Your ward will not stop him forever. Death warned.As I said, it's incredible for a first spell, but it does not have the power to hold out against Aranren's attack.
“Yes, all right.” To save time, I focused on a space before the ward and faded there.
My sudden appearance startled a few of the kids, but then they saw it was me.
“I have to take you through,” I said to them. “So, we're going to form a line along the ward, everyone holding hands. Don't be afraid of the dark. There's nothing in there. It's just magic, and I can get you through it as long as you keep a hold of each other. Do not let go. All right?”
The older kids, the freed Corrupted, and Kel got the kids lined up to either side of me, then took places at the ends and between the younger kids.
“Here we go!” I called to everyone. “Take a step on my count! One!” We went into the darkness.
Children began to cry.
“Keep going!” I shouted. “There's nothing in here but us. Two!” I moved forward and felt the tug of children holding back. Shit, they were floundering. “Follow Uncle Ember!” I shouted. “I'm here with you. There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just a few feet more, then we are free.”
The line moved.
Tears filling my eyes, I called, “One more step! Now!”
We took it, and then we were through.
The crying faded into sniffling, then a shout came. A masculine shout.
Before us was an army of Wraith Lords, my lovers at the front—or my ex-lovers. They gaped at our group, then broke into a run. Lords scooped up the children, even the teenagers, and ran with them, away from the Corrupter's ward. I ran too, Kel and the freed Corrupted running with me, bringing up the rear. As we ran, the great dark ward shuddered.
The Corrupter was coming.
Fuck, my ward sucked ass.
No, it was a good first spell,Death said. Now, run, Ember!
I wanted to stop and face the Corrupter. Fight him. End the fucking war. But Death was right. I wasn't ready. That fight would come, but not today. Today, the children were my priority.
So I ran.
I didn't fade because I couldn't leave my fellow Wraith Lords behind, and they weren't fading. I assumed it was because we were heading for the fort, but once we were within the shelter of the forest, the Wraith Lords started to fade, one after another so as not to overcrowd the arrival chamber. They had just wanted to get to cover before they faded. Every Wraith Lord took a child or one of the freed men with him. With so many Lords there, all the humans were taken care of. With them seen to, I searched for Rath, Xae, and Kel, needing to see them fade before I left, and found them staring back at me. I nodded at them, and we faded to the citadel together.
Chapter Forty-Three
I stepped out of the arrival chamber into a cacophony. The children were crying, all of them, even the older ones. The two fathers were trying to calm them while the Wraith Lords looked on with helpless, wide eyes. I rushed into the mix with Keltyr and gathered as many of them close as possible.
“You're safe now,” I cooed as I rocked the children. Those who I couldn't hold drew close around me, clutching their friends and me. “You're all right. You're safe now. He's not going to get you ever again. I promise.”
I kept saying the same things over and over. It wasn't the words that helped them, it was the tone. And all of us around them. I knew their tears were just an expression of relief. They'd been wound up tightly, and now, they could let it out. The fear and the pain. They were safe and could finally cry.
As they started to settle, I looked up and saw Keltyr. Covered in kids. He even had Wenda under one arm. His broad hands stroked hair and backs as he murmured to them. Then, as if he could feel my stare, he looked up. And smiled. It was the most beautiful I'd ever seen him. The most real. Even with his broken nose and swollen eye, he was breathtaking. Then movement behind him caught my eye.
Jath. He stood at the edge of the circle of children, his expression grim, and his stare locked on me. A shiver ran through me, but it wasn't from desire. As I represented pain to him, he too now represented it for me. I looked away, searching for Xae and Rath. They were just outside my huddle of kids, watching me with proud, relieved expressions. I met their stares hopefully, and they nodded to my unspoken question.
That's when I started to cry, venting my own relief at last.
Holy shit. They still love me. I haven't fucked things up beyond repair. How fucking lucky am I? No, blessed, not lucky. Thank you, Goddess. Oh, thank you.
“Uncle Ember, don't cry,” Sally said and wiped my cheeks with her little hands. “We're safe now.”
I laughed a little and hugged her. “That's why I'm crying. I'm so relieved that all of you are all right. I've been trying to save you ever since you were taken.”
“And we're relievedyouare all right, Ember,” a deep voice said sternly.
