It was in that moment that I realized notallthehumanspresent seemed to agree with their queen.
Wanting to keep my family safeabove all else, I gave myziriliuman outlet as I began to force vines up through the stone of the floor. Forever in tune with me, I felt Byn pitching in, turning his back to me to guard the other side of our posse. Together, we forced enoughplants upto wrap around each of the guard’s feet and up their legs, forcing them to remain in place.
Looking back towardOpal, I realized she was still hesitating.
“Now,Opal,” Queen Calistagroundout between clenched teeth, holding her hand out toward the scribe. “And guards,hurryup. I tire of this.”
The human queendidn’tseem stressed in the slightest about the fact that we had put her guards on pause. She mostly seemed concerned with the scroll that had yet to reach her.
Which meant I still had a chance.
I metOpal’seyes and wished to the Stars she could see just how much was at stake.
Please, I mouthed to her, my last attempt.
Opal’s eyes flickered to the floor as she slowly made her way closer to the dais—and closer to me.
Before she turned to go up the dais, shepaused again.
Then, she ran straight for me, betraying herqueen.
The same queen she seemed to no longer support.
“Opal!” Queen Calista yelled as she watched her own scribe defect.
I kept my eyes on the scribe, tome clutched to her chest, even as Dimitri surged forward to try to stop her. But before he could go far, the second cloaked figure behind him reached for the shard ofalychiteI’dthrown at them earlier, and with a gloved hand, held it to the side of his bare neck.
Dimitri went rigid and motionless, though his hands balled into fists at his sides.
“What is the meaning of this?” Queen Calista called out, standing asOpalnimbly made it through the hoard of guards surrounding us. Ushering her to the middle of our group, I turned to face the dais once again.
But before anybody could respond, the very foundations of the stone fortress began toshake.
Then I watched as the cloaked figure finally revealed themselves.
As they pushed their hood back, I realized why their energy felt familiar earlier.
“RUN!” Mother screamed as the ceiling above started to cave in on us.
My heart dropped to the cracking floor below us as I looked at her. Older than I remembered, but still just as stunning.
“Mother?” I questioned.
“Mother!” Matea cried.
Though as we both surged forward to get to her, strong hands pulled us backwards.
Byn and Rayven had their grips on us, holding on tight as they forced us backwards toward the tunnel we’d arrived through.
“Wehave toleave! We have what we came for!” Byn said over the sound of chunks of falling stone hitting the floor around us. Ibarely registered that some of the human guards had already fallen to them.
“No!Please!” Matea begged, tears slipping down her face. “I’ve never been so close!”
I gulped back my own criesas I struggled against Byn, but we continued moving backwards until all of us, including the scribe, were entering the mouth of the tunnel.
The last thing I could make out through the moisture in my eyes was the ceiling caving in over the dais—and itlandingdirectly on top of the three figures that stooduponit.
Chapter Forty-Two
