Chapter 29

Pitch-black chitinous armor glints in the moonlight. The scorpion that is Lesath is massive, and the bitter taste of fear coats my tongue. Its tail curves over a back the size of a tank, motorcycle sized claws snapping at the air.

The weapons are warm in my hand, and I shift out from behind Ras. The scorpion continues its careful approach, its creepy insect eyes watching our every move. I gulp.

Not exactly what I had in mind for a brother-in-law.

"I'm not about to let you fight him," I tell Ras.

"Likewise," he growls. Neither of us move.

A female scream carries across the distance, and I squint at the black tower in the distance. Cool wind slices through the desert, and I can barely make out blonde hair whipping in the wind, a slight figure silhouetted against candlelight.

Ali. My stomach lurches.

Oh god, this thing has had Ali for days now.

The scorpion stops, looks back at the tower. Ras tenses next to me. The air is thick with the scent of ozone and lightning. His nostrils flare, eyes widening with shock.

Oh shit. I recognize that smell.

Four massive, winged shapes emerge from the shadows surrounding the castle, and an inhuman cry pierces the air. Harbingers— and they're headed for my sister. She doesn't do anything, no fireballs like Danielle, no weapons like me, just choked screams of terror.

She's defenseless.

"She's not mated yet," the words choke out of me. "She's in trouble."

"We did their work for them." Ras shakes his head, and the truth slams into me. Lesath, no matter how gross this scorpion is, has been protecting her. Since she's still without her power, he must not have had sex with her.

This is our fault.

The ground shakes, and I brace myself. It's Lesath. He heads back to the castle, insect legs eating up the sand and rock as he barrels towards my sister.

Power twinges across my arms, and it's not until my eyes are watering from the wind that I realize I'm chasing the scorpion across the dunes toward my sister. An earsplitting roar sounds next to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ras, in lion form, hot on Lesath's heels.

Heat blasts across my skin, and a red fireball scorches across the night sky. A feral grin stretches across my face. Dabin and Danielle yell something out, and they pass me, their horses' hooves thundering across the ground.

Ali screams again. It's shrill and thin, the sound of a woman without hope, and it shatters me. Not my little sister, not like this. I grit my teeth. A harbinger closes in on the black turret's window, onyx wings blotting out the light inside. The inhuman shriek sounds again. It's Lesath, voicing his rage at the shadowed, foul bodies of the harbingers.

The hair stands up on the back of my neck.

A sound screeches across the desert, like nails on a chalkboard, and my jaw drops. Lesath is climbing the tower. As I watch, a chunk of granite falls away from the castle. The ground shakes as it thuds into it, sand and dust clouding the air. Oh my god. There is no way that's safe.

"He's going to bring the whole thing down on her." I'm not sure who I'm trying to tell, considering everyone is so far ahead of me. Lesath screams again. Goosebumps pebble across my skin, I push myself, trying to run faster.

The harbinger emerges from the window, something limb dangling from its arms. Ali. My little sister. Rage boils within me, and the electric tingle in my arms becomes a surge. Lesath takes down a second harbinger, his claws snapping straight through the creature's torso, cutting off its shriek of distress. But the harbinger that has Ali beats its wings and jumps. I'm close enough now that I can see Ali's head loll to the side.

Oh god. I hope she's not dead. She can't be dead. My chest hurts. My arms feel on fire, all heat and magic. Time slows, distilled to the winged monsters clawing the sky, the scorpion screaming and the lion shredding another monster.

Dabin shoots an arrow at a third harbinger, but it dodges left before diving at my friends on horseback. The harbinger holding my sister continues to flap, her body as lifeless as a doll. It's getting away. With my baby sister. My rage is a living thing, and power coats me like a second skin.

As though I planned it all along, my arm drags back, and the curved knife changes. It thickens, lengthens. A razor-sharp spear tip appears. Serrated teeth line the edges.

I frown, not quite sure what to make of it. Then I look to the lightening sky, navy velvet giving way to gold and pink as the sun rises behind us. The harbinger is going to get away. Lesath still screams, making that horrible, inhuman noise. His scorpion legs click along the battlements as the harbinger's wings scrape for air, beating loudly.

I take a deep breath. Air fills my lungs, my arm rocketing backward, acting on pure instinct, reaching that place of power coiled deep inside, the place Ras showed me how to reach for.

I hurl the spear, keeping my eyes locked on the harbinger. Breath whooshes out of me with the force of the throw. Even though it should be impossible, the blue weapon blurs, picking up speed. My chest aches, and I inhale again, remembering to breathe.

The harbinger screams. The spear slices into its wing, barely missing its shoulder. The creature immediately drops, and, too late, I realize my error.

It's falling, yes, but my sister is in its arms.

Suddenly, Ali's head jerks, and she lets out a blood-curdling scream.

My stomach drops, and I fall to my knees, breathless and sick. My little sister freefalls through the air, in the arms of a nightmare creature. This isn't right. This can't be happening.

This isn't what was supposed to happen. A sob catches in my throat. A weird clicking sound echoes off the castle wall, the scorpion frantic to get to her.

I can't let this happen.

Blue rope shreds the skin of my hands, and I look down at them in disbelief. The rope drags against me, and I yell, fighting to stand, then digging my heels in.

It wasn't a spear, after all; it was a harpoon. And I've still got the damn thing hooked.

"I need help," I gasp. I grit my teeth, dragging the rope to me, furling it in. The harbinger's wings stretch open, and for a moment, I have the strangest thought that I'm flying a nightmare kite.

An unintelligible sound comes out of me, and I haul back on the rope. The line has slack in it again, and the harbinger and Ali plummet. The world fades to only me and the rope, to me and my sister. I will not let her fall. I can't fail her. I refuse.

Ras's arms wrap around me, and he grips the blue rope, yanking it. I shudder against his arms. Ali and the creature rocket back overhead as we tug at the rope, controlling its fall. I'm vaguely aware of the scorpion making that horrible sound again, but all my focus is on Ali. It shouldn't be possible, but when I look up, I see blue magic lacing through its leathery wings, like the harpoon has constructed some kind of supportive boning, keeping it afloat. I'm lightheaded, power surging through me like a tidal wave.

I push the thought from my mind and help reel the pair in, closer to us. They skirt over the battlement, and it's then the scorpion strikes.

His massive tail straightens, then darts up, piercing the harbinger's spine. The acid burn of venom steals the breath from my throat, and I let the rope go. He must've somehow tainted the starlight magic bridge between me and the harbinger. Ras lets go of the rope with a cry, and all is lost.

My sister will not survive this. No one could survive that fall.

The pair plummet, and Ali, still conscious, lets out another cry. The sound splashes against my senses, and I despair. My hand flies to my mouth, and I choke on a sob.

Then the scorpion changes. Not quickly, not like Ras, but slowly, achingly slow. She's falling, and his limbs are shrinking, black smoke curling around his body.

He's not going fast enough. I let out a cry of dismay, and then a man stands on the wall. Ali falls, tumbling through the sky, and yet, somehow, he manages to catch her. He stumbles backwards, but she's in his arms

The harbinger crashes against the battlement, but Lesath doesn't even flinch. The entire fight must have taken less than five minutes, but my muscles tremble and shake. I fall to my knees, completely spent, nauseated in the aftermath of the adrenaline.

"She's safe. She's safe, Lana." Ras holds my hair as my stomach tries to empty its contents again.

As I watch, Lesath stalks away from the turret, disappearing into another part of the black castle.

"He's got her," Ras adds. Hugging me close, he presses a kiss to the top of my head.

For some reason, knowing Lesath has my sister doesn't make me feel much better.