Marcus pulls hard as I wriggle through the gap, struggling for purchase. The support beams scrape against the side of my head. It’s such a tight squeeze that I have to close my eyes so I don’t panic. Splinters scratch my cheeks, and I cry out, but Marcus keeps pulling, pulling, pulling until I emerge on the other side of the bridge.
I rush to look through the hole, but I can’t see Dietan because standing in the middle of the bridge is a Kilandrar. Its black winds form what appears to be a cloak and hood.
There is nowhere to hide. It’s found us.
To my utter horror, Dietan comes into view walking toward it, his hands flexing at his sides. I can feel the wind pulsating each time he flexes his fingers. The Whisting.
“Dietan! No!” I scream as Marcus tries to pull me back.
“Go!”Dietan shouts, the wind already drowning out his voice. “Marcus, take Aren andgo!”
The Kilandrar watches him carefully, waiting to see what he’ll do. Out of the haze, another shadow appears behind it—a second Kilandrar. Then another one. And another.
So many. Too many.
A gale rises in their presence. A whirlwind swirls around them, kicking up dust and debris that stings my skin like needles.
Dietan stands before them, his feet planted firmly, raising his hands in front of him. He is going to face them on his own using a power he can’t control.
He looks over his shoulder at me and salutes.
A defiant goodbye.
I scream his name one last time before Marcus pulls me away.
Chapter Thirty
Dietan
The sound of her voice shouting my name gives me something to fight for.
I need to face the Kilandrar alone.She’ll be safer with Marcus, I try to tell myself. They’ll all get back to Loegria. They’ll survive this, and if I don’t… I don’t want to think about that. For once, I actually have something to live for.
But the look of betrayal on Aren’s face when she realized I wasn’t behind her will haunt me. I broke her trust, and if I live, earning it back will be a top priority, right behind saving the realm. But like I told her in my tent the other night, I can never be with anyone.
Not when this curse is embedded in me.
It’s too dangerous to love anyone. It’s too dangerous for her to loveme.
If I die, at least I’ll die knowing I saved her life.
The Kilandrar encircle me, calling for the Rings, which vibrate in recognition. The sensation snakes down my spine with eerie intensity.
Dietan of Loegria. So-called heir to Alarice. You have taken what is not yours. Thief of breath. Brigand of the zephyr. We shall return the Whisting to its true master.
Sure, I think.Whoever the fuck that is.
“Oh yeah? Why don’t you come and try, you assholes!” I shout.
The Whisting swells inside me, filling me like the deepest breath, and I exhale. The Rings on my back come to life. I try to focus the magic, to wield it like I would a sword in my hand, but the power bursts out of me like a tempest.
Buildings on either side of the bridge crumble as a sphere of pure energy explodes outward from my body. The ground beneath my feet, already weak and crumbling, starts to give way. Cobblestones drop into the chasm below, leaving gaping holes in the road. The stones don’t fall straight down. No, instead, they are borne away in the gales whipping between the two kingdoms.
I struggle to maintain a grasp on my power, but it’s like trying to hold on to your cloak in a hurricane. I have no control; I’m at its mercy. It’s wild, untamed…
And it strikes me that I can use that to my advantage.
I raise my hands, like I saw Veteria do in her cottage. The storm whips around, now emanating from my body. The force dispels the smoke, letting me see the Kilandrar clearly.
