Page 144 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

“We need to create a distraction. Can you do anything with the air?”

“He’s injured,” Kiera added. “We can’t leave him.” She looked between Faolan and I. “Will he be able to make it out?”

“Can you help him?” I asked, desperate for a solution that didn’t end in us abandoning my brother.

“If we can get to him, I think I can help.” She chewed her cheek and nodded, building herself up.

“I think I can muster up enough to divert the arrows if you can stun them.” Faolan rubbed his fingers together.

I put my finger to the wall, testing how much energy I could draw from it. “Only for a few moments. There is very little connectivity down here.”

“If it doesn’t work, we can always regroup.” Faolan turned to Kiera. “When they go down, you’ll have about thirty seconds.”

Kiera nodded.

“Go.” Faolan darted out of the tunnel.

I followed behind, drawing as much energy from the ground as I could muster. It sparked at my fingertips. I felt Kiera behind me as I channeled all the electricity towards the guards.

They went down hard, and Kiera was already running towards Drystan. She pulled at my reserves and I opened them to her, letting her take all she could. She fell to her knees in front of Drystan, putting both hands on his face. His head tipped back and he sucked in air, his body twisting at an odd angle. I staggered, my power dwindling. She took more than I could afford to give, but Drystan climbed to his feet. He held his side, but more color returned to his face.

“What did you do to him?” I asked.

“I blocked the pain and used as much energy as you could spare to make his blood replenish faster. I don’t know how long it will last.”

“It will have to do. We need to go now,” Faolan yelled. “They will be out of it in another ten seconds.”

FIFTY-SIX

KIERA

“They are catching up to us.” Drystan looked over his shoulder every other step.

“Keep going. We’ll be fine. We just have to stay ahead of them,” Jaxus hissed between breaths.

I felt pulled between them. Losing my footing on the loose rocks, I fell to one knee, trying not to make a sound as pain echoed through my joint. “Keep going,” I said when Jaxus stopped to turn back and help me.

Drys forced me to my feet as he came up behind.

“Thank you,” I muttered, lifting my hand in front of my face to not hit it on the rocks. “It’s too dark. I can barely see.”

“Try to use my eyes.” Jaxus forced an image into my mind and I tried to use it, but it only make me more unstable to have his vision plastered over my sight.

“They are gaining on us.” Drystan slowed, tilting his head to listen.

I forced myself over the loose rocks, bracing one hand on the side of the tunnel, lungs burning.

“How close?” Faolan’s low tone came from the front.

“I’m trying to listen, but there are too many rocks moving in this Goddess-forsaken tunnel.” Drystan’s tone came angry, something I’d never heard from him before.

“Want me to carry the Vessel?” I asked between gulps for oxygen. No matter how many inhales I took of the stale air, it never felt like I caught my breath. Like I was slowly drowning on dry land. Panic prickled at the edges of my mind, but I pushed them away. The tunnel wasn’t that long. Faolan told us it would be hard. We had to keep pushing.

“No, I’m fine.” Drystan snapped.

“How close are they?” Faolan asked again.

“I don’t know. It’s too confusing to locate them in here.” Drystan didn’t move, falling further behind.

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