“Aw, sister, are you worried about me?”
I snap my head to the side to where my brother is assisting an older gentleman with a cane. I stick my tongue out at him, and he scrunches his face in playful disgust.
“Did you get it, Raelle?” Borin asks.
My moment of relief dissipates, replaced by my purpose. I bring my fingers to the Imperium at my neck and lift it for him to see. “I did.”
I have so much to share with them about the stone, but I don’t want to distract from the task at hand. We need to get everyone out of here before the Allaji change their mind and storm the sanctuary.
The people around us step aside, making a clear path for Kyron. Standing across from us, he braces his hands on the edge of the coffin and asks, “How many do you estimate we lost?”
The grim expression on Borin’s face says it all. Too many. “The evacuation protocol was initiated within minutes of the first attack. With the amount of people who are in the tunnel,I’d say at least sixty percent of the population made it into the sanctuary before the doors were locked.”
Kyron runs a hand over his face. Forty percent of the people not accounted for is way too many. He doesn’t need to say a word for me to know he’s already thinking about recovery efforts. Just because we didn’t see anyone while riding through the city doesn’t mean they aren’t out there hiding from our enemies.
“And reinforcements?” Kyron’s stance goes rigid, like he is prepared for a hard blow.
“I deployed messengers and ordered units closer to Stigian and Lucent, wanting to be prepared on both fronts,” Papa says, his lips pulling into a firm line. “Whether the order to march into Stigian made it to the commanders or was intercepted is still to be determined.”
“Fuck,” Kyron hisses, letting his cool demeanor slip for a moment.
“What are the chances of using the stone to conquer the Allaji? Can you make their ability to shift dormant?” Rowan asks.
I think about what happened with Niko. It was almost like the stone knew that he needed to be punished for his abuse of power. The stone searched for his gift and found the source of it on its own. It was then that it urged me to pull and strip him and his accomplices of it. Their intent wasn’t just to follow their king’s orders, it was to brutalize us as a source of entertainment. The shifters outside of these walls are a different story.
“None,” I answer. “They are following the orders of their king. Even though what they are doing is morally wrong, they’re under his sovereignty. Many of them don’t know there is another option, and there is no way for me to tell who is killing for sport and who is doing it for loyalty to their kingdom. To strip them of their gift could be considered an abuse of our power.”
“Let’s try to stay in the Statera’s good graces for more than a couple of days,” Kyron says.
“What is the use of having the most powerful stone if we can’t use it to defend ourselves?” my brother presses.
“The Sacred Gifts were never meant to make one kingdom stronger than another. They’re designed to work together, so that the entire continent is prosperous,” I say and Borin proudly nods at my explanation.
Kyron pushes away from the tomb. “This isn’t a problem we are solving right now. Let’s get everyone out of here, and we will worry about the rest when they’re on their way to safety.”
A set of stragglers join the group. Ulric stands in the back with Ashavee in her human form. I didn’t even think about the panic it would have caused if these people saw a jaguar in our ranks. They aren’t the only ones thinking ahead. Greer and Terro set to work organizing the crowd to get them out as fast as possible. As one, we set to work clearing the catacombs.
When only those I’m closest with and a handful of soldiers remain, I set us on a course for a strategy to defend our land. “The stone works,” I say.
Rowan squeezes in between Papa and Borin. “Is your gift awake?”
“Yes, I’m a Glacio,” I say with pride.
His eyes widen and he moves toward me like a magnetic pull controls him. “Do it to me.”
I lock eyes with Papa and he nods.
Kyron slides in behind me, and I press my hand to my brother’s chest. This time, it isn’t so hard. I find Rowan’s sleeping power and urge it to awaken. Within seconds, a massive gust of wind blows through the catacombs, kicking up debris. We shield our eyes until it calms, and I smack my brother on the arm.
“Be careful,” I scold him.
“Fuck. I’m going to have fun with that.” He steps away from me, staring at his fingertips and creating smaller puffs of air.
“Papa?” I hold my hand out to him.
He hesitates, standing in place and softly says, “I don’t know.”
Kyron’s grip on my shoulder grows tighter. “It’s your gift, Abrum. You deserve to wield it.”
