Chapter 47

B atting her eyelids open, the pain that pushed through Emara's head was unnatural. It was a dangerous song that sang only to her.

It was the portal and she knew it. The dark magic of the underworld was calling to her, yet she couldn't concentrate long enough to pull herself together and deny it. The brutal wind tugged at her lungs and shredded at her hair. The pain of its song called to her, and the power of the portal suffocated her.

Yet it was intoxicating.

"Emara!" Sybil screamed over the deafening noise that clashed with the wind. "Emara, you need to drown it out. You need to use your magic and drown it out. Listen for the Light of your magic."

A whisper as cold as frost and as cruel as Veles broke through the shrieks and called to her, " Emaraaaaaa. "

It whistled her name again and again until a scream ripped through her throat and she clutched her head, pushing herself away from the portal.

"You need to tune it out, Emara." Sybil made it to her side, drowning in an agony of her own. Her healing magic hit Emara, trying to subdue the pain. "Shield yourself from the portal's darkness. Cast the Light elements around yourself, use your earth magic, heal the pain."

But she couldn't. It was too strong. The darkness of the portal was a magnet to her soul, a song to her ears, and it was calling her forward, pulling her in. The more she fought it, the more painful it became.

Sybil hit her with a wave of healing power again, and for a moment, Emara could breathe, a sweet reprieve from the dark power and pain in her head. The earth witch's small hand wound around hers, and her mass of red curls almost strangled her as the wind whipped at them.

"Keep calling to the element of earth, Emara," Sybil called. "I can feel it trying to help you."

She wobbled to her feet and watched the warriors who had set their lives on the line for this mission struggle to do the same, most of them holding their heads and screaming.

She turned back to the Empress of Earth. "You need to help them, Sybil. Use your earth magic to help them block out the darkness taking their minds. You don't need to help me anymore, now save them."

Sybil's vast green eyes blinked away a few tears of her own and then threw out her hands to send a blast of healing powers over the men.

Emara's eyes flew to Torin, who was writhing in agony on the ground a good bit away from her, a silent scream on his lips.

He was in so much pain, but she could stop it. All she had to do was listen to the earth call to her.

A crack of thunder from above startled her still. Another rumble crashed through the air, and before Emara could get to Torin, a figure appeared at the portal's entrance.

Emara collapsed to the ground again.

It was not one but three knights of the underworld, the most ancient beings she had ever seen.

She froze as more tendrils of darkness followed the momentous figures out of the portal to stand just before Torin's prone body.

Emara heard a roar from Gideon that sent a coldness into her spine. "Come for me," he begged. "Me. Leave him. Leave my brother." Emara's heart cracked as she witnessed Gideon desperately trying to get to his feet. He roared again and again. "Leave my brother." He staggered, finally standing.

But the knights didn't falter in their stride towards her husband.

As her trembling legs finally allowed her to stand, an arrow flew towards the three knights. A scream left Gideon's throat as he tried to run towards them. Dark mist swirled into a huge vine, mimicking Sybil's, and tied itself around his throat and torso.

Fear turned into rage as Emara watched the most powerful creatures she had ever laid eyes on stalk towards the man she loved. The man who had saved her time and time again. The man who had put her before any oath, before his own life.

She blasted every ounce of fire she could towards them. Her hand shook as the strength of her magic poured from her soul out of her body. One of the knights cast up a hand that seemed to block every element she threw at them. They were getting closer to Torin, and Gideon's roars had turned into cries. The tendrils of darkness swirled up, pushing around the necks of everyone she loved.

"Stop!" she roared. "Stop. Stop hurting them. Stop. I have something you want. I will give you anything."

As she roared, it seemed the screeching of the dark portal listened to her and the pain ceased. Grunts and groans of relief spread through the clan and the darkness eased up a little. She was dizzy with relief and she had to stop herself from swaying.

A knight with long dark hair looked up to Emara and let a dreadful grin play on his face.

I will give you anything.

She shuddered and tried to square her shoulders. "I am the one you want, not him."

His dark red eyes moved from her face and found his target—Torin.

"No!" she roared again, and it echoed through the kingdom—through the universe.

They didn't look her way again.

The fighting started again, but she blocked out all the roars from the demons as she ran towards Torin. He had gotten to his feet and readied himself to take on all three knights.

He would never survive that.

Fear ran too close to her heart and she batted it down. There was no place for fear here, only bravery and skill.

A shadow reached for her, and she stabbed at it with her spear. Two breaths later, she ignited it in flames. It sent up screams to the stars, but she didn't care.

Two lesser demons caught her attention as they jumped to attack Kellen, who was still struggling with the dark vines. Before the demons could land a blow, she blasted them with her element, knocking them on their asses.

She had to ration the magic in her and keep it for what she was about to come up against. Reaching the knights of the underworld, she threw out both hands and let her fire burn. One of them ducked into a roll and recovered on the other side of her flames, and another landed on top of Torin, toppling them both to the ground. The third one had evaporated into nothing.

"Behind you," Torin managed to yell as he fought off the demon.

Emara swivelled, but she was too late.

The demon's fist crashed into her head. The sharpest pain she'd ever felt knocked the air from her lungs and she fell into darkness.