Page 55

As the stampede of elves rushed toward Aedris, the guards dropped me and formed a protective circle around the king.

“Attack!” Aedris screamed at his soldiers.

A stray elbow caught me in the face, and my head snapped back as stars clouded my vision. Warmth pooled under my nose as droplets of blood fell onto my white dress.

I hadn’t meant to get entangled in a revolt, not when a bigger war marched closer every day. Yet here I was, standing directly in the middle of a revolution.

I swayed on my feet as Rowen and Maddock charged through the dust like two beautiful titans. They consumed my narrowing vision as they sprinted toward me.

Rowen caught me just before I fell. His emotions poured over me in desperate waves, a raging tempest that was easy to read as he noted the blood on my face and the gold collar at my feet. Whereas Maddock was barely containing himself. It looked as if he wanted to touch and examine me for himself.

Convinced that I was mostly unharmed, Rowen gathered me in his embrace.

Even though a battle erupted around us, I wanted to break down and cry in his arms. “I failed,” I said, holding onto him so tight that my fingers bunched the fabric of his shirt. Maddock hugged me from the back, offering me more comfort as he kissed my head.

I’d believed that somehow Hara’dune would help us defeat Erovos and save Indrasyl. But without their help, there was no other choice. I would have to . . .

“No, Keira. You were perfect. It’s not over yet,” he murmured against me.

Two sets of arms held me and stroked me as a battle raged around us.

Rowen said he wouldn’t survive if he lost me again, so how could I go through with Indrasyl’s plan, knowing it would kill us both?

I wished I could give him a reason to keep living without me.

Suddenly, Dyani, Rayal, and Thaydril cut their way through the commotion. The guards were armed, and the rioting elves were armed only with anger.

“You must go,” Rayal urged. “While there is pandemonium. If you are here when the dust settles, Aedris will throw you into the sand pits.”

“I’ll kill him,” Rowen snarled, kicking the collar away from me. “For making her bleed.”

“I’ll be right behind you,” Maddock agreed, his hands still on me.

The princess shook her head. “He is too heavily guarded. You must go.”

“Come with me,” Thaydril agreed through the chaos. “I will open the arch for you and take you home.”

I grabbed Rowen’s corded arm. “Our role here is done,” I said, knowing there was nothing more we could do. “We need to focus on the battle ahead.”

“Can you run?” he asked, his eyes trailing down my body .

Barefoot and clad in a ripped dress that billowed around me like the ghost of my hopes, I nodded. Rowen and Maddock helped me to my feet, and without another word, we sprinted into the fray, weaving through the uprising growing more violent by the second.

One of the guards grabbed Rayal by the arm. “You’re not going anywhere,” he growled, handling and yanking her roughly.

Dyani pounced from the crowd like a mountain cat. “Get your hands off her,” she snarled and punched him square in the face. The guard howled in pain as his hands flew to his bloody nose.

Rayal shot her eyes to Dyani. “I could have done that.”

“I know, but I’ve wanted to do that since we got here,” the warrior replied, her silver ponytail billowing in the wind.

The princess grinned.

“Quickly,” Thaydril called as he led the way back through the city. We cut through the empty streets and passed the drying lake. The acrid taste of failure coated my tongue as my bare feet pounded against the ground. I may have lost this battle, but I still had a war to win.

The giant arch finally came into view, towering like a marvel with its shimmering curtain of sand.

We were all out of breath and clutching our sides.

Thaydril’s eyes found me, his chest heaving. “The arch will take you home.”

“Our weapons,” Dyani reminded him, patting her empty hips. “You said we would get them back.”

Thaydril rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh. “I’ll be right back.” His yellow cape flourished behind him as he darted through the arch.

“Come with us,” I said, turning to Rayal.

“I cannot leave now,” the princess replied, shaking her head. “ Not when you have planted the seed of my reign. I wish I could thank you properly, but we don’t have much time, and there is something you must know.”

“What is it?” I asked as her golden stare turned to Rowen.

“Have you ever considered reuniting Viltarran?”

Rowen’s eyes widened in shock. “I have. Several times, but I hold no claim.”

“What if you did?” the princess asked. And suddenly, Erovos’ words rang through me like a gong. He had called Rowen a lord.

Was Viltarran rightfully his? The land where he had grown up and lived a struggled life with his mother—a scullery maid who sacrificed everything to love and protect him? The very land his lord and father figure had charged him with protecting?

Rowen’s sharp, green eyes narrowed, shooting me a glance. “What do you mean?” he asked the princess carefully.

“What if you have a true and binding title?”

“That’s impossible,” Rowen said, his strong jaw flexing. “Aliphoura murdered her father before he could bequeath it to anyone.”

“As you well know, I was a prisoner in Aliphoura’s crypts, but that doesn’t mean I stayed put.

I explored her underground kingdom as much as I could.

It was how I smuggled in food for Keira,” Rayal said, her eyes flashing with the dark memory.

“I searched for a way out or any other weaknesses the queen might have. I found her private quarters once. It was a depraved place, filled with toys and torture devices.”

She shook off the memory and reached into her dress pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. “This is for you.”

With a questioning look, Rowen took the parchment from her outstretched hand and unfolded the letter.

I waited with bated breath as Rowen read the writing. His eyes snapped to mine. “It says I am the true ruler of Viltarran.”

My mouth dropped, and my broken heart filled with joy. This was exactly what I was looking for! A reason for Rowen to live.

“I went through Aliphoura’s desk. My father was a king, so I know all about hidden compartments, and in one of the drawers was this: Lord Leones’ final will and testament,” Rayal said, gesturing to the scroll in Rowen’s hands.

“It says that you, Rowen Damascus, are the rightful heir of Viltarran. I caught her speaking of you many times. Her goal was always to get you back. Her plan was to abduct Keira and use her as leverage to get you to do whatever she wanted, even impregnate herself with your heir. Any question of her claim would be silenced through your child. She would have succeeded had it not been for Keira’s cave-in. ”

I almost vomited. What a depraved plan. The night Rowen had exchanged his body for mine, Fou made it clear she was going to rape him. But to bring a child into the world in that way was despicable.

I had torn down her entire kingdom to ensure he escaped such a fate.

“It does look like Lord Leones’ handwriting,” Rowen confirmed as he gripped the paper like a letter from home.

“Can you rebuild Viltarran? Reunite your people?” I asked, staring at his severe yet striking beauty. He was born for this role. His powerful aura was undeniable and exuded from his every pore.

“I will certainly try,” he said, his throat bobbing from choked-up emotion.

Realization shredded my soul as the blood drained from my face. He would try without me.

“Keira, what’s wrong?” Rowen asked, his thick brows creasing.

Oh no. I couldn’t risk Rowen feeling my agony through our bond. Instead, I shoved all the hurt, anger, and fury away from our connection. I thought I was in the clear when Madds suddenly doubled over and grunted as if he’d been punched in the gut.

Rowen’s gaze shot to Maddock. “Madds?” He asked, concern engulfing his voice, but the thief of my Light and bond stared at me, his nostrils flaring.

“It’s nothing,” he replied, his hooded eyes snapping to Rowen.

“Erovos called you a lord,” I said, taking the attention away from Maddock, who looked like he was about to be sick. “Even he knows you are the rightful heir of Viltarran.”

Rowen faltered and lowered the letter. “I don’t know if I can do it.”

“You can,” I said, grabbing his hands that held the scroll.

“I know your strength and compassion; your integrity and ability to care for others. I’ve seen your sketches and heard the love in your voice when you speak of where you came from.

You could restore it all and make a better future for your people. ”

“A future?” he asked as if remembering a dream from another lifetime.

He’d been in survival mode for so long, living each day on the brink of life and death.

There was hardly a moment to contemplate what lay beyond the war.

“Leones made comments, but I never thought he was serious. And I told him I didn’t want it. ”

“Those who do not seek power are those who deserve it most,” Rayal said, her eyes softening at Rowen’s confession.

“Look at the false queen and my step-uncle, going to any lengths to rule, much to the detriment of their people. Their laws hurt everyone but themselves, and they line their pockets no matter the cost paid in blood and lives. Those who can easily gain such power are the ones who should never have it.”

Thaydril shot back through the curtain of sand, carrying our weapons. “Here you go,” he said as we grabbed our rightful pieces. A sense of completeness washed over me as Mithrion returned to my grip.

In the distance, the sound of rioting grew closer.

Thaydril parted the curtain of sand with a practiced motion. Nestled through the arch like a painting was a lush forest, brimming with greenery, mist, and morning dew.

A Hara’dune sunset blazed at my back while a Wyn sunrise flickered on my face.

“Time to go,” Thaydril said urgently.

“Good luck with your war,” the princess said, her eyes filled with regret. “I wish to the spirits I could help you.”

Dyani took the princess’s hand and bowed, placing a kiss upon her wrist. “I hope to see you again one day,” she said before backing into her forest.

“Yes, would love that,” Maddock said, following after her. “As long as there is no sand involved.”

Thaydril kept the connection between forest and desert open as I stepped through the arch.

“Keira,” Rowen said, grabbing my hand to stop me.

The way he said my name made my heart drop into my stomach.

His dark expression was tortured yet set with determination.

“I need to find what’s left of Viltarran.

I can unite my people now. The warriors I once commanded under Lord Leones’ rule might help us.

We need more numbers.” He turned to the man who first welcomed us into Hara’dune. “Thaydril, can you help me get there?”

The Keeper of the Arch noted my look of utter shock, then pivoted to Rowen and nodded. “I can, but we must hurry.”

“I can’t bear to be away from you,” Rowen said as he stood on golden sand and I upon moss. “You are my reason for living, the oxygen that keeps me breathing, and the fire that keeps me fighting. But I must?—”

“I know,” I said, our bodies standing a world apart yet clutching each other through the Eye of the Sun. “And I need to be here.”

“I will come back with help. I promise you,” he said before kissing me with an intensity that stole the breath from my lungs.

He pulled his lips from mine, the shadows in his eyes darkening. It looked as though he were pulling away from life itself. His green gaze shot to Maddock with a frightening intensity. “Take care of her.”

“You know I will,” Madds promised, his voice deep and resounding.

“Okay. It’s really time to go,” Thaydril urged, glancing over his shoulder at the approaching guards.

Rowen clutched my cheek and wiped a tear with his thumb. I didn’t even know I was crying. “I will bring armies to your feet,” he whispered to me. “Let’s get through this war, and I will rule cities with you, make a better world with you, and worship you like the goddess you are.”

For a heartbeat, I thought about telling him everything, but then, the Earth shook as I’d never felt it shake before. The ground trembled like the world was ripping apart.

“Erovos!” I cried, my and Rowen’s eyes locking onto each other. “He’ll go back to Indrasyl!”

“I can’t hold the portal,” Thaydril grunted as streams of dirt and rock fell between us.

“Give me two days. I’ll meet you there,” Rowen called through the diminishing connection. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I called back, wanting to yank him back to me and never let go.

Erovos’ earthquake was too much to fight, and with a strained groan, Thaydril lost control of the arch.

Maddock pulled me back as Rowen, my soul flame, my rock, my everything, disappeared in a crashing avalanche of sand.