Chapter 48

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Ellery

Gathering wind around me, I lifted my hands and pushed the powerful cyclone away. Within the towering whirlwind, pieces of clothing, jewelry, and fragmented parts of artwork spun around and flew out as I pushed them away from me.

I contemplated shoving the tornado toward some of the guards, but if someone saw me do it, I’d be arrested for treason and slaughtered. Instead, I pushed it toward where I’d last seen the open doors of entry to the ballroom.

Even with the tornado out of my way, I couldn’t see more than a foot or two in front of me. Carried further into the room by the tornados, hail now battered my face and arms. It bruised my skin while pelting me with unrelenting force.

When a chunk hit my cheekbone, tears filled my eyes. I blinked them quickly away to keep them from disrupting my vision… but it didn’t do much.

A crack of electricity pulsated the air and lifted the hair on my arms. I brushed aside my rain-drenched hair and spotted another funnel sweeping through the room.

Within this one, lightning snapped and crackled; the booming thunder following it rattled the walls but didn’t crack the floor. Amsirah shrieked as they scrambled to get out of the way of the tornado Ryker created… one that carved a pathway across the floor.

Ryker had figured out another way to bring his lightning inside, and while I wished I could unleash mine in such a way, I restrained it as my ability sought to coalesce with Ryker’s. Once I got to my mother, I could use the pathway he’d created to get out of this nightmare.

Determined to reach her, I leaned into the wind and pushed myself onward as I continued to walk in the direction where I’d last seen her. She can’t be too far away.

My skin hurt from the beating it was taking from the hail and debris, and my legs ached from straining against the wind, but she had to be close. I spotted other amsirah as I moved, but most were trying to flee or were too petrified to move.

From the chaos, a guard emerged, his sword raised and his teeth bared. When he saw me, his face twisted into something malignant while he lifted his sword over his head.

The gleam in his eyes told me that he didn’t care who he killed as long as he was killing. My small sword was nothing compared to the broad one he held, even if I had time to lift it between us.

I slipped on the slick floor as I scrambled back and threw my hands up. Catching one of the other tornados, I swung my hands to the side as I pushed the funnel toward him.

If I was dead, it wouldn’t matter if someone saw me use it against one of the guards. I hoped they’d testify to the fact he was going to kill me.

His sword swung down as the tornado lifted him off his feet and flung him backward. The funnel didn’t catch him in time for me to avoid his blow completely; the tip of his blade tore through flesh and muscle as it sliced across my arm.

I bit back a scream as blood poured from the wound and splashed onto the floor, where the torrent of rain washed it away. With quivering hands, I fumbled with my torn dress to stop the blood flow, but I couldn’t create any kind of bandage with it.

Giving up on stopping the blood, I ignored the throbbing in my arm and the pink water puddling beneath me as I forged ahead. I had no idea where anyone I cared about was anymore.

Ryker was still safe, as lightning continued to demolish the room, scattering everyone in its path. That was a relief, but my mother was out there, lost in the insanity… and Callan.

In all the chaos, I’d forgotten about him. I hoped he was safe.

A broken piece of furniture whipped out of the frenzy and into my temple. I cried out as the impact staggered me to the side.

I almost went to my knees but managed to stop myself before I did. My vision blurred, bells went off in my head, and I was pretty sure more than rain streaked my face now.

I wiped the water away and blinked as I tried to bring the pink on my fingers into focus. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath as I fought through the agony pounding in my head.

All I wanted was to sink to the floor or vomit, but I couldn’t do either. If I was taking this kind of abuse, then so was my mother, and I had to find her. The longer we were out here, the better our chances of dying.

I hoped she wasn’t trying to get to me too, that we weren’t somehow missing each other in all the chaos. Taking slow, shallow breaths so I didn’t throw up, I edged forward and tripped over someone.

My knees smacking off the floor wrenched a cry from me. I sat for a few seconds, shoulders heaving, as I worked to get my battered body to obey my commands. My vision was getting better, and my nausea was subsiding, but my head still pounded, and blood ran freely from my arm.

Finally feeling capable of moving again, I turned my head to the side and brushed away the water pouring over my eyes as I strained to see who sat beside me. I hoped it was my mother but doubted my luck would be so good.