“No,” she breathed.
The veil was all around them, shimmering and bright and…dying. Large holes expanded across it, flecks of that otherworldlysomethingfalling from the sky as the veil continued to crumble.
“No!”
A dark hole formed just above them, and terror slipped down Aya’s spine as she watched a hand grip the edge.
Evie huffed a maniacal laugh. “They’re here.”
That hand tugged only once, and a deafening crack exploded across the realm.
Will dove for Aya, his body shielding hers as the whole of Eteryium seemed to tremble. It went on for ages—for lifetimes—until it ended suddenly, the shaking and the wind and the flecks of light.
Slowly, Aya lifted her head from the ground.
Three figures stood before her. Not human, not Visya, but somethingmore.
Aya knew their faces. She had seen them depicted in the stained glass of an old chapel in Rinnia.
Pathos. Saudra.
And Sage.
70
The muscles in Aidon’s back screamed as he hauled himself another inch. His arrow must have killed the Diaforaté who’d sent his section of the Wall crumbling. It was the only explanation as to why Aidon was still alive as he hung there, exposed.
He yelled through gritted teeth as he tried to claw another inch. His nails had cracked through, but the pain in his fingers was nothing compared to the fear that he barely held at bay.
He closed his eyes, his chest heaving, sweat dripping down his face. He could not believe this was how he was going to die. Even now, he could hear Dauphine’s voice calling to him, clear and wonderful over the sounds of the battle.
“Open your fucking eyes, Aidon!”
He obeyed. There was Dauphine, leaning over the edge of the wall, her hand extended toward his.
Oh.He wasn’t quite dead then.
Aidon clawed another inch, trying to get close enough to grab her hand.
“I can’t reach,” he gritted out.
“Yes you can,” she snarled, eyes flashing, just daring him to try to die in front of her.
Aidon tugged, his hand stretching toward hers. He let out a desperate, relieved laugh at the first brush of her skin against his.
Dauphine gripped his hand tightly, pulling with all her might. Slowly, she tugged Aidon over the lip of the Wall until he was safely in the grass behind it.
Aidon sprawled on his back next to her, his heart hammering against his rib cage. “Thank you,” he panted.
Dauphine pushed herself up to a sitting position, her gaze raking over him as she checked for injuries. Apparently satisfied, she smacked him in the chest, hard.
“Ow!” Aidon exclaimed as he sat up. “The hells was that for?”
“I can’t believe you sent a bloodywolfto babysit me,” Dauphine snapped. Aidon looked past her to where Aster was standing, her head held proudly.
“Seven hells, I was worried about you.”
Dauphine grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like,wasn’t hanging from the fucking Wall, before she pressed her lips to his.
