She crossed the distance between them almost too fast for Eyden to track, surprising him. Before her dagger could connect with Tarnan, Saydren stepped into her path. The sharp edge sank into the healer’s stomach instead. Eyden’s own sword was drawn, ready to strike.
“Eyden—” Tarnan yelled, but before he could utter another word, Eyden turned to mist, reappearing next to Lora in a split second. She was still gripping her dagger tightly. Meeting his gaze, she dragged the blade out in one pull.
Eyden barely heard Saydren’s pained groan before he drifted them away. Tarnan’s stricken face was the last thing he saw.
Chapter69
Rhay
What the fuck had he done?As Rhay fought a guard who was coming dangerously close to Amira, all he could see was Karwyn’s dead eyes. The one time he had chosen to step up, to do somethingright,he had been a pawn in a much bigger plan. And now his once best friend was dead, and he only had himself to blame.
Rhay had looked into Karwyn’s emotions as he was dying, breaking their childhood promise on Karwyn’s final plea. An overpowering feeling of love had hit him. Rhay had always suspected Karwyn’s deep feelings for him, even before Karwyn had kissed him last week. But to be confronted by it head-on, with no ounce of pretence, had broken something in Rhay.
Despite Karwyn’s intense pain, a pain so overpowering it had torn at Rhay’s heart, Karwyn had still managed to convey the depth of his love. How could Karwyn still feel any affection for someone who had betrayed him?
Rhay sliced open a guard’s chest, forcing him to the ground a short distance from Amira, Varsha, and their group. Rio was somewhere nearby, but Rhay couldn’t spot him in the mass of people—guards and humans mixed together, locked into a battle around him.
Rhay’s gaze landed on Karwyn’s body still lying on the floor, motionless. Still…dead. His throat seemed to close, suffocating him. He only knew to keep fighting the guards, his anger at himself, at everyone, rising.
Lora’s lover, Eyden, appeared with Lora next to Amira and the human girl. Eyden could drift, a power he had never witnessed before.
Rhay caught his words. “I can’t drift with everyone, Elyssa,” Eyden told the human girl, his tone desperate.
Lora was frantically looking around, but there was only one door, blocked by guards all around. The humans from the plaza were still putting up a decent fight.
“You should take Amira first,” Elyssa replied.
As the words left her, a dozen more guards filled the room, replacing their fallen comrades. They slashed their way through the humans, moving closer to Rhay and the rest of the group. He launched himself at the guards again, away from the group, not caring if he lived or died. Nothing mattered anymore.
Rio appeared by his side, bravely fighting two guards at the same time with his earth magic and his dagger. Rhay had no idea the peaceful trader had so much fight in him.
Feeling Rhay’s gaze on him, Rio turned his head to meet his eyes briefly. Distracted, a guard’s sword slashed Rio’s chest, ripping his shirt open. Rhay seemed to be the only one to witness his injury.
“Rio!” he shouted. Stumbling, Rio barely kept upright. Rhay couldn’t handle another death. Pushing back the guard Rio had been fighting, Rhay hoped he could stop the fae from finishing the job.
But his opponent was not willing to concede victory. He danced around Rhay, slashing his arms with dozens of little cuts. Rhay had lost all patience to be kind. With a yell coming deep from his shattered heart, he slashed at the guard’s throat before stabbing him in the heart. So much blood littered the floor. So much death around him.
But all Rhay saw was Karwyn’s blood pooling next to his body. All he could feel was his crushed heart, hollowed out by guilt.
More guards surrounded them. Rio was drained from his deep almandine cut, his earth magic unreliable, his strikes weak.
Rhay couldn’t take them all by himself.
Right as the thought left him, he noticed a guard raising his sword, ready to strike Rio from behind. Rhay lifted his sword desperately, knowing he would be too late.
Out of nowhere, Layken appeared, slashing at the guard trying to strike down Rio. Was he on their side now that Karwyn was dead? Or did Layken want to finish them himself?
Rio turned around in surprise. He locked eyes with Layken, confusion colouring his features. Rhay was ready to intervene, to protect Rio, but Layken lowered his sword as though mesmerised by Rio. Heavy emotion radiated off the guard. Although Rhay couldn’t shut them out, he couldn’t fully make sense of them either. What in Liraen was happening?
Solely focused on Rio, Layken didn’t see the guard come up behind him, plunging his sword into Layken’s back, through his chest, before Rhay could even yell a warning.
As he fell to his knees, Layken’s gaze was still anchored on Rio, who had been splashed by his blood, his lips parted in shock. The guard pulled his sword back slowly, and rage twisted Layken’s features. Somehow, even with his wound, Layken sprang up, whirling around and knocking the sword from the guard so fast Rhay could barely track his movement.
Taking a hold of the surprised guard’s face, Layken twisted his neck, the sound violently echoing around them. As the guard fell, Layken grabbed the fallen almandine sword and returned the gesture, but Layken didn’t miss the guard’s heart as he plunged the blade through the guard’s chest with no hesitation, only skill, as if he had done it a thousand times.
Turning around slowly, Layken put a hand on his wound. It was dangerously close to his heart. Too much blood was leaving him as the almandine weakened him and the adrenaline seemed to leave him. He faced Rio, who barely had time to react before Layken’s eyes shifted colour, the lazuli turning to deep violet as his cold exterior broke and pain shone through.
Rio watched as if in a trance as Layken lost his strength, his hand shaking on his chest, blood drenching his shirt. Falling to the ground, the guard struggled to breathe. Sweat coated his face, blood smeared his cheek.
