Page 33

Kiara

No entity is entirely good or evil. The gods are the same. They can be cruel and vicious, just as the realms and emotions they rule.

Excerpt from Asidian Lore: a Tale of the Gods

I was yanked forward by both my brother and Jake, my aching body forced into a run.

“Go!” Jude commanded, hot on our heels. “Get across the bridge!”

“Wait! What about the others?” I peered over my shoulder, too weakened to break out of their hold. Thankfully, Finn’s hulking frame appeared, Dimitri and Emelia flanking him. They struggled to catch up, but the ruthless winds were making it difficult.

“Hurry, Ki,” Liam cried out, his voice raspy, like he’d been shouting for hours. It had me wondering what they’d endured when I’d been stranded on the other side of this storm.

Winds whipped at my hair, the strands stinging my cheeks. They were angrier now that we’d escaped, powerful gusts barreling into us from all sides. I felt as if the night watched from above, and my stomach knotted as a rumbling growl of displeasure echoed in my head.

I couldn’t help but feel as if the shadow beast’s appearance hadn’t been a coincidence. That somehow, it had been sent to me by the entity that ruled this temple.

If any opponent had the ability to steal my courage, it was the creature that had robbed me of my childhood.

Only when the beast had leveled its sights on the commander did my fear morph into a rage I could use and wield. I saw myself in Jude’s place as the venomous shadows knocked him off his feet. He was me then, that child screaming in the woods, and I was going to save him. Save myself .

I’d get my revenge against the beast who’d tried to take and take and take from me until nothing remained. My spirit, while exhausted, was triumphant. Weary and bloodied but blazing with purpose.

“Come on!” Liam shouted, jerking me free of the past. We were surrounded by nothing, our path to the palace unclear, and for the life of me, I couldn’t recall which direction I’d entered from.

A hint of warmth remained burning in the hearth of my heart, right beside my darkness.

Raina’s power had been with me as well—her divine light a force that worked alongside my shadows to save Jude and me.

Her spirit stood beside me now as if she were flesh and bone, and I swore I felt her heated touch on my back, driving me to safety.

“The dust in this storm is affecting Liam,” Jake yelled, peering to his left, at my brother.

His eyes were shut, his steps uneven. I hadn’t even thought about his condition even though I should have. I was grateful for Jake then, knowing he trained his watchful gaze on Liam.

Liam’s health wasn’t the only reason we needed to hurry.

“A shadow beast attacked us,” I said. “I’d bet there’s more.”

“We saw you kill it,” Liam wheezed, and I threaded my fingers more securely through his.

“We should be out of this storm soon!” I promised. I didn’t recall wandering for too long after I’d entered, so we had to be close.

Squinting, I searched for the bridge, grit and dust flying into my eyes and mouth. Just when I thought we had turned ourselves around, I saw it. Unmoving lines of luminous white.

I almost smiled at the sight.

Making sure Jude trailed behind, I steered Liam and Jake, both following without pause. I couldn’t even hear my own thoughts, and communicating was becoming impossible.

While Liam and Jake coughed and sputtered, aching for fresh air, I began to breathe easier. I picked up the pace, propelling us out on the other side of the storm’s end.

A final angry breeze struck my face with a force equaling a closed fist. We all stumbled, holding on to one another, our knees weak. Liam nearly collapsed, but Jake hastily grabbed him, angling around my body to wind his arm around Liam’s waist. The bastard all but dropped me.

I was beginning to see who his new favorite was.

Seconds later, Jude and the others emerged, Dimitri crashing to his knees as he gulped in the brisk air. Finn released Emelia’s hand and moved to his friend, pushing Jude gently out of the way. He grasped Dimitri under both arms and hauled him to his feet. They embraced, Finn patting Dimitri on the back forcefully, Emelia looking on in stark relief.

With the others safe, I ran toward the commander. If he hadn’t shown up when he had—

My arms were around him in the span of a heartbeat, and Jude let out a stunned grunt. He caught me easily enough, though.

I didn’t need his support with how very tightly my thighs wrapped around his lean frame.

“You scared the shit out of me!” I scolded, even though he’d helped save my life.

“Then try to not get yourself killed,” he said firmly. Jude fisted the back of my shirt, clutching me tighter, pressing me against his chest.

“You’re touching,” Jake observed, garnering suspicious looks from the rest of our companions. They pretended not to be keenly listening.

“We…we can touch here, it seems,” I answered without looking at him—my eyes were reserved for one person alone. “I think it has to do with this place being built by a god. I can practically taste the magic in the air.” The normal rules of the mortal realm didn’t apply. Perhaps because we no longer walked that world. Then again, we knew so very little of the truth.

“If you start to feel dizzy, or if there’s pain…” Jake trailed off, but I understood his meaning.

“Don’t worry, I’ll let you know,” I promised over my shoulder.

With Jude standing alongside me, facing my greatest fear, I’d been reminded of who I truly was. A fighter.

“I’m ecstatic you can touch, and while you two lovebirds are sickeningly adorable, we really shouldn’t waste time with all the cuddling,” Jake said loudly.

Jude pressed his lips to my brow before he drew back with a disappointed frown. Reluctantly, I dropped to the ground and peered at Jake, skewering him with a half-hearted glower.

I’d stay glued to Jude all day, if possible—preferably far, far away from Jake and my brother—but Jake was right. We had to move before any more creatures discovered us.

“Holy shit.” Emelia whistled, bravely stepping onto the bridge. Bits of gray dust churned under her heavy boots, a tinge of gleaming silver flecks catching the light of the overbright moon. The Fox crouched, brushing a hand across the veiny blue threads marking the stone, tracing them with her index finger. The dark colors grew vibrant beneath her touch.

She shot up with a start, her eyes falling to my scars, lingering on how far they’d traveled. Self-consciously, I pulled down my rolled sleeves, covering the evidence. Emelia arched a perfect dark brow.

“Well then.” She adjusted her satchel. “We’ve already had enough shit thrown our way, and I’d prefer not to linger.” She appeared a warrior set for battle, and her confident demeanor—even after the horror we’d walked through—was inspiring.

“What happened when I was gone?” I asked Jude as we trailed Emelia across the bridge.

His eyes darkened. “Nightmares. We all experienced a form of our worst fears when we sailed through the tunnel. Thankfully, there were no injuries.”

I threaded my hand through his. I dreaded to think of what he envisioned.

“I was the only one not affected,” he said softly, reading my mind. “I was already living my worst fear.” He squeezed my hand to make his point.

Us separated. Again.

My heart fluttered as I tightened my grip on his hand, both of us hustling to keep pace with the others, who’d begun to slip away. At our backs, the unnatural wind howled as if it screamed for us not to go. I didn’t look back.

Five minutes later , Emelia stopped so suddenly, Jake collided with her back. She whirled on him , and he tripped over his feet to place distance between him and her virulent scowl.

I found the thief was growing on me. I’d be taking notes on her particularly potent glares.

“Did any of you hear anything?” she asked, turning from Jake, her gaze landing on the path to the fortress. It was but a blur in the distance.

My ears perked. Only a prickling sensation tickled my palms, but other than that, I sensed nothing.

“No, just the wind,” Finn assured, but Dimitri didn’t appear as relaxed. His bushy brows were scrunched, and he slowly swiveled his head, his eyes narrowed while he assessed the bridge.

The air surrounding the temple, the palace, the fortress—whatever it was to the Moon God—began to ripple, the haze engulfing its imposing, seamless walls gradually easing. Its sharp edges became clearer with each blink, revealing a grand doorway, a set of steep stairs leading at its feet. But to get to those stairs, we needed to get past that wall.

Emelia studied it with a feline focus, her nose wrinkling. She appeared apprehensive, which didn’t bode well.

“That’s going to be a long climb to the top,” Jake whispered to my left, cocking his head Liam’s way.

“I heard that,” my brother replied, rolling his eyes. “I’m perfectly capable of climbing—”

“I never said you weren’t, I just…” Jake trailed off, unable to find the right words for once.

“I’d do anything for her,” Liam argued, face etched in stone. His resolve was palpable, the look he delivered Jake potent.

“I would , too.” Jake dipped his chin, something akin to deference replacing his worry.

The pair shared a look, a silent conversation passing that was clearly not meant for me to know.

As they bonded over their love for me—for which I could hardly blame them—I eased to Emelia’s side where she was fumbling around in her bag. I peered inside, trying to ignore the bundles of meat. While far too salty, my mouth watered at the sight of food, and I nearly groaned when she pushed it aside. Instead, I took stock of all types of devices and foreign contraptions.

“What are you looking for?” I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

She huffed, not deigning to glance my way. “See that wall, Scarlet?” I bristled at the name. “There isn’t a door in case you haven’t noticed. And unless you can fly on command, we’re going to have to be creative.”

Walls of marble, almost three stories tall, encircled the structure. Worst of all, now that the thrill of seeing the temple had passed, I couldn’t find a seam in the wall , no trace of a doorway in which to enter.

Emelia pulled out a circular gadget fashioned of copper. She retrieved a belted harness a second later, using hooks to attach it to the odd contraption.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” I said reverently when we started walking again. She maintained a ruthless pace.

It was beautiful, the piece she carried, circular and polished. Tiny gears and levers blended seamlessly into the copper, and I itched to toy with it, though I suspected she’d smack me on the head should I try.

“Perks of being a thief. And knowing the best inventors in Asidia.” Emelia turned, appraising me in a way that hardly appeared friendly. “Oh, and I’ve been meaning to speak with you about something…”

“What’s that?” I asked, the hairs on my nape rising. She was giving me that stare. I was pinned and helpless beneath it.

She leaned in until her warm breath fanned against my ear. “Hurt him and I’ll slit your throat.” The Fox took off without another word, leaving me speechless.

Well. It seemed Emelia cared for her son far more than she was willing to let on. Not that I hadn’t suspected as much.

“What did she say to you?” Jude appeared at my side. We stared after his mother, allowing the others ahead.

“She threatened to slit my throat if I hurt you,” I said with a smile. “I like her.”

Jude sighed, but he wound his arm around my waist, his fingers tightening on my hip. I decided I rather enjoyed this side of him. Apparently all it took for him to give in to his selfish desire was for me to nearly die. Multiple times.

“Be careful around her, Kiara. She’s a criminal.” Along with the warning in his tone, there was also…sorrow. Jude wanted what anyone in his position would—to imagine Emelia had a reason for her coldness. For why she left him.

I leaned deeper into him.

“Technically, we are wanted fugitives as well. Abandoning the Knights is highly frowned upon,” I teased. While I stared ahead, I could practically feel Jude roll his eyes. His hold on my waist loosened, and I sensed a question perched on the tip of his tongue.

“Come on, Jude,” I coaxed. “What’s really on your mind?”

He swallowed thickly, his jaw feathering. “So. Last night. You vanished right after…” He trailed off, and I turned in time to see a rosy pink glow spread across his cheeks.

He’d nearly died minutes before, and yet he was concerned I regretted our night together.

As if I ever could.

I grinned wickedly. “Well, apparently I shouldn’t fall asleep, because when I dreamed I was flying, I actually flew.”

He fumbled a step. “What do you mean, flew ? I didn’t want to pry about why you left. Or rather, I didn’t want to assume it wasn’t because—”

“It’s not because of what happened,” I said sternly, saving him from his uncharacteristic rambling—even though I immensely enjoyed it. “I fell asleep and dreamed. But it felt too real to be a dream. My body was weightless and my mind somewhat clear. I was soaring through the skies like a starwing when I heard this voice in my head. It was directing me somewhere, and I didn’t even hesitate to follow. Something similar happened back in the woods before we reunited,” I admitted. “I’d seen the enemy’s camp from above. Jake said I was practically transparent, and it had taken several attempts to rouse me.”

Jude was silent for a bit, absorbing my confession. Finally, he spoke, but relief filled his voice. “That explains the shadowy feather I found when I woke.” I frowned as he continued. “But I find an odd comfort knowing magic was at play rather than…disappointment,” he said, trying and failing to sound playful. His cheeks became an even darker pink, and I laughed, much to his surprise. The fearsome commander blushing—what a sight.

Snuggling closer into his side, I said, “Oh, our night together was very satisfactory, Commander.” I used my most serious voice. “I suggest we practice, just to make sure you have the hang of it.”

His throat visibly bobbed, and he appeared not to be breathing.

“So easily riled.” I flicked his nose, and it wrinkled. It didn’t stop him from clutching me as if I’d float away again if he relaxed his grip.

For all I knew, I would.

…

The wall was higher than I’d anticipated.

“We climb here,” Emelia instructed, appraising the wall as one would a puzzle. She ran her hands across her daggers lovingly, making sure they were secured, a glint sparking in her eyes at the challenge.

I wasn’t as easily thrilled. And I wasn’t the only one.

Jake cursed, grumbling something about how mortals weren’t meant to be so high in the sky.

“If we were meant to be that high, then we’d be birds,” Liam whispered, earning a nod of approval from Jake.

“Exactly,” Jake replied, waving his hands about. “And don’t even get me started on small spaces. I’m not a damned mole.”

Emelia shook her head in annoyance and retrieved the copper device from earlier.

Whatever Liam was about to say to Jake died on the tip of his tongue. He ran to the thief’s side, his eyes wide with excitement over the multiple gears, levers, and pea-sized buttons.

I shuddered to think of how it worked. It appeared far too small to hold any of our weight. “You’re going first, Scarlet,” Emelia said without turning. She thrust a thin leather harness in my general direction, only slightly managing to punch me in the gut.

“And that ”—I eyed the device skeptically—“is going to hold me?”

“It supports up to four hundred pounds,” she replied proudly, running a reverent finger over its smooth side. “The best craftsmanship in the realm.”

When she thrust it toward me once more, I didn’t take it. “Liam goes first,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.

“Seriously,” Liam groused. “Stop mothering me.”

Jake ruffled his curls, earning a dour look. “I’d have thought you’d know better by now. Remember, it’s less of a hassle to just agree with her.”

My brother’s glare became coy, and now I decidedly did not appreciate their unspoken stares. If they ganged up on me, I’d be outnumbered.

Emelia grabbed my elbow and swung me away from the boys and their teasing. “Now, what you want to do is attach the harness, connect the clips, and hit this button—”

A rock crumbled from the right side of the bridge. The tiny stone pattered across the smooth surface, rolling to a stop. We all froze.

A resounding crack split the air. I watched in horror as jagged lines surged across the marble surface like veins, stretching to reach for our feet.

More rocks toppled free from the sides of the bridge. It was breaking apart, the cracks forming too quickly to take stock of. My body swayed as the ground tilted, tiny rivulets spider-webbing from the points of my boots.

Emelia screamed for us to run, motioning toward the wall. It loomed a hundred feet away, four scrawled words marking its side.

Halfway there, I could make out their meaning.

The Night Will Reign.

What a lovely message , I thought bitterly, as nervous sweat soaked the material of my shirt. The literal ground beneath me was falling apart, and the Moon God goaded us with a threat.

“Faster!” Jake urged Liam, who was surprisingly keeping a decent pace.

Jude cursed, his long legs a whirl beside me. His eyes were glued to the warning ahead, and his mismatched irises darkened with malice.

More creaking sounded, the bridge swaying, tilting precariously to one side. We must’ve triggered something when we walked across. I should’ve been paying closer attention, but I’d been too distracted by the commander and how we all were alive and whole.

Ironic, given our current circumstances.

Rocks the size of raindrops sliced at my skin as they soared through the air, the walls shattering. There was no order to the destruction, no safety to be found.

All I could do was run, ignoring the bite of stone that struck me from all sides.

Liam smacked a hand right above the word Night as he leaned forward, panting and trying to compose himself from the unexpected sprint.

The harness Emelia had gifted me would be better suited for my brother. Grabbing for him, I slipped the harness in place, much to his annoyance. I was too quick, and the clips were fastened before he could curse me.

Screaming for Emelia, I waited with bated breath as she tossed me the gadget linked to the harness, locking it around my brother’s wrist. The metal top enfolded around Liam’s knuckles, two buttons in pressing distance of his thumb.

“Lift your arm and press the green button!” Emelia instructed Liam. “And hurry the hells up before we all die.”

That warning propelled Liam into action. He lifted his arm and pushed the button, his eyes closed. Before I could yell at him to open them, something clicked, and a silver coil attached to the device went shooting in the air.

The sound of metal striking stone echoed a moment later, the end of the rope affixed to a clawlike apparatus embedded in the stone.

“Now wh—”

Liam whirled upward, airborne and screaming. His body tore into the skies, his arms flailing wildly for purchase. He struck the top of the wall with a distressed groan.

I snuck a look behind us.

The fissures were growing in size, sprouting like twisted roots. The sides of the bridge were all but demolished, fracturing slowly.

“Drop it back down!” Emelia ordered Liam, who heeded her command. I wanted to make some snarky comment about why she’d only brought one , but that probably wasn’t helpful.

After Liam detached the harness and device, he tossed it down. A minute later, Jake went flying, a high-pitched scream reaching my ears. That scream died when his stomach collided against the top, replaced with a painful groan.

Fingers tightened on my wrist, and I whirled around.

“You need to go,” Jude insisted, his stare hard and unyielding.

I shook my head. Ah , he should know me better by now.

The middle of the bridge finally split, rocks tumbling into the waters below with resounding splashes. Jude tried to push me forward, toward his mother, but I shoved Dimitri ahead of me.

Jude’s frustration was palpable, but Dimitri ascended effortlessly and tossed the harness and device back to the Fox with ease. When she called for Jude, he shook his head, unbending as he all but thrust me into his mother’s arms.

“Her first,” he demanded, and I didn’t have time to argue before he secured the harness with deft fingers. A click sounded, and I went barreling into space, a choked scream rumbling up my throat.

The impact stole a rough sound from my throat, the stone brutally digging into my flesh. Liam helped me up, already working on unclipping me while I fought a wave of dizziness.

He chucked both pieces down, and Emelia caught them while more rocks plummeted into the depths, swallowed by the water holding a universe of stars. Our only way back was vanishing before our eyes, leaving us no choice but to go forward.

Perhaps that was the entire point. The realization twisted my gut.

“Jude next!” I screamed, throwing down the equipment.

Thankfully, Emelia nodded in agreement or I would’ve murdered her myself.

Granted, Jude argued with her until I shouted his name—along with a very detailed threat—and then he reluctantly pulled the harness over his broad shoulders. His landing was far more graceful than mine, but he shot me a withering scowl before tossing down the gear.

I smiled. He could sulk all he wanted.

Emelia went next, Finn the last to make the ascent. The cracks had just reached his feet when he aimed for the ledge, the grapple flying through the air.

The device latched onto the wall…just as the ground beneath Finn vanished. He went soaring, and when he landed, he hit the ledge harder than us all, not only because of his sheer size but due to the position he’d shot the device.

Jude’s mouth fell open as the mother he’d never known lunged for Finn and wrapped him in her arms. She didn’t cry, but her body shook, and Finn clutched her against his brawny chest.

“You gave me a heart attack, you big fool,” she snapped, her voice muffled against him.

He let out a deep rumble. “You can’t get rid of me that easily, little fox,” he cooed, and she drew away to deliver a light smack to his arm.

Jude and I caught each other’s eyes. With every member of our group accounted for, and with no option of retreat, the time had come to face what lay ahead.

As one, the commander and I twisted around to face what rested on the other side. I almost wished we hadn’t.

“Well, fuck me.” I massaged the nape of my neck. “Can we not catch a break?”