My eyes blink into focus as Kyzen grips him under his arms and pulls him to his feet. I startle out of my mind and take a deep breath as the platform fills up with our Valtrue, plus everyone else who came with us.
Panic pulses through me, and I ready my sword for the ambush of the Dark Gods to follow. It clenches me tighter as I watch them charge each other, not us. Or…they drop to their knees and weep.
Swirling in my belly has me gasping and trying to lock it down.
“Don’t. We need the distraction.”
Amick’s order has me whipping my attention to his observant gaze, and the blood dripping down his forehead forces the swirling to roll even faster.
I do a double take at Riven’s grunt. I expected his face to be twisted in pain, not uncertainty as he cocks his head to the side and stares at me. His gorgeous blue irises spin, and a lump forms in my throat.
Please don’t hate me.
“Are those my bags?”
His question confuses me until Creed grabs his sword, then a strap of my—well, Riven’s backpack—and slides it off me.
“Gladian, headcount.”
“Everyone’s accounted for.”
“Then let’s move. Sevryn and Yemi your home. My Valtrue to our house. Gladian’s, Bardot, and Elsher to the Court.”
I frantically search for Yemi and immediately find her tucked into Sevryn’s side. She’s still exhausted as shit and also a little flushed, but her nod washes away my worry of her not being able to get out of here.
“Mellcom! Mellcom!” Jeremiah bellows, ripping himself away from Chasin. He continues to scream, shove, and ignore anyone who tries to hold him back. “I’m not fucking—”
“Jer! Wait for me. Don’t leave me.”
Air gets stuck in my throat as that responding shout echoes from the single hallway. Jeremiah sprints that way, disregarding Gladian’s demand that he stay where he is.
“They’ve got less than thirty seconds,” Creed growls, and Gladian nods. The asshole doesn’t make a move, though.
My ears ring when the two of them stumble out of the hall at the twenty-four-second mark.
Mellcom’s arm is slung over Jeremiah’s shoulder, and he’s using a sword as a cane rather than a weapon. His shirt’s even more ripped and bloodied than when I saw him.
“How?” I breathe, but he shakes his head.
“We don’t have time. We’ve got to go. Right now.”
“You all heard the little Golden-Bitch. Starshoot in three, two, one.” Riven cackles, and we all stare at him.
Until our eyes grow to the size of saucers.
Multiple vials race through the air as he tosses them up.
My petrified gaze bounces from Creed to Amick to Kyzen. All stare at me with the same fear as our entire group shouts orders to get out.
Gods damn it, Riven.
I breathe and nod at them as Kyzen’s eyes glow.
Don’t fail me now.
My power responds as I command it to spread around my body. That heat travels at the speed of sound as multiple flashes of white fill the space.
My sight of the guys disappears as the sound of something popping roars in my ears.
