Chapter Fifty-Three

C HAPTER F IFTY-THREE

I yell for help as soon as I make it to the courtyard. Idris and I limp and stagger, watching the smoke coat the air and flames flicker all around us. Leira comes through the haze, sees we are covered in dirt and soot – as is she.

‘Nara—’

‘I need you to take Idris to the infirmary,’ I tell her, not giving her enough time to worry about me.

She stares at me, her wild dark curls matted and soaked in all kinds of things. With a slight hesitation, she nods, but Idris begins shaking his head. I ignore him, letting Leira lead him away as I scan the wounded Venators and shifters helping each other up from the ground.

My head pounds in agonising pain. Everything is destroyed, my people are injured, and I can’t find Darius, my friends . . .

‘Nara?’ a shaky voice says from behind me.

I spin around, tears stinging my eyes as I see my two brothers holding one another. Their clothes are ripped, and underneath the dirt that covers them I can see a hint of gold and colourful tunics – attire they wore to celebrate my wedding today.

My lips wobble as I sway towards them. I wrap my arms around each of them before pressing my forehead against Illias’s forehead.

‘I’m so sorry,’ I whisper. ‘This was never meant to happen.’

‘I know.’ Illias nods, but it’s not enough. No apology is enough.

As I pull back from him, my eyes trace the familiar lines of his face, the brown curls that look darker against the dust. Then, I do the same to Iker. He pulls me into an embrace, sighing when I mumble another apology to him, too.

But the bittersweet moment shatters when I look up and see Darius emerging from the smog. My heart lurches as I take in the blood splashed across his once-pristine jacket.

His eyes find mine, and his steps quicken, swallowing the space between us until he reaches me, and I collapse into his arms. He peppers my face with kisses, saying how much he loves me over and over again as I nod and close my eyes.

‘What did he do?’ he says, his voice tense as I open my eyes to look at him. He knows. He always knows.

‘He . . .’ I shake my head, almost whimpering from the memory of seeing his rotted face in the flesh. ‘He gave us five days.’

Darius’s brows pull together, his lips parting.

‘Five days,’ I say again. ‘Five days to either fight him in battle or he will destroy more than he already has.’

Concern flickers across his eyes, and he cradles my head against his chest. He says, ‘We’ll figure it out, Goldie. I promise.’

I lean back to look at him, wanting to make sure that he is actually here with me, but another figure captures my attention as Lorcan strides into the courtyard, carrying the body of someone in his arms. His jaw is set as his eyes meet mine, and I look down at the person in his hold.

Ruvyn.

He is utterly lifeless in Lorcan’s arms as blood trickles down the side of his head and mats his hair to his face.

I stare at him for seconds as I bite my lower lip to keep myself from crying. ‘His mother,’ I whisper. ‘He—’ I look up, my throat burning. ‘He was supposed to be with his mother.’

Darius’s hand brushes against my cheek, smearing soot and blood. I don’t care; I take in his touch, needing it more than ever. ‘He died in your service,’ he says. ‘Protecting you and this kingdom despite it not being his home. His mother would be proud, and so should you be, Goldie.’

I glance at him just as he wipes away a tear that escapes me. In his eyes, I see the reflection of flames that gives me enough strength to smile. ‘We will need to bury him,’ I say, then look at Lorcan. ‘How many casualties?’

He sighs deeply and shakes his head at the ground. ‘It is hard to tell. At least a hundred between the city and the Venators.’

I nod, trying to keep my composure. At the same time, Freya comes running towards us with Rydan and Link. She holds a scared Tibith in her arms before handing him over to Darius to console.

She immediately swings an arm around my neck, whispering, ‘You’re okay, Solaris, you’re okay.’

‘As are you,’ I say as we pull apart. She has a slight bruise marring her forehead, but other than that, she looks perfect as always. ‘I needed to talk to you before . . .’ Well, she knows the rest. I clear my throat. ‘Freya, do you not remember at all what you told me in my room?’

She frowns, shaking her head at me.

‘You had a vision.’

Freya blinks at me, her mouth opening then closing as she tries to wrap her head around that.

‘It was a warning,’ I emphasise. ‘Like the one Leira once gave me. I think . . . I think it is the only thing that can help us right now.’

‘Nara.’ She sighs. ‘I don’t even know what I said or—’

‘But I do.’ My eyes flicker towards everyone else. The weight of what I am about to say might worsen things, but I can’t keep it from them. ‘I freed Sarilyn.’

I hear Rydan mutter a ‘What?’ while Freya takes a step back in shock.

‘Nara,’ Lorcan warns, but I look to Darius for his reaction. He doesn’t speak, nor does he look mad.

‘She told me,’ I say before anyone can interrupt me, ‘about the seer who she visited all those years ago. The same seer who will likely know more about Aurum than any of us.’

‘Sarilyn knew .’ Rydan shakes his head. ‘She was the one there with him for centuries.’

‘And yet she still doesn’t know everything.’ My mind recalls how Aurum mentioned a witch. ‘ My witch,’ he had said. I capture Freya’s hands in mine. ‘In your warning, you said that the rivers hold the answer.’

‘I—’

‘Just trust me.’

Freya’s gaze turns watery as she stares at me. After a moment, she whispers, ‘You know I do.’

‘Where does this seer live, if she is still alive?’ Darius says for the first time after I told everyone about Sarilyn.

‘Deep in the woods.’ I look towards the walls of the castle. ‘I can only hope that she never left.’

The revelation hangs heavy over the group. I hold my breath, waiting for someone to at least respond.

‘Deep in the woods,’ Darius echoes, his voice steady and resolute. ‘Tell us when you’re ready, Goldie, and we’ll leave in search of her.’

Hearing that confirmation from Darius gives me all the assurance I need. The group’s collective gaze turns to me with unwavering support, while Freya’s eyes fill with fear.

I squeeze her hand the same way she would mine. I glance at the courtyard surrounding us; bodies lie on the ground that was once green and beautiful. There’s a silence among us, as we mourn everything we have lost today.

I can’t seem to take Aurelia’s dress off. Even as it hangs filthy and ripped in parts that show off my skin, I still can’t. I buried Ruvyn, wearing this dress. The last thing he saw me in before dying.

Glancing at Darius I see he is sitting on the edge of the bed, his clothes, unlike mine, on the floor, leaving him in just his breeches. The muscles on his chest go taut with every movement of his hands as he pulls off his boots and sets them down with a heavy sigh.

I walk over to him, and he looks up. His hair is all messy, and I just want to run my hands through it.

He slinks his hands around my waist and pulls my stomach towards his lips.

‘Freya told me about the dress,’ he murmurs.

‘I’m—’ I bite my tongue, knowing an apology won’t fix it.

‘I don’t care if the dress is ruined,’ he says, lifting his head to look at me. ‘I care that I wasn’t with you when Aurum attacked.’

The darkness inside our chambers doesn’t hide the gold in his eyes. His grip is so tight around me that I can’t imagine what he must have thought when that dragon attacked us. I almost lost it myself when I couldn’t see him.

‘I should have known there was more to that nightmare you had.’

He’s blaming himself, and I’ve never hated it more than when he does this.

I straddle him, my eyes levelling with his now. ‘We thought he was still trapped in the Isle. We couldn’t have known.’

He runs a hand across my back, eliciting a tingle to climb up my spine, and I shift against his lap. ‘And about Sarilyn—’ he starts.

Shame reddens my cheeks. ‘I know I shouldn’t have let her out. It’s just—’

‘You did what you felt was right,’ he says, surprising me. ‘I’m not angry at you, Goldie. I would have done the same.’

My lips twitch into a soft smile. ‘Really?’

He nudges my nose with his. ‘Really,’ he whispers.

I indulge in this moment despite the horrors we are facing. Sighing, I say, ‘Do you think we will ever get rid of Aurum?’

Darius nuzzles himself against my neck and breathes me in. ‘One can only hope, Goldie.’