Page 49

Ignatia

I won't leave Amias in here to die.

The dreamscreechers close in as Amias pants under me. It doesn't help that we're in-between bushes of fire. I know I can't do this for long, but it can hold them off temporarily.

How can I get him out of here before they kill him?

Vasilisa cackles, “Get them.”

Amias twists underneath and shoves me off. I shout as I crash on the ground beside him. Someone hisses in my ear, but when I look up to face my attacker, a flash strikes a blow at the dreamscreecher’s cheek.

“Don’t touch her!” Amias snaps.

What is he doing?

The dreamscreechers snarl at him and close in, pulling and nipping at his skin and clothes. Just as his eyes start glowing red, they rush in at once, sinking their teeth and ripping into him and his clothes.

He twists and tries to punch them all, but there's too many. They drag him off me as he unleashed a cry.

“Amias!” I scream. That idiot!

“Stop!” I yell. I try to focus on shifting into dreamscreecher form, but knives drag across my skin. I snap my head to my attacker and slug him.

I need to protect Amias!

I could barely see Amias through the swarm of dreamscreechers around him. The others are prowling towards me, snapping their jaws.

My body trembles. Air is snatched from my lungs. Pain courses through me with every wound on me. I can't fight them all. He can't fight fight then either. I'm going to lose another person. I can't lose the last person the world has gifted me.

Amias isn't going to last. If I don't think of anything now, he's done for.

Wait!

“Stop! I got a prophecy!” I yelp.

The biting and clawing pauses. The dreamscreechers around Amias snap their heads up. Amias perks his head, blood dripping down his cheek.

I breathe hoarsely. “Godusa told me to save him! She needs him alive!”

The dreamscreechers remain silent as they tilt their heads.

“You'll regret killing him!” I pause to catch my breath “I guarantee!”

The dreamscreechers start to whisper among themselves, exchanging looks with each other.

“She wants him alive?”

“No one has seen Godusa for decades besides Vasilisa.”

“Why would she want us to help him?”

Amias’ eyes widen at me. I nod to him to assure him even though my confidence is weak.

“She never got a prophecy! She's lying!” Vasilisa growls. “Rip her and her little boy toy apart!”

“No! I did!” I take a moment to look into the eyes of each dreamscreecher. “She gave me a vision of Amias dying in violet flames. She warned me two days ago. If you don't listen, you'll all pay.”

“And how do we know you're not lying?” one dreamscreecher shouts from the crowd. He steps forward between me and Amias, towering over my body.

I sniffle, fear strumming against my chest. I don't have any proof. I have to hope I'm convincing enough. “I know I can't prove it, but I promise you I did.”

“Why would Godusa want to keep the enemy alive?” another dreamscreecher says.

“This is the blood of her who's killed our kind for centuries,” The dreamscreecher between Amias and I growls. “His grandmother killed countless of our greatest knights. Why should we trust her kin?”

I wipe away tears. “He’s no enemy. He's not like her.

Would he still be here if he didn't love me?

He knows who and what I am and still fights for me.

You know how big this is? To have Amara's grandson fight for us?” As they murmuring among themselves, I look at Amias, who's lying down staring up at the dreamscreechers like a panicked mouse.

“Amias is sweet and kind. He'll help restore peace between Amara and Somnia.

We won't be plagued by Amara's cruelty any longer.”

Amias catches my gaze, his brows rising like he just realized what was being said of him.

“That's impossible!” Vasilisa snaps. “Amara and Somnia will always be divided.”

Amias’ nose wrinkles. “It's not impossible!” His head whirls to Vasilisa. “I want to prove dreamscreechers can be good. They wanted me to poison dreamscreechers tonight but I refused. If I can prove that dreamscreechers are good, we can repair the damage we've done through all these years.”

The dreamscreechers whisper among themselves once more.

“You fools! Do I really have to kill them myself!” Vasilisa growls.

“Please!” I plead. “This is what Godusa wants!”

If they don't believe me, we're done.

Finally as they stop talking amongst each other, the dreamscreecher between Amias and I looks down at me. “We can't go against Godusa's orders.”

My heart leaps in relief. They're on our side!

Vasilisa snarls. “You idiots! She’s manipulating you to let her and little sex toy go!”

“You have been destroying our kingdom!”Another dreamscreecher protests.

“Godusa always knows best. She wants the princess to live!”

“She's guiding us to a better future.”

Vasilisa charges towards me but not before three dreamscreechers stand in front, blocking her path. Vasilisa curls her lip back. “I'll have you all killed.”

I scramble up and pull Amias away. Other dreamscreechers step aside for us to run away. I grab Amias by the hand and sprint.

I search each pathway for an exit. Everything has gone to flames. Every way will risk Amias getting killed.If it weren't for him, I could run it through.

I have to find an escape before Vasilisa catches up.

Amias coughs beside me. I snap my gaze to him as he squeezes my hand. Will he be able to survive the smoke?

Why couldn't Godusa make humans resistant to violet fires too?

“I know-” he starts to cough. “I think I know the way now.” He coughs again, even harder than last time.

“Are you okay?”

“I'll manage.” He coughs once more. I scan him up and down before he takes the lead and runs down the path.

His hacking coughs only gets stronger with every second in this maze. My stomach twists each time. He won't last long in here.

I can't let him die on me. Not now.

“There!” He pulls me towards the exit ahead, where the fires haven't blocked the path.

Only a few strides away, Amias coughs again, staggering and leaning forward, like he would trip into the fire. I tug him back when his legs buckle. He stumbles in my arms “Clara…” he rasps. “We gotta go.”

“You're getting weak,” I whisper. “You were going to fall face first.”

“I can run-” He interrupts himself with another cough, His body heavies and sinks into my arms. With all the strength I have, I groan and use all of my strength to stand him up and wrap his arm around my shoulder. “You don't need-”

“I'm not letting you die in here.” I guide him forward. Only a few steps, and we'll be out of this fire.

Amias will be safe.

A screech comes from behind us. Something hits my back when fire spreads on Amias’ back.

“Amias!” My heart skips as I set him down and take his suit off of him. For a moment, I worry the fire will get to his skin, but luckily, it barely made it past his undershirt.

Thank Godusa.

“You're not making it out alive!” Vasilisa hisses.

I hurriedly get Amias back up before rushing out towards the exit. Vasilisa's pitter patters behind us grow louder and I do the closest I can to sprinting with Amias’ weight.

I can't let her get to us. Not when we're so close.

We rush out through the exit as the air whooshes behind us. Despite Amias', we make it out of the garden and farther up ahead.

It's only now, I realize the back of the castle has been set on fire. I stagger up next to the side of the castle where the fire hadn't spread, bringing us to the front where I catch murmurs and whispers of people.

I look over my shoulder. Vasilisa won't show herself with so many Amarians alone, and I doubt that the others are coming.

I set Amias down against the castle wall when we're far enough from the back. I pull his chin up as he coughs once again. He has some soot around his nose and his eyes are very wary and dull. “You'll be okay…”I whisper.

His breath is disturbingly harsh. I lean in closer, putting my forehead against his. “Stay with me, okay?”

He doesn't respond as his eyes roll back, his head leaning back against the wall.

No. Shit! “Stay up!”

I whip my head towards the front of the castle. Don't tell me the smoke is gonna kill him! “Help! Help! I got Amias!”

I look back to Amias, making sure his chest is moving up and down.

Thank Godusa, it is. I put my arms under his to bring him closer to the crowd in front.

Within a few seconds of calling for help, a woman who has long wavy blonde hair and blue eyes runs up to me.

She sobs, and clutches her chest in her long beautiful pink dress.

“My dove!” she cries out. She towering over me by at least two feet. It feels intimidating being so small in comparison.

My body tenses. This must be his mother. Or grandmother. I can't tell.

“I thought he was dead!” she reaches for him. But instead, I flinch as she's shoved aside by a group of people in masks and bulky bright clothing. The tallest one takes Amias from my arms and rushes towards the crowd despite groaning and stumbling under his weight.

“He needs medical attention immediately!” He says.

“Quickly!” another one says, following his path.

They rush him through a crowd of formally dressed people, all stepping aside for the people holding him as they yell out commands.

I swallow in a breath. He's in the right hands now.

“Thank you so much!” The blonde haired woman who was pushed aside sobs. She grabs me by the shoulders. “I thought I'd never see my son again!”

I curtly nod. So it's Amorette. “Of course.”

“I'll repay you,” she says as she steps back to race after her son. “After this, I'll repay you.”

Before I can reply, something grasps my shoulder. “Great job.”

I jerk my head over to face the bulky figure. The mask over his face smothers his voice as he continues. “You’re a real hero tonight. You just saved the grandson of love itself.”

Air fills my lungs again with relief. It isn't a time to celebrate though. The smoke might have been too much for him. “We aren't safe yet. He might have gotten out too late.”

“Even still, you are a hero.” He pushes me forward towards the crowd. I scrunch my nose when another person approaches me in the same uniform on my other side.

“Let's get you a blanket,” the new masked person says. “And make sure you're alright. You have some nasty wounds.”

I realize it feels a bit breezy. Probably because most of my clothes have been ripped off or burned. My shirt and blazer are scraps barely hanging on my body and my pants are starting to sag.

Embarrassment heats up my cheeks as we walk through the crowd. I cross my arms to keep my remains of clothing on me, but it doesn't bother me as much as I think back to Amias. I hope I really saved him.

He deserves to live. And I want him to live.

I don't know what I'd do if I found out he was dead.