Page 62

Yelena

Another half an hour passed before there was a light knock on the door.

Rushing over to it, Adelina welcomed Natasha inside. “Did anyone see you?”

“No.” Natasha beamed, seemingly proud of herself.

“Thank you.” Adelina returned the smile.

“This time you’ll need to do the spell without the prism world.

” Yelena gestured to the handful of swords Natasha placed on the floor.

“And before you do, Natasha and I will need to touch every single item before you overcharge them. Since she brought them here, her fingerprints will already be on them. This prevents them from exploding from our touch.”

In quick succession, Yelena pressed her hand to each item before standing out of the way .

In her mind’s eye, Adelina pictured her powers taking the form of water, fused with golden light. She encouraged the magic to swell inside her and seep from her skin. “ Merindasriel tyrasnerael. ”

The magic poured into the first sword. It jutted, threatening to explode on the spot. She fought to keep control of the spell, urging it forward in a continuous stream.

Sweat trickled on her brow as she forced every ounce of concentration into fusing her magic with the sword. The magic snapped with a fizz and a pop, and the sword wobbled.

“How are you feeling?” Yelena asked.

“I’m all right.” Adelina’s limbs were strong, her mind clear. “I’ll keep going, but I’ll let you know if I become faint or weak.”

Yelena nodded. “We must be quick.”

For the next half an hour, Adelina poured parts of her magic into the items on the floor. Each time she sacrificed some of her astral powers, her limbs became heavier. It felt as if life itself was being sapped from her.

By the time she’d overcharged the fifth sword, she pressed her arm against the wall, her knees threatening to buckle. Yelena wrapped her arm around her, guiding her to the chair.

“Natasha, why don’t you sneak these back to the barracks? Place them exactly where you found them and bring more. Adelina needs a break,” Yelena said. “And don’t get caught.”

Nodding, Natasha scooped up the items and was out the door in a flash.

“Sit down.” Yelena eased Adelina into the seat. “I’ll bring you some tea. ”

Within a few minutes, Yelena whipped out another vial of liquid and handed it to her. “This tea is made from steeped rhodiola root. It will boost your energy and encourage your body to recover quickly.”

Adelina removed the stopper and sniffed it. “It smells like roses.”

Yelena grinned. “While it may smell lovely, it has a strong, bitter taste to it.”

Grimacing, Adelina pressed the vial to her lips, tilted her head back, and poured the contents into her mouth. She swallowed, shuddering at the sharpness of the plant’s taste imprinted on her tongue.

With a deep breath, she lifted herself out of the chair and shifted her attention to the remaining two swords. By the time she’d overcharged them, Natasha returned with a stash of arrows in her arms.

“These are a lot lighter, so I’m able to carry more of them.” Natasha laid them on the floor.

They repeated the process throughout the night—overcharge, more tea, overcharge, more tea.

Halfway through the night, Adelina had overcharged two loads of swords, three dozen arrows, and several crossbows. Slouched in her chair, she struggled to keep her eyes open, even after drinking five or six vials of foul-tasting tea.

“I’m sorry, Adelina, but you don’t have time to sleep.” Yelena gripped her shoulders. “If Natasha is going to take this last batch of arrows back to the barracks right now, you won’t have long to get Damir out of his prison cell.”

Despite the fact her entire body sagged against the chair’s frame, and a fogginess filled her head, she fought against her fatigue. Pushing onto the armrests, she hoisted herself onto her feet .

“There’s something I need to give you.” Yelena rushed around to the other side of her desk, then rifled through a drawer.

She withdrew a book, then thrust it into Adelina’s hands.

“This is my own personal book of research. Inside, is everything I know about herbs, magic systems—not just nether and astral, but what other sorcerers use, like Kira and Lev—and much more. Hide this in your cloak and take it with you. Leave now before the servants wake. They are usually up and about a couple of hours before dawn, so you have no time to waste.”

“Wait.” With her free hand, Adelina gripped Yelena’s wrist. “You’re coming with us, aren’t you?”

Yelena’s face paled. “I will do everything I can to make sure we bring that bastard down and you and your husband get away from this place. If it means I don’t make it, then I have done my duty to you, and when I stand in front of the gods, they will know.”

Adelina shook her head sharply. “No. This isn’t the day you die in an explosion I cause. I’m not letting it happen. You’re coming with us.”

Although she nodded her head, Yelena pressed her lips into a thin line, and practically shoved Adelina towards the door. “Find your husband. When the first explosion sounds, I’ll keep Filip away from you.”

Throwing her arms around her teacher, Adelina held Yelena in a tight embrace. “Thank you.”

When she let go, she spun, shoved the book into her pocket, and hurried outside. The full moon drenched the lawn and flowerbeds in silver light. Slipping through the kitchen door, she made her way across the stone path and disappeared down the stairs to the cells below ground .

Drawing forth her magic, she let it flood her veins and fill her with a fiery warmth before she conjured the golden embroidery. She ignored the tingling sensation and the blisters forming.

“What are you doing down here?” the guard on watch said as he halted at the bottom of the steps. His stern gaze lowered from her face to her wrist.

Her magic lashed out like a whip, slicing through his neck. Blood spurted from the wound as he lifted his hands to clutch his throat. He’d be dead in minutes.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I really am sorry, but I need to get the hell out of here or far more people are going to die.”

When the guard hit the floor, she rummaged in his pockets and withdrew a set of keys.

Sprinting to the end of the corridor, she halted outside Damir’s cell. With shaky fingers, she fumbled for the right keys. Dazed, she struggled to get a grip on the small piece of metal.

Damir was already at the bars, his fingers wrapping around her hand. “I’ll do it.”

He took the keys from her, fed his arm through the gap, twisting as he unlocked the door, and flung it open.

In a quick stride, he’d gathered her in his arms, pressing her head to his chest. She breathed him in, not caring he smelled of dirt and damp. Her whole body shook, and she clung to him. There he was, the love of her life, and he was whole . It was her mission to keep it so.

“We need to go,” she whispered .

With a nod, he clasped her hand, and together, they jogged towards the staircase. His gaze dropped to the body on the floor, then flicked back to her.

“I didn’t have a choice,” she said quietly, although she didn’t quite believe her words.

“Don’t worry,” is all he could say before the impact of the first explosion sent them hurtling into the stone wall.

Plumes of dust and stones dripped from the ceiling and rubble thundered to the ground above them. As she clawed to her feet, she spotted the opposite wall completely caved in, crushing whoever was imprisoned in the cell there.

Damir grabbed her by the arms and scanned her body. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She touched the crown of her head and winced. It throbbed. “We need to get you a weapon—something to defend yourself with. We’ll have to fight our way out of here. I’ve overcharged a bunch of items belonging to the guards. There will be more explosions.”

Bending, he tossed chunks of stones aside, then drew the guard’s sword from underneath. “What’s the bet this is one of few you haven’t tampered with?”

“Come on.” She clasped his hand and climbed over the rubble, heading up the stairs.

The back entrance of the palace, leading to the kitchens, conservatory, and gardens, was destroyed.

Pillars lay broken and caved-in. Doors were ripped from their hinges, halls collapsed, and shattered glass littered the floor.

Any paintings still hanging were crooked, and chandeliers lay crushed underneath stone .

“How many explosions can we expect?” he said as he led the way around the rubble in search of an exit point.

“Two or three, depending on how quickly the guards picked up their items. I can’t imagine they will grab their swords and arrows at the exact same time.” Adelina came to a halt as she stared at the crushed body beneath the fallen beams, his face bloodied, eyes closed.

Her attention was ripped from the corpse when a dozen guards charged into the building through a hole in the external wall to the left-hand side of the palace. A split second to conjure her magic—there wasn’t time to think, to consider their lives.

The golden whip lashed out, swiping through the row of bodies in one fell swoop. Their bodies were sliced in half, hitting the ground to join the debris.

“Do I even need a sword?” Damir eyed her.

She didn’t say anything—she couldn’t—bile rose in her throat. Each time she killed someone, the more scared she was of losing herself to Filip, becoming more like him.

An almighty boom! ripped through the air, vibrating the ground as the second explosion erupted from somewhere in the gardens.

Damir threw out his arm, holding her in place as the conservatory shattered.

Grabbing her, he pulled her to the floorboards, shielding her head from the glass shards hurtling towards them. She winced as something sliced her cheek.

“We need to find Yelena.” She scrambled to her feet. “I’m not leaving her here. ”

“We should head towards the barracks—the rest of the guards will be there, right?” he asked. “How much time do we have between explosions?”