Page 35 of A Curse of Breath and Blood (The Mind Breaker #1)

34 AELIA

The jewels on my dress scraped against the hardwood of the tunnel as we crawled toward freedom, dragging Baylis’s sleeping body as we went.

“When did she get so heavy?” Amolie said through panting breaths.

Gritting my teeth, I heaved her body forward. “I just hope she doesn’t wake up while we’re in this tunnel.”

Crawling relentlessly, the end nowhere in sight, panic overtook us as our strength dwindled.

“Listen,” Amolie said, pressing her hand to the roof of the passage. “It’s water. We must be near the river.”

The knot in my chest untied at the sound of rushing water. “If we can get out, we can build a simple raft for Baylis and, hopefully, get her to camp.”

“What’s left of it,” Amolie said half-heartedly.

We’d both seen the forest ablaze. The heat had radiated throughout the great hall as the Hunt battled the Blood Riders.

A new Alder King had been crowned. Half-sylph and half-elf, his power would be limitless if he could control it.

Once the great hall had emptied, Tharan invoked his newfound power. A formidable vine emerged from the wooden floor, coiling around him before descending back into the earth, carrying the newly crowned king with it. The Wild Hunt echoed with their eerie howls, faithfully trailing their leader into the tumultuous blaze. Amolie and I narrowly evaded the vengeance of the remaining Blood Riders.

“Can you see an exit, Aelia?”

I squinted, trying to find my way through the endless darkness.

A tinge of light became visible. “The end of the tunnel is near. Just a little further.”

Exhausted and dirty, Amolie and I pooled our strength and pushed Baylis with all our might until the river came into view.

Mud squished between our bare toes as we sank to our knees. The ground sent shivers through my body.

I lay on my back, gazing up at the canopy emitting smoldering embers. The scent of burnt wood and fresh blood drifted on the wintry breeze. The illumination I initially confused for the early dawn unveiled itself as the voracious inferno engulfing the Woodland Realm.

I pressed my ear to Baylis’s chest, confirming her continued breathing.

As children, Baylis and I often shared a bed. Even at the River House, the beds always seemed too large for us, and we invariably gravitated to Baylis’s bed on the second floor, overlooking the river through its window. I would read stories to her many nights until she drifted off to sleep. Cherished tales of ancient knights who vanquished dragons and defeated monsters, secretly yearning for a knight to rescue us. Her room transformed into our own little sanctuary. When our father fell ill, we grew up quickly, but Baylis’s room remained the one place where we could still hold onto the innocence of our childhood .

“I hope the men are alright,” Amolie said. Cries of pain echoed over the river in answer.

“If we can get down the river, we may still help them,” I said.

Amolie ripped strips from her dress, using them as ties to make a raft for Baylis, while I frantically cut reeds for Amolie to fasten together. Despite the fire, a cool wind swept through the valley, sending a chill up my spine, reminding me of the sheerness of my dress.

We loaded Baylis onto the raft, lowering our bodies into the icy water.

Amolie’s teeth chattered.

I shook uncontrollably as the cold snaked its way straight to my bones.

The river wound through several camps where courts tended to their wounded and wrapped their dead.

“Is the battle over?” I asked a sylph woman with silver hair and the eyes of a serpent, trying her best to heal a wound on a large sylph man.

“The battle is over. King Tharan and the Hunt triumphed. But we suffered many losses.”

“Do you know about the Court of Storms? Are they still standing?” Fear frayed my already frazzled nerves.

“Lord Caiden was at the front of the last line of defense. I do not know his fate.”

A skeletal hand tugged at my heart. “Thank you.” I shot Amolie a look of urgency. “We have to get back to the camp.”

Amolie nodded, and we picked up our pace, wading through the water until we reached a turnoff for the camp where the Court of Storms had been. Our muscles burned as we fought against the current.

“I’ll stay with Baylis. Run up and see if anything is left of the camp,” I said. We pulled the makeshift raft onto the shore .

Freezing water dripped from Amolie’s dress as she scrambled up the embankment.

The smell of death and blood lingered in the air. Many had fallen. I silently prayed to Ammena, Illya, and to any god listening. Please let Caiden be safe. Please let him be unharmed.

Heavy rain fell from the sky, extinguishing the remaining fires. Desperate, I searched for his mind in a sea of agony. But he did not return my call. Sinking into the muddy bank of the river, heart heavy, I buried my face in my hands. Tears welled in my eyes. I shouldn’t have gone into Gideon’s camp the other night. We’d brought this nightmare upon everyone.

“I hope you’re not crying over me,” a familiar voice said.

My heart leapt at the sight of Caiden coming up the riverbank. The light of the dying fires flickering on his golden hair. Blood stained his armor. A picture of the fierce warrior I had fallen in love with. “I thought you were dead.”

“It takes more than some mountain goblins to kill me.” He pulled me into his arms, wrapping his cloak around us both. I reveled in his warmth. The smell of blood and steel lingered on his skin. “I’m glad you’re safe, Springborn.”

I buried my face in his chest, not wanting to let him go. “Help me get Baylis into camp.”

“Amolie’s potion was strong,” Caiden said, waving his hand in front of Baylis’s face.

We heaved her up over the small hill to where a few tattered tents remained.

“Roderick, Lucius?” I gave Caiden a panicked look.

“They are fine. Tharan is here, too. He’s resting in a tent. Roderick and Lucius are looking after him. They’ve got Amolie working on a potion.”

I gazed at the men bandaging their wounds. “We need more healers.”

“Most of my men will heal themselves. Illya’s gift protects us.” He pulled open the tent where Tharan lay on a table in the center of the room. Amolie stood over a bubbling cauldron.

“Put her over there,” she said, pointing at a cot near Tharan.

“Make sure you tie her to it,” Lucius said, pulling a pair of manacles from his pocket. “If she is brainwashed by Gideon, she may try to attack us.”

“No, I won’t have her tied,” I said, pushing Lucius away.

“It’s for her own good and our safety,” Lucius said, holding the manacles up.

Caiden lay a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “It’ll be alright, Aelia. If she wakes, she might try to run or attack us.”

I bit my lip in contemplation. “Fine, but make sure they aren’t too tight.”

Laying Baylis on the bed, we secured her hands and feet.I stroked her hair lovingly.

The large female member of the Hunt I had seen in the palace entered, her helmet tucked under her arm. She looked at Tharan, smoothing his hair over his sloped ears.

“We’ve been friends since childhood.” Tears welled in her eyes. “He defended me when no one else would.”

“He’ll be alright,” Amolie said, touching the female’s ironclad hand. “What is your name?”

“Sumac,” the sylph woman said.

I recognized her voice.

“You saved me. The other day, it was you.” I bowed my head. “Thank you for your kindness.”

“It was him.” She motioned to Tharan. “He could… sense you were in trouble.”

Tharan’s chest moved up and down with his breath.

“He always knows when those he cares about are in trouble,” Sumac said, more to herself than to anyone in particular.

A flush warmed my cheeks. I looked away, avoiding Caiden’s gaze .

“Hold him steady,” Amolie said.

Roderick and Lucius each braced one of Tharan’s arms as Amolie poured a mixture of dandelion and enchanted honey into Tharan’s mouth.

Tharan coughed, jerking his body violently.

“Easy,” Roderick said, helping him upright.

Black soot and the dandelion potion dripped from Tharan’s lips. His eyes caught mine, and a smile brightened his face.“Glad to see you made it.”

“I could say the same about you.” A flush reddened my cheeks.

“Without you, I’d be dead.” He brought my trembling hand to his lips. A bolt of lightning shot through my body. The room watched silently as the Alder King bowed to the Traitor Queen.

The sound of Baylis waking brought everyone back to the present. Her eyes blinked in disbelief before she thrashed violently against the ties.

“Let me go! Let me go! Dirty fucking sylph lover. Dirty fucking witch!” Her voice was harsh and foreign.

I rushed to her side. “Hold her down,” I commanded.

Roderick and Caiden moved to help, but Tharan held up his hand; a force pinned Baylis to the cot.

Frozen with fear, I could only blink awkwardly at my sister. “Do you see a glamour, Amolie?”

Hate flashed in Baylis’s gray eyes. Our father’s eyes.

“She’s not glamoured,” Amolie said, examining Baylis.

“Can you go into her mind, Aelia?”Caiden asked.

I bit my lip. “I can try.”

Closing my eyes, I reached out a tentacle of my power, searching for Baylis. The door to her psyche hung open. The same simple door that led to the temple of Ammena in Elyria—basic wood with a small apple carved in the center. Darkness surrounded me. I focused my energy, feeling for any sign of life .

Stars flickered around me as if I were standing in the middle of the night sky.

“ Baylis? Are you here? ” The great expanse echoed my voice back to me. I swallowed hard. What was going on here? Where was my sister?

A cackle came from all corners of Baylis’s mind, making my blood go cold.

Erissa’s laugh.

The mage’s slender figure materialized out of smoke. “ Hello, little lamb. ” Her pearlescent robe fell in waves around her curves.

I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms. “ What are you doing here? Where is my sister? ”

Erissa circled me, taking long, graceful steps. “ Oh, she’s still here. I’ve just locked her away. For safekeeping, of course. I needed to access her full abilities. ” An evil smile cut Erissa’s ethereal face in two. “ It’s a shame you wouldn’t let me do the same to you. I have a feeling there’s a well of power not yet tapped within you. ”

“ You will never have me again, ” I said through gritted teeth.

On the outside, I possessed no supreme power, but I could bend the mind to my will here. I sent a blast of energy toward Erissa, knocking her to the ground.

“ Aelia! Help me. Please, ” Baylis called, her voice everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

“ Where are you? ” I searched frantically for my sister.

“ Here, I’m still here. ” Baylis’s voice flickered in and out. “ There’s little time, so listen. Erissa took my soul from my body. She’s controlling my mind, using the parts she wants. The amulet around her neck. Break it and set me free. ”

Erissa pounced on me, knocking me to my knees. Kicking her as hard as I could, I ran for the exit.

“ I’ve got your sister right here, ” Erissa called after me, holding up a bloodred amulet .

I opened my eyes.

Everyone stared at me.

Baylis lay asleep.

“She’s trapped,” I said, through heavy breaths. “Erissa is controlling her mind.” I collapsed into a chair. It took all of my power to get out of Baylis’s mind.

An inky stain crept through my veins, inching up my arm. The bargain with Caiden—Baylis’s rescue completed it. Magic sought balance, and though the pain remained bearable for now, delaying the erasure of Caiden’s memories would only exacerbate it. Hastily, I wrapped Caiden’s cloak around myself, praying that no one else saw the telltale mark.

“There is a library in the Alder Palace. If it’s intact, perhaps it might shine a light on the spell. We can have rooms made up for all of you.” Tharan nodded to Sumac, who left to fulfill his wishes.

“I’ll mix up a potion and put Baylis in a deep sleep until we can figure out a plan,” Amolie said.

“We should keep her in a secure room, away from the rest of us,” Lucius said, towering over Baylis. His once-white hair now stained red with blood. “We don’t know if she can be used as a conduit.”

“You mean lock her in a cell?” I growled.

Lucius glowered at me. “We do not know what she is capable of. It’s what is best.”

The thought of keeping Baylis locked up like some kind of lunatic turned my stomach, but Lucius was right. If Erissa could control her mind, there was no telling what she could do.

Tharan stood. “We will honor the dead and burn the bodies on pyres in the sylph tradition. Then we will discuss what to do next about King Gideon.”