Eldursyth locks eyes with Maines, Larkin, and Silas, and speaks,“A beautiful female Shadow Wielder, a warrior Lumor Wielder, and you…a man… a Shadow Wielder, but not.”The snake halts, and the entire library vibrates.“It can’t be.”
Silas doesn’t stop.
He moves toward me, and we collide. A sob escapes my throat, and my chest heaves with desperation for rest.
“Almost there, my love,” Silas says, grabbing my arm and pulling me into another dead sprint toward the exit.
Eldursyth breathes in once more, collecting fire in its throat.“Liars! You two are deceitful liars. Show your true selves!”
We are a few steps from Larkin and Maines when fear floods their eyes.
“Liars!”
A whoosh of fire bursts from the serpent’s mouth, and we dive through the wall. The library around us fades, along with the heat of the flames. The walls collapse around us, and we move through time, back into the castle of Andorwood. Thepressure takes my breath away, and I close my eyes, allowing the wall to crush me once more.
Through the wall, I hear a scream that could shatter a mountain of glass. It's not Silas or Larkin. We materialize on the opposite side of the wall, collapsing and gasping for air. Without thinking, I open my eyes and desperately crawl in Maines’ direction, hoping what I heard wasn’t real. It can’t be real. My nails dig into the stone, but I push.
My body screams at me to stop, but I can’t.
Maines.
What happened?
She lies face down, her clothes almost melted away, with fresh, deep burns covering most of her legs.
“She’s not moving,” Fen shouts, covering her mouth. “No. no.”
Warrick shouts, “Get her to Silas’s house now!”
Oak pushes from behind Warrick, nearly clawing his way forward, and a bone-chilling sob escapes his throat. He crashes to the ground next to her, his knees ripping against the stone. Without hesitation, he picks up her burned body and shifts into a million bright lights.
Chapter 37
We all stare in shock for a moment as I remain on the ground. I can’t lift my gaze or feel my body; I zone out somewhere else—somewhere quiet and far away from the chaos—unable to process my thoughts, emotions, or the events that have unfolded. I hear the others speaking around me, but their words don’t register. I only hear Maines’s scream. The echo reverberates in my mind, and her burned body flashes before me. I squeeze my eyes shut as panic rises, bile surges, and I’m seconds away from spilling my stomach onto the ground.
“I... I know a healer. I'll bring her to Silas’s house. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Fen shoots a glance at Warrick. Their hands clasp together as they shift from the depths of the Andorwood castle.
Silas closes the distance between us and lifts me from the ground.
“Briar, I need to know if you are all right?” He pats up and down my body, checking for the slightest injury. “Please speak to me.”
I can only stare through him.
He snaps his head at Larkin and says, “She’s in shock. I’m going to get supplies to assist with the healing. I have to help.”
My jaw slacks, and I try desperately to take a breath.
“We have to act now, or this is going to turn quickly. I don’t want to leave her, but she can’t shift right now. Larkin, get her to my house, and don’t you let a fucking thing happen to her.”
I slowly scan my eyes in his direction, still in a daze.
He cups my face and gently kisses my lips. His voice is raspy, and a desperation fills his tone. “You are going to be okay, my love, and so is Maines. I promise. I’m going to help save her.”
I nod, barely blinking. “O…okay,” I manage to get out.
“I’m going to save her,” he repeats, in an attempt to convince himself as much as me.
Silas clings to our touch for as long as possible, and before me, he turns into a shadowy mist, but not before I notice his eyes filled with tears. I immediately feel his presence fade, and my chest constricts.
