51. Mira

fifty-one

Mira

Gasping for air, I trudge up the winding spiral stairs within the tower until we reach the pinnacle of the outer city walls. Despite the pain in my legs and the burning sensation in my lungs, the sight before me is enough to take my breath away all over again. I hear a quiet exclamation of wonder from Lisa beside me as we step onto the parapet.

The view is breathtaking. To my left, a cliff adorned with a waterfall created by the river dividing the city in half. I can hear the rushing water despite the desperate rush of soldiers in chaos around me. On my right, a wide meadow stretches out, its grassy surface evident of the trees that were once cleared to make the city more easily defendable. A dense line of trees sits at the base of a majestic mountain range. Behind me lies the city itself, with its winding cobblestone streets lined with timber-framed houses and three-story stone buildings. Down below on street level are bustling storefronts while families reside in the upper levels.

Elora, already barking orders at the archers and other channelers, turns to me with wide eyes. Over her shoulder in the field beyond the city lies an army of thousands. Behind us, the bells toll while commoners scream and run for cover.

"Is it Yurghen?" I call to her, but Elora can't hear me over the noise. It doesn't matter because I already know the truth. My mates and Cor'than's main army are two days from here by now. All we can do is try to hold them off long enough. I launch a jolt of fear and urge them back to me through the bond. I hope they're listening.

"They're constructing more trebuchets on the left flank. Channelers, break it apart! Archers, on my mark." She shouts, giving the order to strike. Bursts of air send debris flying into a mushroom cloud of dust, as if detonated by a precision missile.

In response, five bellowing explosions roar around us. Grabbing Lisa's arm, I yank her back into the covered stairwell for protection, nearly tumbling down the steps as we collide with the stone wall. My heart is racing. Panic threatens to overtake me, but I have to help. Based on the number given during one of the meetings with Cor'than, I know he only left a few hundred soldiers, including ten of his personal guard of channelers.

As the attack on the wall subsides, my ears ring. Lisa's arms are wrapped around me, her head tucked tight against my shoulder. I take a deep breath only to cough on the dust, nearly choking on my own lungs.

But I have to help.

I'm here to help.

Rushing off back to the parapet, Lisa grabs my arm, pulling me back. Her wide eyes scan my face like she's looking for signs of insanity. "You can't go out there!"

My eyes soften, realizing she still sees me as the insecure homebody still hung up on her ex, but I'm not. I haven't been her in a long time. I shake my head. If only there was time to explain. "I have to. I can protect myself." Sort of. "Go to the castle. Tell them your my guest. They'll shelter you."

Without looking back to see if she listens, I race outside into a sea of chaos. Archers lay on their backs as dust falls into their lifeless eyes. Elora climbs to her feet beside me, joined by three other channelers, including Amirah. "Let's give ‘em hell," she says, grabbing my hand in hers.

I swallow thickly squinting against the thick dust hanging in the air. I haven't worked much, if ever, on exploding things, but I'll try. I don't have much choice.

As the other channelers lash out with fury against the army, sending air and earth shattering through their lines, I hastily channel my luck. Let's see if this really works.

The threads of fortune are hanging just before me as I channel a deep maroon mist. Sweat drips down my brow from concentration just as Elora yanks my arm to hide behind the short wall to avoid an incoming strike.

I scream in surprise as my concentration is lost, and the threads of Chroma disappear.

"Watch yourself!" she commands, hopping back to her feet to hurl fire balls over the wall.

I steady my breath and hug my knees, begging to any God or Gods who will listen . Please. Please. I channel my red Chroma again, focus on the luck. Feeling the way the threads twist around fate like an unseen map.

I grab one and it thrashes in my proverbial fingers, nearly slipping away. Instead, I place it firmly across Elora. One by one, I grab the threads of luck and lash them across the channelers as a battle rages around me. Finally, I place one on myself.

"I hope this shit works," I mutter to myself, finally daring to peek out over the wall again. Despite it feeling like hours, only minutes have passed since I first joined Elora on the parapet. Yurghen's army is scrambling to climb the walls and overwhelm the gates, but so far, our small force is keeping them at bay.

My eyes scan the battlefield, searching for any sign of him. Suddenly, I see two untouched figures in the distance, their pristine appearance a stark contrast to the chaos around them. My gut clenches with a surge of pure rage as I realize it must be Yurghen and Malicryn. Without hesitation, I release my Chroma in an explosive blast of fire aimed directly at them.

The fiery burst soars down the middle of the field, flying over most of the army. But just as the flames reach their target, an impenetrable shield engulfs them, effortlessly deflecting my attack. The frustration and hatred inside me grows stronger as their protective bubble remains unscathed, mocking my futile attempt to strike out against them.

As my heart races, I steel myself for the onslaught of attacks. With a fierce determination, I unleash a torrent of scorching fire at the faeling creature scaling the wall below us. My flames explode upon impact, engulfing the enemy in a fiery inferno. Without hesitation, I then turn to face the group of archers raining their arrows down on our city. With each step, I methodically weave through the army, searching for vulnerable targets to burn to ashes with my blazing powers.

Time to roll the dice and let luck guide me.

I give myself to the deep well of Chroma flowing through me, letting it envelop my senses. I no longer hear the battle cries of our enemies or the painful screams of my allies. I can't worry about using all my reserves. The power inside me feels infinite. There is no me, only the Chroma flowing through my veins, guiding my strikes. Lashing out, I blast through their front line.

A familiar scream cuts through the fog of my fury.

When I open my eyes, Lisa is staring at me. Her face is twisted in shock as I weave threads of fire between my fingers. I can't help it. A small grin tugs at the corner of my lips. I shout over to her, "I'm magical as fuck now."

Her mouth drops open before a grin spreads from ear to ear.

"Well, I can see that," she hollers back, ducking behind a barricade as an arrow zips past where her head just was.

I want to scream at her to run away, to fall back to the castle. But there's no time. A hand grabs my shoulder, pulling me flat to the stone ground beneath my feet. Amirah lies flat on her belly, eyes wide with fear and pain. "There's too many. We don't have enough people to hold the wall. They've breached the Western Gate."

"Where's Elora?" I shout, my heart surprisingly still. Looking around, I can see what she means. The wall is crumbling in places already, knocked down by blasts of magic and debris flung from trebuchets. But Elora will know what to do. How to keep fighting.

Amirah's gaze holds mine before she shakes her head. "She went to help reinforce the Western Gate before it fell. I don't-" Her voice cracks as she trails off, refusing to meet my eye any longer.

My lungs seize up for only a moment, unable to take in air. Panic knocks inside my head, trying to claw its way in, but then a sense of eerie calm envelops me, almost like the impending certainty of death has finally brought me peace.

I can't believe how steady and commanding my voice is when I announce to those around me, "Grieve for the dead later. Fall back into the city. Get the young and the old into the castle and clear the streets. Form small attack parties hiding throughout the city ready to ambush his forces. Let's surround him."

My determination burns bright like a raging fire, refusing to be extinguished by doubt or fear. I will protect those I love no matter the cost. My eyes turn to Lisa once more, and I mouth one word to her. Run.

For a moment, I see the defiance lingering in her gaze, the desire to help me. But she can't help me now, despite so many times in our friendship where she'd held me up and kept me going through the hard parts. I can finally return the favor and take care of her instead. Finally, she nods and turns to follow a soldier who volunteers to oversee the evacuation of those unfit to fight.

We climb to our feet, and Amirah nods to me in respect. For the first time since meeting her, we are equals. Not a guard and her charge. Not a fae and a lowly human. Two women desperate to protect. She crosses her fist over heart, the official salute of the royal guard. "Until our last breath."

Without waiting for a response, she turns to bark orders at the soldiers around us. I stare at her back for the space of a moment before going in the opposite direction to do the same, muttering to myself along the way.

"Until our last breath."