Page 45

Chapter 45

Laude

I thought we were going to die with Whyzer Patro approaching, but then a flash of color poured out of nowhere. Men in green uniforms appeared out of thin air. A portal. Minerva must have brought them.

The whyzer’s scoundrels shot arrows at the men emerging from the portal. Some hit their marks with a thud, knocking the Giddelian soldiers into the sand, but even more marched onward with swords and gifted hands at the ready.

We had an army coming through, but would it be enough?

Another portal opened in the forest, and Cosme charged out slashing a giant sword. King Ezer appeared with his hands in the air. All movement ceased with King Ezer’s gift in action.

The air grew thick, like a sudden wave of humidity blanketed us. I tried to gulp down as much air as possible to steady my nerves or my hands around the wicked staff or my soul.

From afar, Whyzer Patro stepped backward as if King Ezer’s power didn’t reach far enough. Either way, he wasn’t pushing forward. Then our eyes met across the clearing. Cold hatred narrowed on his face. His glare promised that he would never stop hunting me, and now I wished Queen Cottia’s plan had succeeded. He sneered at me again before turning his attentions to King Ezer.

“You think you’re untouchable.” The muddled sound of Whyzer Patro’s tongue left my insides in a complete mess. He looked far too happy for someone who had been caught. No, he wasn’t caught. The whyzer lifted an arm to his side, and the staff ripped from my grip and flew through the air.

“Behind you!” I shouted, which got the cold, black eyes of the whyzer on me.

King Ezer spun to place the warning, but the flying staff cracked him in the head in its flight back to the whyzer, and the king fell to the forest floor among the brambles.

Movement began again, like a mass of ants in an anthill resuming their scurrying work. Swords clashed and arrows crisscrossed the sky. A tree cracked in half without anyone touching it. I thought it was thunder at first but when I caught Cosme sweating in streams with his hands waving about, I knew he was using his gift.

Where was Beatriz? I spotted her hunched behind a rock while the men parried and stabbed at each other. I dove to Beatriz’s side.

“We’ve got to do something.” I peeked over at Whyzer Patro who dodged Cosme’s tree with ease.

“What can we do?” Defeat rang through her voice. “We’re not Minerva who can slip in and out of portals.”

“Didn’t your uncle say you’re a tamer? And he even said it’s powerful. I think there’s something you’re missing.” I squeaked. The marking on my shoulder suddenly burned.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s this thing the whyzer put on me.” I lifted the collar of my dress to see what all the fuss was about. The raised welt could have been fire for how it shone with orange flames. “Oh no!”

“What is it?”

“I’m on fire.”

Beatriz ripped my dress’s shoulder back and her eyeballs seemed to grow two sizes. “Is he trying to use your abilities?”

“I think so.”

“Go through the portal. Mamá’s avoided him for years because of this.” She yanked me from the sandy ground and pushed me to run toward the shimmering air.

Heat pulsed from my skin, and I dove into the portal. Wind blew back, flames exploding from my fingertips. My body was yanked forward until I hit the hard stone ground before the palace of Giddel, ever so grateful to have been released from the whyzer’s pull.