Chapter 37 #2
“Ari, it’s me,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Lyrae.”
She blinked at me, tilting her head as though trying to place a memory. “I don’t know you,” and that was real confusion on her face. “Are you new? Have you brought food?”
I couldn’t catch my breath, couldn’t stop my chest from aching, couldn’t…fucking think.
She might be bewitched, Rooke had suggested, when we were planning tonight’s incursion. Gravelock could have found some way to bind her to him, since she’s so valuable. He would have used his blood magic, which will be difficult to break.
I’d dismissed his words, the second they’d come out of his mouth.
Nobody controlled my sister.
Ariel was, and always had been, a fucking force of nature.
Behind the horror, a wall of guilt slammed into me. I’d done this. I’d given up, left her here, when I should have searched to the ends of the earth, chased down every rumor and clue to try to find out what happened to her.
Instead, I’d taken the word of a known liar, and settled for my pathetic life.
But now was not the time for recriminations.
I knelt in front of her on the freezing floor, tugging her tattered dress down over her knees. She didn’t even have shoes. “Ariel, it’s me, your sister. Lyrae. I’ve come to take you home, where you’ll be safe.”
Her hand twitched as though she wanted to reach for me, then her expression hardened, and she turned back to the window, looking due north, her palm pressed to the fogged window. “I am home.”
I blew out a shaking breath, reached into my pocket for the other vial, the one I didn’t think I’d need, and popped off the lid. An irresistible, sugary aroma perfumed the air with sweetness.
“You’re right, Ariel. I am new, and I did bring you something special. You look thirsty.” I held the vial of bright pink liquid under her nose. “Would you like something to drink?”
She hesitated, then slowly reached for it like she was caught in a daze, thin fingers wrapping around the glowing pink before tipping the vial to her lips.
The potion must have tasted good because she drank greedily, down to the last drop, before Ariel turned to me, head tilting in confusion before glass shattered at my feet and her eyes slipped closed.
I caught my sister before she hit the floor, tossed her emaciated body over my shoulder and was through the door in seconds, knowing I’d taken far too long, far longer than my allotted thirty minutes, and I picked up the pace, catching glimpses of the circling crows, the oncoming storm, smoke still rising from the fire.
If I was late…
No, Ryland would never leave without me and Ariel.
He wouldn’t dare.
Still, I sped up, that storm getting closer. Ten minutes later I hit the bottom of the steps, heart about to burst, calves burning from exertion, my unconscious sister draped over my shoulder as I rushed toward Varian, blood dripping from the tip of his blade, eyes bugging out when he saw Ariel.
The hall was strewn with bodies, a haze of spent magic clogging the air, and one of the tapestries was ablaze, flames licking up from the bottom, consuming the faded fabric, some sort of fire magic still streaming from a dead guard’s hand.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Varian hissed, drops of blood splattered over the front of him. “What happened to Ariel?”
I was late, all right. This battle had been raging for at least ten minutes, given the number of dead and dying Fae soldiers, while to our right, metal clashed, the reek of freshly spent magic clogged the air.
“She’s…alive.” That was the best I had to offer. “What happened to you?”
“We got the Crown, but…”
Through a doorway, Ryland backed into the corridor, slashing and stabbing at a slew of attacking guards, the Crown gripped in his free hand, fresh blood pouring down his cheek as he struggled to raise his weapon.
With a roar, he shoved the guard back through, throwing a frantic glance over one shoulder.
“I have to set Arial down to fight, but if I do…” I scanned the hall, the thunder of more soldiers rushing our way. “We have to get out of here, Var. Please tell me you have enough magic left to get us out of here.”
Flying us out had always been the plan, but seeing those dark circles under his eyes, the pinched look to his face, I knew we were pushing our luck.
And now there were four of us.
“Gods, you found her,” Ryland ducked, a Fae guard’s blade skimming over the top of his head with a whistle of air. “Is she alive?”
“Alive and wanting to get the fuck out of this place,” I sidestepped Ryland as he parried the guard’s next blow. He was moving slow, slower than I’d ever seen him move.
“Finish him off so Var can take us back to the island.” I turned back to Varian.
“I’m assuming you can? Get us out of here?”
“As soon as Ryland quits playing with his food. Come on, old man, put some muscle into it,” Varian called, his grin cracking through the mask of blood and sweat. “He needs all the encouragement he can get these days,” he said with a sideways look.
“You two are a pain in my ass,” Ryland hissed, lunging forward, tipping his head to the side, just enough for the Fae guard’s blade not to go straight through his eye socket. Ry’s aim was true, his blade pierced armor, punched out the guard’s back, metal on metal screeching when he withdrew.
“Old man my ass,” Ryland glowered between the two of us, reminding me of old times. “Didn’t even drop this.” He tossed the Crown up into the air, and I lost my breath as the relic spun round and round in slow motion, flashing gold, before snagged midair by tanned, deft fingers.
More soldiers rushed down the corridor from both sides, so many the floor rumbled beneath our feet and I swallowed, holding Ariel tighter. There were too many; we’d never fight our way out of here.
“That’s it, we’re leaving,” Varian bellowed, his hand closing over mine. “Try not to lose the Crown this time, Ryland, I’d hate for Rooke to think we’re totally incompetent.”
I never heard his answer, because the moment Varian touched me, the four of us vanished into a roaring wind.