He turned his head to look up at me, fire in his eyes, and a clear command to get the fuck out of here.
He couldn’t die.
He couldn’t be hurt.
He’d need to recharge.
He would be fine.
The thoughts scrolled through my mind as if put there by him. A reminder that all would be well. Permission to escape so that he could follow.
Logic and facts warred with the instinct to protect him. The instinct to not leave him behind.
I will have vengeance,Ilyapani screamed.I remember now. I remember it all.
The waters behind her blazed golden.
“Stop!” I hammered on the air bubble, my gaze on Cyleena.
She shook her head, continuing to pull me up and away.
“Look at the portway!”
I didn’t wait for her to look, my gaze back on the scene, heart shooting into my throat as a figure rose from the center of the doorway. He glowed with white light, his dark hair floating about his head…
Chandra was here.
Chapter 31
WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES…
Chandra looked up through the water, his icy blue eyes warming as they landed on me.
He was here.
He’d come through the portway, and he was here.
Cyleena brought us to a halt. I pressed palms to the air pocket, my heart in my mouth as he turned his attention to Ilyapani. The water vibrated, moving away from him in ripples to press against the eel.
The electricity running along her body died, and she turned to him.
C’ael sagged, finally free of holding up a shield. He fell back in the water, eyes fluttering closed, but Uliana grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him up toward me.
My gaze flicked from C’ael to Chandra, to C’ael then back to Chandra as he swam right up the eel and placed his hand on her neck. Her eyes blazed white then burst with color, gold and green surrounding inky black pupils drenched in eons of pain.
The shackle around her neck fractured and disintegrated. Her form rippled and morphed, shrinking until she was a fraction of her gargantuan size. Still huge but no longermonstrous. She swam around Chandra, then darted away, deep into the shadows.
Uliana came abreast of me, an unconscious C’ael cradled in his arms. Chandra joined us a moment later.
He pressed his palm to my air bubble, nodded, then looked down at the portway.
“You’ve come to take me back?”
He nodded.
“Good, because I’m ready. We have to take C’ael too.” I pointed to my friend.
Chandra frowned, then nodded, taking C’ael’s still form from Uliana’s arms.
