings. They were a symbol of his power, his freedom, his people. Now they were gone. They may grow back, but it didn’t change the fact that the wings that had carried him his entire life had been destroyed.
The only thing left of them were the feathers in my and his hair.
"I'm sorry," I choked out, rocking him gently. "I'm so sorry.”
Behind me, I heard Kade groan as he struggled to sit up. The mated part of me felt the need to check on him, make sure he wasn't seriously injured. But I couldn't bring myself to care. I shoved my walls up in my mind to cut myself completely off from him until I was ready.
All that mattered right now was Ace.
Tears cascaded down my cheeks, blurring my vision. My hands began to glow with a soft blue light. I pressed them against his bloodied chest, willing my power to flow into him, to mend what had been broken. Which seemed to be fucking everything.
But as the seconds ticked by, dread settled in my gut.
His wounds were catastrophic, far beyond anything I'd ever attempted to heal before.
This wasn't a simple matter of knitting flesh and bone.
Ace's very life was slipping away, trickling through my fingers like sand.
It would take days, maybe even weeks of healing to bring him back from this.
But he was my brother, and I knew he was resilient.
Footsteps pounded behind me, followed by a bloodcurdling scream that sent shivers down my spine. Luana. She threw herself down on Ace's other side, her face a mask of horror and anguish.
"Oh gods," she choked out, reaching out with unsteady hands to touch his face. "Ace, my love . . ."
A sob tore from her throat as her gaze traveled over his battered body. I saw the exact moment she realized his wings were gone, her eyes widened in shock, then crumpling in devastating grief. Luana wept, leaning over him, pressing her forehead to his.
I tore my gaze away from Ace, my hands never ceasing their healing motions. My eyes locked onto Kade, still slumped against the tree where I'd thrown him. Tears glistened in his eyes as he watched me.
The sight of his pain ignited an inferno of rage within me. How dare he look so devastated when this was his fault. He’d left him there too long. If he would have just listened to me when I’d told him to bring Ace back, this would have never happened.
"How could you?!" I screamed. The words ripped from my throat. "You promised! You promised me you would keep him safe! Lies," I spat, choking on the bitter taste of betrayal. "All of you—”
Kade flinched as if I'd struck him, his broad shoulders hunching inward.
"Emelyn, I—" he began, his deep voice cracking.
But I couldn't bear to hear his excuses.
Not now. Not with Ace's life hanging by a thread.
I turned back to my brother, pouring every ounce of my being into my powers to heal him.
"We need to get him in a tent," I said to Luana, trying to regain some of my composure. Lashing out wouldn’t help Ace right now. "And we need to get a fire going. I'll need towels and hot water to wash him. Can you help me?” I asked, trying to make my words gentler toward her.
She nodded, and instantly I felt the earth shift beneath us as Luana bent it, supporting Ace in a makeshift bed of soil and stone. The ground rippled, carrying us back toward the camp. My healing hands never left Ace's skin.