The glamours fell at that moment as Aiden switched his focus onto binding each chayatim he could. But I could see he was getting tired. The bindings were no doubt weak. And the chayatim were determined to get out. Lyr and Dario had their hands full, fighting and pushing back.
“GO,” I roared at Tristan, my chin jerked at Galen.
Then I dug my heels into the ground, my teeth grinding together. I’d been itching for this fight for a long, long time. I withdrew my sword just in time to deflect the Emperor’s. He swung back, and again steel clashed as I shifted to the left.
I prepared to strike again, when suddenly, the vadati lit up, glowing bright blue.
“Waryn,” the Emperor roared. “Get in here. NOW!”
“Avery,” the Bastardmaker replied. “Coming.”
Fuck. Fuck!
We had to end this now. We had no time.
“DARIO!” I screamed. He was at my side within seconds. “Fuck the chayatim! Guards coming. We need to go!”
I swung at the Emperor again, and this time, I struck, slicing into his arm. I managed to hit the one place he wore no armor.
Dario was by my side a second later. There was something like an explosion beside me.
Tristan had freed Galen, and had hoisted him over his shoulder.
The Emperor’s face contorted into something I’d never seen before. He was going to kill us. All the masks of civility were gone. Then his eyes widened.
A dagger flew at his face, the hilt smacking him between the eyes.
“You know it’s the pointy side that kills,” I said, as the Emperor sank to his knees and fell, his body landing on an unconscious Jules.
“Yes, well, small chance we don’t get out of here—I think the criminal charge is less for knocking the Emperor unconscious,” Dario said, already pushing his body back.
“Go,” I ordered. “Help Tristan with Galen.”
I reached for Jules, lifting her into my arms. Her eyelids opened, her eyes moving slowly without focus.
“Jules? Jules!” I yelled.
Suddenly her gaze focused on me.
“Rhyan?” she asked, her voice cracking.
Tears began to fall. “Hi, friend,” I said. “It’s me.”
She started to cry, her lip trembling. “You can’t be here.”
“Well, I am, and I’m getting you out.”
She shook her head quickly. “No. No I can’t. It won’t work.” Then something seemed to break down in her aura and face. Like she was no longer seeing me. “I was right,” she cried, she sounded hysterical. “I was right. I was fucking right.” She was sobbing now. I was already making my way out of the room with her, down the dark corridor, all while quickly counting to make sure that everyone was there. Meera, Aiden. Dario with Tristan and Galen. And at the front, leading the charge out was Lyr. She knew the maps better than anyone. She knew the way out.
“Aiden,” I roared. “Do something.”
Lyr knew where to go. But we could only handle so many fights while carrying two injured. If Aiden could disguise us again, we had a much better chance.
“On it,” he yelled. And Lyr’s form, and then Meera’s shifted to men, wearing the Emperor’s pale golden armor.
“I was right,” Jules said again.
“I know, Jules, I know you were,” I said gently, trying to calm her. I didn’t want to scare or upset her. She seemed like she was barely hanging on after her beating, and I didn’t know in what other ways she might have changed. But I couldn’t have her screaming in the halls, alerting guards where we were. Or slowing Lyr down when she heard her cries.
