As if friendship would ever be possible now. Not after he had taken a sword for her following the explosion.I love you; I’ve always loved you, his words as he lay in her arms, bleeding, echoed through her mind. He had been willing to die for her.
“We need to move,” Ducot said. It sounded as if he spoke from a distant place.
Eira inspected the iron ball as though it were an egg, holding all her fragile hopes and dreams. Was Cullen still alive? Had Adela’s Lightspinners healed him like they had her or were the pirates just letting him bleed out? She had to get back to him.
“Eira—” Whatever Ducot was about to frantically say was lost as the door to the house slammed open.
“Search the place,” an all-too-familiar female voice commanded, as cold as steel.
4
Olivin’s sister was here.
Ever since hearing Wynry’s words in the stone she’d thrown at Eira before the start of the tournament…combined with the ordeal of saving Yonlin, and learning of the dark relationship Olivin had with his sister in the process…Eira didn’t think she could ever forget the sound of Wynry’s voice.
She mirrored Ducot’s intense expression. Eira shoved the iron ball into the bag and quickly tied it closed. With a swing onto her shoulders, she was ready to move. Without hesitation, Eira went for the window over where Cullen had sat, pulling it open as silently as possible while the sounds of heavy footsteps filled the hall.
Trusting Ducot to follow, Eira leaped over the window and started back toward the wall that encircled Champion Village. Ducot landed with a heavy thud, the earth crunching under his boots as he raced over to her. Eira adjusted the bag’s strap across her body, making sure it was as tight as possible.
They were out in the open. Pillars were sweeping the houses so there was nowhere to hide. They were going to have to run for it.
Ducot started to speak. “Someone’s?—”
“There’s someone here!” a Pillar shouted behind them.
“Coming? I know.” Eira grabbed his hand and pressed it against the back wall that encircled the competitors’ village. The time for subtlety had passed. “Make us an opening!”
Luckily, Ducot didn’t hesitate. With a ripple of magic distorting the air, the stone before them changed its shape from a wall to an archway…facing another building. Eira, still holding Ducot’s wrist, took a step and touched it to the wall of the house.
The Pillar jumped from the window, another following.
“Again!” she commanded Ducot.
The Pillar that had first given chase was almost upon them, opening his mouth. He was going to use Lightspinning and she didn’t have her magic to stop him. But that didn’t mean she was helpless.
She crouched down, grabbed a fistful of the dusty earth, and threw it in the Pillar’s direction as he inhaled. It sent him into a coughing fit, disrupting his magic words. Other Pillars burst from the back door of the house, but her deflection had bought them enough time. Ducot had made another opening and Eira led them through.
“Should I close it?” Ducot asked as she dragged him through the house. Eira flipped chairs and pushed over a bookcase behind her, anything to slow them.
“They’ll just shatter it with Lightspinning; don’t waste your time.” Eira burst through the house’s front door, emerging onto a familiar street. They were farther down from where Alyss had made the exit of her tunnel, but close enough for Eira to know where she was.
If only she could make them invisible…
“Follow me!” Her body was past the point of exhaustion, but Eira found new limits as she began sprinting. She had to release Ducot for speed, but luckily the street was empty enough that he had no trouble following her by sense or sound.
An explosion rang out behind them—as expected, the Pillars were shattering her barricades. Eira made a hard right, dashing into the alleyway with Alyss’s tunnel. The rush fueled her muscles, and she hoisted the circular, stone disk off the opening of Alyss’s tunnel and jumped down. Every part of her body screamed as she landed on the hard rock below and Eira bit her lip so hard she tasted blood to prevent herself from crying out.
Ducot was behind her, scrambling down.
“Use the shift,” she panted. “Seal it.”
His acknowledgment came in the form of his magic, doing just as she asked. The thin ring of light that had shown where the opening was sealed up, vanishing. Ducot slowly finished climbing down, kneeling next to her, breathing heavy as well.
“…where…” Voices were muffled through the thin layer of stone, barely audible.
“Thought…they…here…”
“… searching…they…far…”
