Chapter Thirty-Two
Emelyn
T he ground quaked beneath my boots, a violent shudder that rippled through the earth and up my spine. I swiveled as a shadow began falling from the sun.
No. Not a shadow. Emeris.
The dragon's body collided with the battlefield.
No. No. No.
Dust billowed, a grave cloud rising to mark where her broken body had fallen. Shay’s scream tore through the clamor of battle, a sound so raw and filled with agony that it cleaved the chaos around me. It punched through my chest, fracturing my last bits of composure. My heart shattered for her.
Then, darkness unfurled across the field, swallowing the light whole.
Soldiers began to collapse and scream. Panic surged within me as I searched the murky void for Kade, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Then it worsened, the world plunged into shadow, like a starless sky. I could barely see anything.
Something gripped me. I tensed at first, but then I realized it was him. His darkness—it latched onto me with a tender touch, pulling me away from the violence. I was adrift in its embrace, the darkness retreating, dragging me along with it. This was like one big Hollow.
The rebellion’s cries of despair filled the air around me. Some soldiers lay eerily still, their battles over, and others writhed in pain, their moans and pleas echoing around me.
Kade had done it. He'd Hollowed the whole damned army back to camp.
But at what cost? A flicker of fear ignited at the thought.
I stumbled over soldiers, my gaze darting around in search of him.
"Kade!" Where was he? He’d used such monumental power, he could have burned out and died.
No. I refused to entertain the possibility, pushing the dread back into the depths of my mind.
I was surrounded by injured soldiers and needed to help them.
I dropped to my knees beside a man, his eyes glazed with pain.
Blood seeped through his leathers, the scent mingling with the metallic tang of war that still clung to the air.
Dull blue light came to my palms as my water worked over his wounds.
He would be okay, and I had to believe Kade was too.
I couldn't afford to lose myself to fear—not now.
Other water benders moved through the wounded, their faces etched with concentration. Their efforts were valiant, but their skills were lacking. I made a mental note: we would need to hone our bending before Ember's next onslaught.
I moved from one fallen ally to the next, my heart thundering behind my ribs.
Panic threatened to choke me as I wove through the sea of fallen bodies, my mind screaming for Kade, for Ace, for any sign of Shay or Atreya.
Each soldier’s face was a blur, their moans and cries blending into a cacophony of despair that gripped the campgrounds.
I let my water flow, its cool tendrils weaving over torn flesh and shattered bone.
My breath hitched with every shudder of relief from those beneath my care, but my heart wouldn’t stop drumming. Are they safe?
Sweat mingled with tears on my cheeks, the salt stinging my skin.
My hands trembled, not just from the exertion of bending, but from the dread that now felt like it was feasting on my soul.
The world blurred at the edges, everything fading save for the question that clawed at my insides: where are they?
A piercing cry cut through the noise. I recognized it as Shay’s.
The sound spurred my feet into motion, each step pounding against the earth as I raced toward the noise.
A tent was in front of me, the canvas snapping like a flag in the wind.
I darted inside, and Shay’s face was crumbled in agony.
I froze for a moment, taking in the sight as Shay wailed again.
Her pants had been thrown off and her legs were open, and with the next scream, I could see a baby’s head start to crown.
“She’s gone. She’s gone . . . .” Each word was a dagger to my heart.
I knew she was referring to Emeris. Baron looked up at me then, his eyes begging for help.
His mate, my best friend, was drowning in both physical suffering and grief.
And Baron, he was powerless. All he could do was watch it play out.
Tears threatened to spill over my lashes as I wrestled with the sight.
Gulping down the lump in my throat, I forced myself to move.
They needed me. Shay groaned again, her body tensing as she pushed, letting out another cry.
Her body arched as she gripped on to Baron.
He whispered calming words to her, and she settled better on the blankets she was on.
“I can’t do it. I can’t. I can’t—” Shay murmured through gasps. I could feel the fear rolling off her in her vulnerable state.
I cursed as I quickly gathered some supplies: towels, a blanket, a large basin filled with water that I used my bending to warm up. Shay's cry broke through her labored breathing as another contraction came.
"Shay, look at me," I commanded, and she obeyed, a single tear trailing down her dirt-streaked face, mingling with the sweat that beaded on her dark skin.
"I need you to bear down and push during your next contraction.
I can see the baby's head." Her gaze locked onto mine, as if holding my stare gave her something to focus on.
The world narrowed to a pinpoint as Shay's body convulsed with another wave of raw, wrenching pain.
Her voice broke the heavy air, a string of curses muffled against Baron's shoulder.
She was all grit and determination now, her fingers digging into his arm like talons as.
She found her strength—pushing and pushing until the head fully emerged.
Then she stopped to breathe, and Baron brushed her braids away from her face and kept whispering to her.
"Good, Shay," I breathed out. My hands hovered, ready to grab the baby.
Then, with a final piercing cry from Shay, the babe slipped into my waiting hands, a messy, wriggling bundle of joy.
"It's a girl," I whispered, a swell of emotion clogging my throat.
My fingers worked quickly, cutting the cord that tethered them together before wrapping the newborn in a warmed towel.
I cradled her for just an instant, marveling at the fierce little cry that filled the space between all the sorrow and joy.
With careful arms, I passed the little love to her mother, watching as a fresh tide of tears spilled from Shay and Baron’s eyes. I busied myself then, attending to the afterbirth and cleaning Shay up. The couple's gaze never left the small face cradled between them.
In that fragile moment, the world outside, the war-ravaged land, the fallen comrades, the looming darkness, all faded into insignificance. There was only this. Only them.
My chest tightened. The moment was too intimate. I felt like I was intruding. I retreated to the tent's entrance. I needed to breathe, to compose myself amidst the turmoil of a day that had brought both life and death. My mind was quickly starting to spiral again.
"Emelyn." Shay’s voice was tired. I turned toward her, still holding the tent flap open.
Her gaze held mine. "Thank you," she whispered.
The corners of my mouth twitched upwards.
With a nod, I let the canvas fall back into place, sealing them away.
They needed time alone to adjust with the new babe.
To process the fact that Emeris was gone.
And I needed to help as many of the wounded as I could before finding my mate and brother.
Hours passed, and my hands shook, slick with the blood of another fallen warrior as I pressed them against a gaping wound, letting water glow and seep from my palms. My bending flickered like a dying light within me.
A gasp, a shudder, and the soldier beneath my touch breathed deeply, his eyes fluttering open.
"Thank you," he rasped, but I was already moving on, staggering through the carnage, separating the living and the dead. I’d helped as many as I could, but some were too far gone. Dusk crept upon the land. I should have been relieved that we hadn’t lost as many as I’d expected.
Our people had held their ground well, but loss was still loss.
I could hear quiet cries throughout the tents for those that didn’t make it.
Atreya and Kade were still missing. I knew they were incredible warriors, but if there was one thing I’d learned in all my years it was that death came for everyone.
Skill didn’t matter. As I made my way back to my tent, my heart kicked up from the anxiety creeping in regarding where Kade was and if he was alright.
I would know if he died, I was sure of it, but it didn’t stop my head from spinning.
I looked to my right, and on the outskirts of the tents, I could see Baetos’s colossal frame. My brow furrowed as I moved in his direction. His body was curled around Emeris’s, his large head resting on top of her. I was so tired from crying, my chest ached as I approached.
“I’m so sorry, Baetos,” I whispered, and he looked to me with sad eyes.
I ran my hand down Emeris’s unmoving side before redirecting my hand up to Baetos’s face.
He had stayed behind to help protect those not fighting since so many soldiers had gone with us on the march.
He probably blamed himself. But there wasn’t anything anyone could do.
“Once Shay is settled, I’m sure she will come and say her goodbyes.
What do you think Emeris would have wanted?
” I asked, and he looked up above the canopy of trees.
Home.
“Could you take her home?” Baetos was twice her size, maybe more, so I was sure he could carry her. He nodded before setting his head back down on her.
“I’ll let you say goodbye,” I said as I moved to leave.
Finally, my tent loomed ahead of me, and just seeing it almost made a whimper escape me from how exhausted I was.
My clumsy fingers worked at the knots, securing my armor, each piece falling away with a thud that resonated through the ground and into my aching feet.
My skin yearned for a soak in the river, but I refused to stop until I found Kade.
I just wanted to change into something more comfortable first.
Stepping inside and letting the flap fall, I removed the last of my leathers and started to make my way to my clothes when a sudden rustle at the entrance jolted me.
I spun around, half-expecting an enemy, my nerves still on high alert after the day we’d had.
But it was Kade. His silhouette filled the gap, and he wasn’t covered by his shadows.
He’d used too much power. He stumbled in, the lines of his face etched with agony.
" Wynsoara—" His voice was a hoarse whisper, a thread of sound that barely fought its way past his lips before his knees buckled. I lunged forward, catching him before he could face-plant into the ground.
"Kade," I murmured, my tone frantic as my hands worked at the stubborn fastenings of his leathers. They fell away with each tug, revealing skin marred with scars but no blood. And his breaths . . . they slowed, each one labored, as though the very act of living pained him.
"Fuck," I cursed under my breath, my gaze searching for any other signs of injury that simply weren't there. He'd drained himself, poured every last drop of his essence into the hollow so we could escape. Had he not been able to Hollow himself here? Had he done short jumps to get back here? Fuck, he must’ve snuck into camp. No one knew he was the prince. It was like his well had run dry, and I’d left him all day.
Regardless if I was tending to our people, he was my mate.
My hands glowed faintly with my bending. But this was a different kind of healing. The only remedy I could offer was the last dregs of my own power, and I didn’t have much left to give. Hopefully, it would be enough to keep him off of death’s door until he could regain his strength.
With trembling limbs, I slid my arms beneath him and hoisted him up. Each step toward the bed was a battle. Finally, with a grunt, I managed to lay him down.
I didn’t want to waste any more time. I stripped away the last of his leathers, casting them aside. Leaving his torso bare save for the trousers clinging to his hips. His skin was warm against mine as I crawled beside him. My palm settled over the steady thrum of his heart.
"Stay with me," I whispered, not knowing if he could hear me as I let the last trickle of my power seep into him. As the glow dimmed and darkness crept in at the edges of my vision, I held onto the hope that it would be enough.