tried so hard to contain boiled to the surface, the magic coming with it. I summoned it, the magic crackling around me in a wreath of blue light. Zero held his sword, his face hard.
“How could you?” I screamed in his face. “You’re a liar. You’re telling me my husband fell? You killed him!”
“Zero doesn’t lie, Adaryn.” Fyrsil approached, hands held up in a peaceful gesture. “If Zero said that the volcano took him, then—”
“No.” I turned to him, hatred and despair washing over me. “I’m done with you and your stupid lies. I was foolish to think you’d changed. You told Zero to kill Aaric, didn’t you?”
“You sound like an idiot,” Fyrsil snorted, but I didn’t listen. It all made sense now as the memories from Twyarinoth came crashing back. Fyrsil had suggested I forget Aaric and the girl.
“You had Zero kill him because you wanted me.” I choked on my grief. “I hate you!” Words weren’t enough. Tears springing to my eyes, I called the magic inside me, and slammed it into the ground under Fyrsil. I wanted to kill him. “I trusted you again and you betrayed me.” I hurtled myself at him, hitting him everywhere I could reach, my hands curled into fists. “I-hate-you-I-hate-you-I-hate-you!”
Fyrsil grabbed me by the wrists. “Calm down!” He was shouting, incredulity on his face. “What is your problem? I—”
“Let go!” I ripped my arms from his grasp and stumbled through the snow at a run to my tent. Dahlia was crawling through the tent flap, eyes still red from sleep. I picked her up and grabbing my pack, went to our horses. I would have to leave the gliders and everything else.
I secured a pack over my shoulder, and sat Dahlia in the saddle on Aaric’s horse.
“We’re leaving, Dahlia.” I smiled through my tears, my lips quivering, and climbed up to sit behind her, leading the other horse by the reins.
Fyrsil made one last effort to stop me, stepping in front of the horse. “This is madness, Adaryn. If Zero said an accident happened to your husband, then I believe him.”
“Get out of the way.” My body shook with rage. “I’ll run you over, so help me.”
Fyrsil wisely moved to the side, his hands held out as if to soothe me. “At least take your tent. It’s suicide to travel in these winters without adequate shelter.”
I booted the horse to a trot, ignoring the brigand king. I had to get away from him and his hateful servant, now, or I’d try to kill them. But I couldn’t risk Dahlia’s life. We had to leave.
Helpless anger burned through me, and I clenched my teeth together, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a sob. “Goodbye, Fyrsil.”
Tears streaming down my cheeks, I rode away.
27
Adaryn
I ran through the dark smoke, trying to find him. The air was thick and I coughed, choking on ash. Aaric was out there, somewhere. I had to find him.
“Aaric!” My mouth filled with swirling ash, and I coughed again, spitting it from my mouth. I blinked, my eyes watering. Panic washed over me in waves and I scanned the darkness, trying to find him. He was gone. Gone . “Aaric!”
The smoke roiled around me.
Warn them. A voice spoke inside my mind. A deep voice that sounded human, but also not human. Warn the Denali.
“I can’t.” I shuddered as grief wracked my body. “I can’t. I need to find Aaric.” He was out there. I could sense him.
Warn them. The smoke thinned, and I felt my heartbeat quicken. I was standing on air.
Ruis sprawled beneath me, a ruin of blackened buildings and tumbled gates. Bodies were strewn everywhere. So much death. Who would be capable of such a thing?
The smoke eddied around me and I coughed. My eyes hurt. When the smoke parted again, I saw the army.
Twyli. They looked like a dark sea, walking out of mountains and across the plains. West. To Ruis. Who would stop them?
Then I saw him. A solitary figure, standing before the army. He was too far away for me to make out his features, but I knew that proud
“How could you?” I screamed in his face. “You’re a liar. You’re telling me my husband fell? You killed him!”
“Zero doesn’t lie, Adaryn.” Fyrsil approached, hands held up in a peaceful gesture. “If Zero said that the volcano took him, then—”
“No.” I turned to him, hatred and despair washing over me. “I’m done with you and your stupid lies. I was foolish to think you’d changed. You told Zero to kill Aaric, didn’t you?”
“You sound like an idiot,” Fyrsil snorted, but I didn’t listen. It all made sense now as the memories from Twyarinoth came crashing back. Fyrsil had suggested I forget Aaric and the girl.
“You had Zero kill him because you wanted me.” I choked on my grief. “I hate you!” Words weren’t enough. Tears springing to my eyes, I called the magic inside me, and slammed it into the ground under Fyrsil. I wanted to kill him. “I trusted you again and you betrayed me.” I hurtled myself at him, hitting him everywhere I could reach, my hands curled into fists. “I-hate-you-I-hate-you-I-hate-you!”
Fyrsil grabbed me by the wrists. “Calm down!” He was shouting, incredulity on his face. “What is your problem? I—”
“Let go!” I ripped my arms from his grasp and stumbled through the snow at a run to my tent. Dahlia was crawling through the tent flap, eyes still red from sleep. I picked her up and grabbing my pack, went to our horses. I would have to leave the gliders and everything else.
I secured a pack over my shoulder, and sat Dahlia in the saddle on Aaric’s horse.
“We’re leaving, Dahlia.” I smiled through my tears, my lips quivering, and climbed up to sit behind her, leading the other horse by the reins.
Fyrsil made one last effort to stop me, stepping in front of the horse. “This is madness, Adaryn. If Zero said an accident happened to your husband, then I believe him.”
“Get out of the way.” My body shook with rage. “I’ll run you over, so help me.”
Fyrsil wisely moved to the side, his hands held out as if to soothe me. “At least take your tent. It’s suicide to travel in these winters without adequate shelter.”
I booted the horse to a trot, ignoring the brigand king. I had to get away from him and his hateful servant, now, or I’d try to kill them. But I couldn’t risk Dahlia’s life. We had to leave.
Helpless anger burned through me, and I clenched my teeth together, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a sob. “Goodbye, Fyrsil.”
Tears streaming down my cheeks, I rode away.
27
Adaryn
I ran through the dark smoke, trying to find him. The air was thick and I coughed, choking on ash. Aaric was out there, somewhere. I had to find him.
“Aaric!” My mouth filled with swirling ash, and I coughed again, spitting it from my mouth. I blinked, my eyes watering. Panic washed over me in waves and I scanned the darkness, trying to find him. He was gone. Gone . “Aaric!”
The smoke roiled around me.
Warn them. A voice spoke inside my mind. A deep voice that sounded human, but also not human. Warn the Denali.
“I can’t.” I shuddered as grief wracked my body. “I can’t. I need to find Aaric.” He was out there. I could sense him.
Warn them. The smoke thinned, and I felt my heartbeat quicken. I was standing on air.
Ruis sprawled beneath me, a ruin of blackened buildings and tumbled gates. Bodies were strewn everywhere. So much death. Who would be capable of such a thing?
The smoke eddied around me and I coughed. My eyes hurt. When the smoke parted again, I saw the army.
Twyli. They looked like a dark sea, walking out of mountains and across the plains. West. To Ruis. Who would stop them?
Then I saw him. A solitary figure, standing before the army. He was too far away for me to make out his features, but I knew that proud
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