Page 115 of The Freedom You Seek
Ireas shrugged. “What annoys me the most about the whole thing—if we’re classified as deserters, I won’t be able to continue my medical training, even though there’s still so much Ihave to learn.”
His lips curled down, and his eyes darted around as if he was afraid that at any moment, someone would break through the cover of the trees and arrest him. “I’m sorry,” I said, and it was true. I felt for him.
“No need for that, Nayana. When the worlds threaten to go into the abyss, I won’t ignore it. Especially not for something that would be absolutely irrelevant in that case. If we make it out of this, I hope I’ll find someone else to teach me.”
“There’s more, isn’t there?”
Ireas sighed, and in the end, he dipped his head. “Yes. It’s likely that if we work against the king’s plans, he’ll punish everyone around us. So yes, I worry about my parents and siblings.”
“I’ve never heard of King Pritatus being unnecessarily cruel.” I stopped myself. “But then again, I also never knew he’s been lying to everyone about history and a second world for ages.”
“Not only my family could suffer but also my friends. So could my teacher.”
“And yet you stay?”
“Yes, I am, and I can name a few reasons why. One of them is that even though I’m young and inexperienced, I’m a part of this. I don’t want to run away from what I think—no, from what Iknowis right—just because some superiors have other plans.”
Ireas didn’t give the impression he wanted to continue talking. He fell silent, looked to his feet, and there was so much bottled-up pain in the gentle manthat it hurt me as well.
“If you ever want to talk, from one person who is shit in dealing with their baggage to the other, come and find me.”
Ireas nodded. “Thank you, Nayana. Maybe we can help each other.”
“That’s what friends are for, aren’t they?” I smiled at him, and he swallowed as if he was fighting back tears. Acting entirely on instinct, I moved closer and put my arms around him, pulling him into a hug. “It’s all right to cry. You know that, Ireas, don’t you?”
I hadn’t seen many adult men cry in my life because society didn’t agree with my sentiment that tears were not emasculating—but there was a lot that society and I didn’t agree on.
My words seemed to reach Ireas, and soon he was shaken by silent sobs. His face was hidden against my shoulder, and the material of my nightgown felt wet. Still, I didn’t stir, didn’t rush him, instead I was stroking soothingly over his back.
After a few minutes, Ireas straightened himself and wiped his eyes as I let him go. “Thanks,” he whispered. He went on speaking, but his words were droned out by a loud growl bellowing through the night—and no, this definitely wasn’t Dion. I’d never heard such a noise before, and it paralyzed me.
“What—?” I asked, my voice shaking as Ireas jumped up and grabbed my forearm, pulling me toward the camp—and toward the noise.
I stifled a scream as we arrived at the fire. The first thing I spotted was another one of those tears—or Wild Rifts, asLarithia had called them—closing itself, leaving behind a massive wolf-like creature. The beast was so huge I’d barely reach its shoulder. Its fur was gray and shaggy, the maw full of evil-looking pointed teeth. There were more than one or two rows of them, for sure. Its tail didn’t resemble the one of a wolf at all, it looked more like the one a scorpion had. But my eyes were drawn to the giant, feathered, pale blue wings on its back—somehow, the color of its wings was the most absurd feat of the thing for me—which were spread wide in a threatening stance. The creature currently had its maw clamped around Thain’s forearm and was staring at him with inhuman yellow eyes and triangular pupils.
“Shit, a Wailos,” Ireas mumbled, staring at the scene just as transfixed as I was.
My eyes darted around until I spotted the others while the Wailos held Thain’s arm in its deadly bite. The redhead’s face was contorted in pain, and he’d sunken to his knees. No one approached, and that kicked me into action. Forgetting my fear, I ran toward the wolfish monster, determined to help.
“Nayana!” Dion roared. “Stop!”
I heard him, but it didn’t keep me from approaching. Well, until some very familiar black smoky tendrils charged at me, wrapping around me and dragging me away as they pulsed angrily.
“I swear to you, Dion, you’re so dead!” I struggled against the shadows, but to no avail.
At least Fig and Antas had jumped into action and distracted the monster—which had finally released Thain,who crumpled on the ground and held his arm under curses.
“You’ll kill us both one of these days.” Dion, who’d reached my vicinity while I’d been watching the scene, hissed at me.
I felt him gently tug at my Potential, and even though I was angry, I enjoyed the tender warmth the sensation brought. My jaw dropped as my shadow restraints morphed and wrapped around me like lightweight armor, and within moments, it was precisely that—I was wearing blacker-as-night armor that felt solid yet weighed nothing at all.
“Stay away, especially from its tail,” Dion growled as his dark sword slowly formed in his hands. I felt him pulling more from me, more urgently as well, and yet it took longer than usual for his weapon to materialize completely.
I stored this observation in my mind for later while Dion joined Fig, who brandished a giant broadsword to fight the monster. Antas had positioned himself somewhere in the distance, barely within my sight, smoothly drawing the string of his bow to his ear. It didn’t seem safe for him to shoot with everyone so close and moving so fast, but every arrow he released at the wolf hit the mark. His aim was perfect, and it was fascinating to watch. And it was obvious that the men were used to fighting together as a unit.
Ireas rummaged frantically through his bag, muttering a string of curses that made my ears bleed with their explicitness, and I—I stood around uselessly, like a bystander condemned to watch while the others risked their lives.
I wouldn’t have it. Dion could be angry with me afterward. I’d deal with it then. Luckily, he’d withdrawn the tendrils rooting me to the spot when he’d conjured my shadow armor, and I tried my best to sneak to Thain unnoticed. He was bleeding heavily and had collapsed to the ground, but at least he was conscious. I needed to get him further away, to Ireas.