Chapter Twelve

C HAPTER T WELVE

I swing my blade around, driving it into one of the Elf’s necks as I search for any sign of my brothers or Freya. It has been minutes since the first warning bells rang, and I knew it was no Elf. It was my brothers, following the orders I gave each of them after they joined alongside me.

Rydan and Gus have teamed up at the far end of the castle, fighting against a formidable Elf. Shadows swirl in Gus’s hands as he uses them on his attackers, and I spin, feeling a flicker of memory spark at the edge of my vision – a memory from mere hours ago, me telling Gus I needed to speak with the shifters, that my plan required their help.

‘You will wait in a different location near the forests,’ I tell all the shifters beside their dragons and creatures as I stand upon an oak table.

The transition of the past to now flashes before me as two other guards rush through the crowd, wielding Elvarune magic that Arlayna once spoke of to launch fragments of broken glass towards me. I yank the dagger out from my victim, dodging left and right as I narrowly escape the shards of glass.

‘But how are we supposed to know when to attack?’ one of the shifters asks from within the crowd.

Before the guards can reach me, a sword slices across both their necks, decapitating them in one fleeting movement as the final chimes of the bell sound in the distance.

I turn to my brothers and face them, my friends and all. ‘When the bells start to ring at sunrise.’

Two heads, followed by their bodies, roll onto the ground, exposing a breathless Link. His golden-brown hair is mussed to his forehead, blue eyes wide and full of adrenaline.

Partially in shock, I manage to nod a thank you to him, and he flashes me a bright smile before he turns to fend off another guard. Lorcan flies up ahead in his bright red phoenix form, spitting out balls of fire as Elves launch their arrows, narrowly missing him by an inch. I try to get a look towards the dais, but a raging Elf blocks my view, snapping his blade at me. I parry the attack and shuffle backwards, catching sight of Fernah from the corner of my eye as she roars and breathes out a stream of fire down onto some of Aurum and Thallan’s lackeys.

My lips curve into a smile, but my pride is short-lived when the Elf strikes again and my dagger is knocked out of my hand.

As I dive to the floor, I see Aurum across the hall with Sarilyn at his side, and I grab the leather hilt with my hands. He’s a silhouette against the destruction surrounding us all as some shifters I know try to ambush him, but when they get too close, he shoots them out of the way with shadows and fire like they’re nothing more than an inconvenience.

My chest heaves with every breath, a mixture of anger and determination, knowing half of those powers were stolen. Invincible or not, most of that magic belongs to Darius.

The thought fuels my rage tenfold, and I roll onto my back as a sword meets the side of my head, snipping the ends of my hair off. A female Elf, snarling at me, stands over my figure, and I swipe my leg across hers, causing her to fall. It gives me enough time to rise as another comes at me from the side.

As he closes the distance, I thrust my blade through his throat. Blood spurts out, covering my face as I grit my teeth and dig deeper, hearing how his chokes intensify. When I yank the dagger free and the Elf drops, I freeze as I see Ruvyn – the young Elf I remember who was recently sworn in and had protected Arlayna when we went horse-riding.

He stares across at me. His sword is down at his side, and his innocent brown eyes are wide as he struggles with whether to fight me or not. When a few seconds pass, he drops his head and backs away, disappearing into the masses of his comrades fighting against our dragons.

My hand tightens around the hilt of my blade, and I shake off the bitter taste in my mouth at the cruel fate that some of these Elves are just doing what they are told.

I watch as swords clash in a symphony of metallic sounds and flames salt the air. I inhale it all at this moment, remembering I am here to get to Darius. I cannot let anything else affect me.

With a deft flick of my wrist, I flip the blade in my hand, a surge of energy coursing through me as I weave through the Elven adversaries, effortlessly slicing and dodging their strikes.

‘Rydan,’ I call out, my voice cutting through the chaos as someone deflects my attack by spinning and severing the tip of my blade. Rydan turns to me through the clash of his weapons against his assailant. ‘Sword!’

He nods in understanding, executing a quick kick to the Elf’s stomach, and tosses the steel sword towards me. The blade catches a glint of sunlight as it charges through the air, and I grab it with my right hand in time to gain the lead as I thrust it through the male Elf’s abdomen. Victory washes over me and I whirl, aiming the sword at the next person. However, before the impact can land, my wrist is seized in a powerful grip.

With the blade in midair and my ragged breathing feral, my heart and soul react first, sparking emotions I’ve been craving for too long.

My surrounding noises are a mash of swords clanging, screams echoing and mayhem, but even through all that, I watch as my forearm is carefully lowered and I am faced with familiar golden eyes.

A half-smile adorns his lips, and something immediately pulls at my stomach. He looks like the same handsome shifter I fell in love with, dressed in a black jacket threaded with gold decorations and a shirt underneath it, yet strangely nothing, no scratch or sign of injury, is visible on him.

‘Now, who might you be?’ Darius murmurs and my heart cleaves in two.

Time seems to stutter, and the world around me blurs. His gaze, once filled with love and recognition, is now devoid of the familiarity we once shared.

I try to speak; I try to move, but he acts fast as his expression turns cold and his smile fades into something cruel. His hand clutches my throat and I yelp, dropping the sword as I reach for his hold on me.

‘Darius,’ I gasp, my fingers clawing at his hand to free myself. ‘It’s me!’

He doesn’t loosen his grip, no matter the struggle, no matter the fear I have on my face as I plead with my eyes for him to let me go. He sees me as a threat and stares at me relentlessly, his eyes burning with a look of rage that I only ever witnessed when someone did him wrong . . . when someone would hurt me like he is doing right now.

‘Darius!’ I cry again, this time tearfully. My eyes blur in a tumult of confusion and heartache as I desperately hold on to him.

The air seems to thin, draining me of all strength just as I feel his grip on my neck finally loosen and he collapses onto the floor, unconscious.

Gasping for air, I press my hands to my throat as the precious taste of oxygen fills my lungs back up, and I face Freya. She is panting and staring down at Darius with her mouth agape as purple flames of magic dance around her outstretched palm. The violet gleam in her eyes soon fades as she looks up at me and asks, ‘Are you okay?’ while holding on to a small wooden chest with her other arm.

It is the stones I asked her to go in search of while we distracted Aurum.

From behind Freya, the swift footfalls of my brothers echo as they race towards us, their momentum halting abruptly as they take in the gravity of the situation. My gaze then drops to where Darius lies, and a collision of emotions barrels into me, disorienting my reality.

I don’t nod; I don’t say if I am okay. I simply lift my eyes and steady myself because I need to – because I can’t afford to waste time.

‘Let’s get him out of here.’ I cannot tell if I am even speaking. I’m still too dazed, but without hesitation, my brothers spring into action.

Idris and Iker seize Darius’s arms and begin dragging him away from the castle’s onslaught. I bring my thumb and forefinger to my mouth, a sharp whistle piercing the air as I aim it at Gus. He swivels his head, acknowledging me before his gaze slips to Darius, and he freezes.

The familiar ache I sensed mirrors across his countenance. His brows draw together in pained unity, and hesitation lingers on the corners of his lips before he averts his gaze, instructing the shifters to withdraw.

Surveying the crumbling surroundings, I search for Link and Rydan amidst the falling pillars and collapsing roof. Suddenly, a hand clamps on to my arm, instinctively prompting me to twist away, ready to deliver a defensive strike. It’s only when I recognise it is Rydan with Link behind him that relief washes over me. Grabbing the collar of his shirt, I follow his lead as he guides me towards the exit doors.

I cast a final glance over my shoulder just in time to witness Aurum by the throne chair, extending his index finger towards me. A sinister grin spreads across his face, making it a promise and a threat that this is far from over. And as the doors to Aurum’s castle seal shut behind us, I accept it, knowing that, at least right now, the stones are in my possession.