He was bleeding heavily from a laceration on his leg, but his chest still rose and fell.
He wouldnotdie today. I refused. I would burn every temple that graced this wretched kingdom’s soil to the ground until ash rained from the sky. I would every fight Demon Prince until—
"Syra," Gianni warned, his voice low and tense. I glanced up, heart hammering as that monster slithered closer and closer. It seemed hesitant now that a second Tolokok had joined the fight, guarding the prey it sought.
Without a thought, I slapped Roan hard across the face. His eyes shot open, rage burning in his silver and green stare, but I didn't waste a moment before I was shoving him up, pushing him onto Aziza's saddle. Praying the adrenaline would shadow whatever pain he currently felt, long enough to at least reach safety. I turned to his Tolokok, grief threatening to overwhelm me when I saw no rise and fall of the creature's chest. Blood trickled and stained the sand from a fatal wound in its head.
Quickly I cut Roan's packs free of the saddle ties before pressing a palm to the creature's black scales. “May your journey to the Kingdom of the Goddesses be safe."
"Syra!"
I jumped atop Aziza's back, Roan's body slumped before me as I held him tightly. The Tolokok gave another ear ringing screech before she dashed across the sand, Gianni and his mount only steps behind.
As we gained ground to meet the group ahead I didn't dare look back, my fear threatening to swallow me whole.
"Fire!" Gianni yelled, his voice tight with terror. “Blast it with fucking fire,now!"
I felt the searing flame that soared overhead, a scream bubbling in my throat as I squeezed my eyes shut. With Roan's body pressed beneath me, I couldn't get lower on the saddle, couldn't press away any further from the flames that licked against my skin.
I could hear the sizzling of my skin, the crackles and pops sounding until I felt nothing but excruciating pain, nothing but the awful horrible—
A dark alleyway.
A crowd of chained Luanthians. My mother tied to the stake, her eyes upon the moon—
Burn the bitch.
Burn them all.
Burn.
Burn.
Burn.
And then the world fell away.
Chapter Thirty
Iwoke to pain, my body seizing against the touch at my back, a scream clawing its way up my ravaged throat. The scent of smoke and burnt flesh was all I could smell. I attempted to crawl but hands at my feet and arms held me down, my cries drowning in the surrounding voices.
I was burning, surely I was burning. The stake had always been my fate.
"Hold her still."
Authoritative and feminine.
Rena.
I cried harder.
"I'm trying." Gritted and worried.
Bran.
I screamed as a fresh wave of pain tore through me.
"Get an Elixir of Euphoria from her pack,now."
