Chapter 45

Draven hauls himself off the floor as I make my way to him, "There's a passage on the left wall, it needs my blood to open it," I cut my wrist and pour some into his hand, "start getting people out of here. There's no telling what the damage is like outside this room."

He nods his head, looking weary already, "Of course."

Darkness darts at me. Not the "I'm about to pass out" kind. It's the "I'm trying not to level this room" darkness. Draven rushes off and I catch a look at Leander. He looks fine, not even tried. Aaliyah is next. I try to find her in the crowd. Nowhere to be seen.

I just have to trust that she can look after herself.

What I do see is an elemental on the balcony, a Varsillian waiting to kill him and help put out the raging flame. Just a tendril of power from me has the Varkeshian dead. The Night boy takes his place, working on cutting the fires Oxygen, dousing it with water and distorting its shape and size.

My blade and power meets at least a hundred more Varkeshians, but they just keep flooding the area. My Brian goes into overdrive as I hold back from ending this battle here and now.

Stick to the strategy, go all out when we pay them back.

Breath in and out. I repeat this as I make my way to Leander. He immediately spots me and we cover each other as we make our way to the front doors.

They're made out of wood, but heavily enchanted, so they haven't burned.

"Aaliyah is staying back to hold the ball room down." Leander yells to me, his blade meeting a Varkeshia neck as I fight with two daggers, having left my sword and it's weight far behind me.

We pass knocked over tables of all shapes and sizes, jumping over and dodging fallen bodies. Blood splatters is from every direction.

Our kills landing on us just as much as other victims leave their life's blood in our clothing. The lights in the room go out and a loud crash sounds through the hall.

Leander and I are knocked to the floor as the giant, stunning chandelier of extravagance shatters on the red stained floor.

The glass showers the whole room. No one is spared it's furry.

The wind is blown out of me and my world fades to black.

Leander shakes me and I'm back up just as quickly as I had fallen.

We reach the doors and hurry up the stairs. Four men wait for us. They may outnumber us but we have the skill and we win out over them easily.

Our swords are a blur. A heavy crash splits the world in two. Outside of Moonstone is a giant ravine opening up, water crawling down the edges. The palace shakes.

When the floor is clear we move to another. No one is there.

We move to the next. We find much of the same. Nothingness surrounds us. Back on the ground floor, Leander and I sweep the perimeter, at least a dozen Bariliians doing the same.

The Varkeshians are gone. I'm sure of it. A silence goes off in my head. I put thoughts there, but none come to me naturally. I just killed. I let my darkness out and now my power is rising to the surface, itching to break free.

Leander is breathing heavily beside me as Aaliyah jogs over to out due to death. We three make our way back into the ballroom and Aaliyah leans into my ear, her hot breath fanning my freezing cold cheeks. "We need to go somewhere to lay low for a few hours."

I don't question it. After what Aaliyah just risked for my people, how could I not?

Draven races up to meet us and this is the first time I've ever seen him look even slightly rumpled.

He looks tired and I can't help but feel guilty. I did this to him. I killed these lifeless bodies. I drained them with my poison present.

Draven looks like he's itching to check Leander over, to make sure he's alright. Leander has the same look.

I pull them all in, ensuring each of us touches skin in some place and I take them to Rivervale in the in-between.

I fall to the ground of the river manor. All of us lay in a heap, breathless and just plain exhausted.

This is the first of many battles to come and we have lived to fight another day, but I can make no guarantees about tomorrow.

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