Now, wholly possessed by Carobon.
His face is the same, yet different. He appears aged, but still just as beautiful as I remember, if not more. His dazzling dark eyes gaze into mine, and tears begin to fall from my face, pooling like the sinking ship around us. I don’t break my gaze as they fade into the light, and for a moment, I swear to the Gods that Carobon blinks, revealing Rohhit’s true face shining through.
“Rohhit?” I cry. “Oh, fuck. What has he done to you?”
He's neither lost nor gone, and I must ensure we bring him back.
“Wait,” I say, in an attempt to move forward. “Rohhit.”
A sob escapes my throat as they disappear, and I look down at Darcy. His eyes are shut, and I quickly assess the damage to his leg. I glance toward the pier and see the shadowy wall still standing tall. Silas has warded the wall so that only civilians of Andorwood can pass through while it remains standing.
“Silas?” I plead in my mind. “Can you hear me?”
No response.
“He is here,” I weep. “Rohhit is here.”
Defeat churns in my system, and I know time is running out as the water continuously rises around us like a darkness.
“This is going to hurt, Captain, but hold on,” I speak to him.
I burrow into my magic, letting sadness and fear pull me toward the shore. I dive deeper than I have before, thinking of my people on the pier, and praying the one who stayed with me has made it.
Larkin.
Oh fuck.
I shift and pull Darcy with me, letting the shadows and light propel us forward through the wind, chaos, and churning sea below. We move like a bolt of lightning engulfed in darkness. The wall tries to keep us out, but I push, grinding my teeth together, letting out a vicious scream. Even being mist, my muscles strain with the weight of Darcy with me, and I push one last time through the wall and toward the people who still need protection.
We crash land a few hundred yards from the pier and are immediately surrounded by civilians of Andorwood. I release Darcy’s hand and roll to the side, making sure he’s alright.
“Help him,” I shout. “Where is a healer?”
The civilians freeze, and a few shuffle away to get someone to assist. Blood drips from my body along with water, and quickly pools around the dry ground.
“Please take him away from the danger. He needs healing.”
Darcy groans beside me, and I get to my knees, placing my hand on his forehead.
“Now.”
A woman parts the crowd, just like she did during our time in the city square. Pia Herst sprints toward us, landing beside Darcy to begin assessing his leg. With a shaky hand, Darcy removes the stone from his pocket and places it in my hands, closing my fist around it. I offer a soft smile, and tuck the jewel into my pants, feeling the vibration of power once more.
“Thank you,” Darcy whispers.
I glance at Pia, and her eyes are wide but focused, ready to do what needs to be done.
“Can you help him?”
“He will be okay,” she says. “But I need to take him, now.”
I nod, moving out of her way, while a few others rush from the crowd to assist her in lifting him and carrying him through the kingdom to the primary healing base. A few civilians dressed in armor gasp as I stand on wobbly legs, but I ignore them, pushing my body to move back toward the pier.
“Prepare to fight,” I shout as I move along the cobblestone streets toward the Wielders, yelling at anyone who looks in my direction. My legs carry me forward, and I’m unsure how I’m still going.
“They are coming.” I race forward toward the dock.
The howling wind rips around me, pushing my soaking wet hair in my face, and I continue toward the pull I feel in my chest.
