“Taylan…” Brevan isn’t looking at me anymore. He’s staring at something behind me, and I think I see fear in his expression for the first time.
My stomach is instantly in knots before I turn to see what’s causing his concern.
“Oh, gods.” I back up until I’m against him, staring in disbelief at the army of skeletons walking toward us.
“Get behind me,” Brevan demands. He moves quickly now, the initial shock gone. He picks up a femur and charges toward the oncoming hoard.
The hits are sharp and decisive, resulting in a loudcrackwhen the bone strikes bone. The first two skeletons break apart, but the third lifts its arm to block his blow. When the bones clash, they splinter, sending shards flying.
Brevan is left standing holding a piece of bone, jagged edges helpful if he needed to stab flesh, but useless here.
My senses are returning and I rush toward him. “We need to get out of here.”
“They took down our exit.” He points to a ladder on the ground, skeletons marching across it on their way toward us. They stop out of reach, then more come toward us, filling in all the space until we’re surrounded. They stop and wait, as if expecting something.
Brevan pulls me against him possessively. “Where did they all come from?”
“I think it was me,” I admit.
“What do you mean?”
“I can wake the dead.”
He looks at me. “You brought the emperor back after we killed him.”
It sounds more like an accusation than a question, but I answer, “yes.”
His expression hardens. “I was hoping I was wrong about that.”
“Like you are one to judge someone’s magic,” I hiss.
“Send them back,” he insists.
When I don’t reply, he lifts his brows. “If you called them, you can stop them.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Try,” he says.
I open a channel to reach for my magic the way I’ve been practicing with Caiden and the voices return.
We should take her with us.
Kill them both.
Tell her the truth.
Like before, the words jumble as they all begin to speak over one another. Some of them can’t speak. They moan or scream or whimper. The sounds of agony are heartbreaking.
I can feel it all.
The pain, the sorrow, the anger, the thirst for revenge.
I try to push them out, to control it somehow. To tell them to go back to where they came from. To leave us. My breathing quickens, and I’m shaking. Nausea rolls through me, and I taste copper. I think my nose is bleeding.
“Taylan?” Brevan tightens his hold on me as my legs give out.
“I can’t.” I’m not sure if I’m speaking out loud or if it’s in my head.
