King Euron had done this. He sent his soldiers, once whispers of The Hidden began to surface and our whereabouts were sniffed out, like a beast chasing its prey.
A faint ringing echoes in my ears, the fine pitch squealing as the sounds of chaos filter in.
“Alora!”
My name is shouted, but it sounds too far away, as if my head is being held under water.
Through bleary vision, I see silhouettes and shadows running, their aura a faint soft orange. Flames continue to lick at the house in front of me. My feet fill with lead as I try to move away from the growing heat, causing me to stagger and nearly fall face first into the charred wood that’s taken on a scaled, ebony appearance.
My stomach roils with the smell of burnt flesh sizzling through the smokey haze.
A new emotion seizes in my chest. Gods, this is too familiar.
I shake my head, as if I could clear my mind from the memories that threaten to break free from the stony wall I’ve thrown them behind.
“Gods damnit, where are you? I need you here with me!” The voice shouts again, the rugged cadence of the words bringing me to my senses.
I can’t afford to lose myself, not now. Not when I have a duty that calls to me. Not when there’s so many depending on me.
I plead with myself as I withdraw my dagger, the opaline hilt reflecting like its own source of flames in the low light. My voice croaks as I whisper, “Get it together. Please.Please.”
Distant cries that feel too familiar rebound throughout the cleared field to my left. It’s the sound of loss, of agony and of rage. I know those cries, they’ve been engraved into my soul since this forsaken war against the king began. It’s the sound of people defeated.
I suck in a shaky gulp of air and immediately sputter, momentarily forgetting to breathe through the cotton sleeve of my tunic, dropping my dagger in the process.
The sickly taste of ash coats my tongue as I roll away from the burning buildings. With my back to the chaos and too hot flames, I try to inhale the cool air again. This time, the sting in my lungs isn’t as severe.
Blinking away the mix of sweat and tears, my vision clears. The faint glow casts forlorn shadows in the distant meadow and treeline, as if they too knew of the wickedness that occurred hours prior.
My shoulders strain against the ground, hard and crunchy from the wilted grass. My hand drags across the scorched earth, searching for my blade. The glint of the cool steel in the moons’ light grabs my attention.
Relief floods my veins as I grab the dagger again.
I hurl myself upright even though my world still feels like it could tilt. The faint calls grow more distant over the crackling of still burning logs and timber.
A sudden pop behind me has me jumping, the ember sizzling past my dark curls, threatening to land in the disheveled tresses.
I grip my dagger by the blade and watch the light reflect off the white opal handle. The blues and greens meet together in an array of flecks, red glinting in the light from the flames behind me. I squeeze the cool steel, hard enough to pierce my palm in a stinging pain that quickly turns to a sharp bite.
I hold the pressure steady, seeing how long I can endure the hurt. One count, two count… the warmth blooms in my handas my surroundings sharpen. My mind clears and the memories that threatened to snake their way through are quickly silenced.
“Alora!”
This time, it’s Leeson’s frantic voice that bellows over the maelstrom of noise.
“I’m here,” I cough, placing my dagger quickly back into its sheath and step away from the thick smoke. “I’m over here,” I repeat with a bit more urgency. Grabbing the hem of my tunic, I rip until a strip of fabric tears away. I wrap the somewhat clean cloth around my palm, hiding the sliced skin.
Leeson’s petite frame comes into view, her pale, glowing hair billows in the wind that’s only gotten harsher.
Fawn colored eyes catch mine, and I can see emotion has etched away at her grimy soot covered skin as well. She quickly hurries to me, arms outstretched as she grasps my shoulders.
“We lost you.” The words rush out of her mouth.
“I thought to check over here for any survivors,” I croak, “but I haven’t seen anyone who made it. I tried to get some of them out, but it was too late. They’re all gone, Leeson.”
My face drops, lips downturned in a fragile frown that threatens to crack. I hold the emotion in my chest, willing it down. I can’t break, not right now when we’re on the brink of failure.
I swallow down the tart feeling of unease. “Any news on the culling bands?”
