The rock shatters under his hand as if it were made of glass, and the heavy rubble falls to the ground in a dusty mess. Silas stills and looks at his hand, the rage taking over his body completely.
He swings his other fist, crumbling the wall further.
“Nastronde,” Oak says, stepping back. “How the fuck did you do that?”
“Is your hand alright?” I reach for him, and he pulls his hand back.
“He’s going to go to the house,” Silas says, stumbling away from the crushed stone. “You’re right. She won’t be able to resist him, Briar. She will go to Rohhit.” His eyes fill with rage and tears, but shine the brightest green I’ve ever seen. “I know that feeling, the pull. She won’t be able to stay hidden. She will go willingly.”
My legs quake, and I hold onto the nearby wall. My heart pounds so hard I can feel it in my temples.
“We have to go,” Silas says.
“What about the creatures? We’ll lead them directly there,” I demand.
“They all have one common goal, and it’s to find the book and Fen,” he says. “They will eventually go to the house, anyway.”
“Alright,” I agree, apprehensively.
“Stay close,” Silas orders.
He peers around the corner of the alleyway where we stand and motions for us to move forward. He takes off in a sprint, and we follow behind him, our footsteps pounding on the stone streets. The kingdom is still intact, but many buildingsare damaged, with either their windows blown out, their doors ripped off the hinges, or both. From what I can tell, the creatures received orders to ransack every shop in search of the book and Fenmore.
My legs sting from the continuous movement, but we don’t slow down. Silas leads the pack, followed by Oak, then me, and finally Larkin. From behind, Larkin continues to speak to me, urging me to keep moving, keep my head up, and not to worry about the alleyways.
I do my best to listen, but the urge to scan the fallen Wielders and creatures for anyone familiar tugs at me. We leap over bodies, blood kicking up behind us as we move faster than we ever have toward Silas’s house. I burrow deeper into my magic and sense a slight simmer of darkness mixing with the remaining light. Still, the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion makes shifting nearly impossible, and I can only imagine the others feel the same.
Each step brings us closer to the edge of the kingdom, allowing us to head toward the house. Nerves twist in my gut at the thought of the open space that awaits us, the narrow alleyways no longer able to conceal us. We will be fully exposed to the elements, and I pray that we can muster up some magic by then to make the final distance.
In the area surrounding us, I hear footsteps followed by the sound of claws scraping against the stone ground. I stay close behind Oak and Silas, catching their glances occasionally to ensure Larkin and I are still with them. I glance over my shoulder and see that Larkin has fallen back a bit, but he wields a new sword that he grabbed from a fallen Wielder. The beautiful piece of metal is gripped tightly in his left hand—the hilt black and decorated with bright auburn jewels—the handle molding perfectly to his large hand.
I roll my eyes and push forward.
He’ll catch up.
As we near the last few alleyways, Silas continues forward, like a black streak of lightning leading the pack. I can’t help but glance down the narrow passageway ahead, and my entire body tingles with fear. At least six creatures—taller than small trees—stand hunched over something in the darkness—a young female Wielder with dark black hair, fallen and motionless on the ground.
The creatures snap their heads up at the sound of our approach, and I hear Silas curse from ahead.
“Don’t stop,” Silas shouts.
Their terrifying growls echo as they prepare to chase us by widening their long stances. Fear propels me forward, and we clear the passage, our feet sounding like an army of horses barreling down the street. I glance back over my shoulder and see that Larkin is further behind, not yet past the passage. Terror causes my body to freeze as one of the creatures peers its long neck around the corner to spot Larkin, the lone Wielder, rushing in their direction. My feet dig into the stone as my body comes to a complete stop. I immediately clutch my axe tighter and try motioning to Larkin without too much attention being drawn to us.
It doesn’t take long for Silas and Oak to realize something has happened and come to a stop ahead. Larkin races forward, unaware of what lurks in the upcoming passage. I lift my axe in the air and wave it in his direction. His eyes hit mine, understanding dawning that something that requires his full attention is coming up.
His fist wraps tightly around the hilt as he slows his pace. If he continues forward at that speed, they will likely all jump him faster than he can move. I remain still, tucking myself into a small pocket of shadows while Larkin remains completelyvisible. The only thing separating me from Larkin is the alleyway filled with deadly creatures.
The streets around us are silent, and all I can hear is the shaky breaths escaping my burning lungs. Larkin’s eyes are wide, yet he’s patient and calm, no fear showing behind his dark eyes—only determination. I know we will have to fight these creatures to get him across the path, but from what I’ve seen, Larkin can take these beasts out alone if he has to.
Two of the beings crane their necks around the passage, and Larkin smiles, waving at them sarcastically to make it painfully clear that their cover is blown. A scream rattles the air around us, and they barrel out from the passage toward Larkin. Their long claws grip the cobblestones, and through the distance, I can hear their teeth smashing together. Fear grips my chest, and I sprint in his direction.
Just keep moving, I tell myself.If you stop fighting, they will strike.
Larkin’s sword collides with a claw as all six of the resurrected creatures begin to surround him. I hear Silas and Oak racing behind me, but they won’t reach Larkin as fast as I will. I pull my axe upward, slashing through one of the creatures blocking me from Larkin. A hissing scream rattles my ears, but I charge forward. His sword clangs against the massive claws as he fights them off.
In the near distance, I hear more claws tearing at the ground, and I know we will soon be outnumbered, as we have been for most of the night. I strike down another creature and can finally see Larkin’s face. He’s focused and steady but covered in dark blood. I turn my gaze to the creature on my left and move my axe around me, an extension of my arm. I work in perfect unison with my weapon, and I no longer feel the weight of the beautiful metal, only the determination to get us past this final stretch alive.
More resurrected beings and creatures round the corner as Silas and Oak join me on the opposite side of Larkin.
