Page 65 of Broken Lands

She should be safe there, but even as I thought it, something heavy settled in my gut, intuition warning me that something wasn’t quite right. Quickening my pace, I stepped onto the sand, my body coiled to run to her, just as an explosion rocked the Academy behind me.

The force of it knocked me from my feet and I was thrown through the air, crashing onto the beach. Grateful for the soft landing, I sprung to my feet, eyes immediately locking on the academy building behind me.

My blood turned to ice in my veins at the scene before me, at the smoke pouring from the windows, the yells and cries of the Fae inside, fighting to get out. From the shadows around the building emerged what had to be at least a hundred hooded figures.

The Resistance. It had to be. The hooded outfits were their uniform. They’d been wearing them during the attack in the Dead Forest, too. How had they infiltrated the walls surrounding Danann? We had guards stationed day and night to prevent this from happening. Why were they attacking us now? Here? What did they want?

My stomach turned to lead, beads of sweat breaking out on my brow as fear flooded through my body.

Riley.

My heart beat almost painfully in my chest as I tore my gaze from the Academy, looking down the beach toward the nook where Lincoln had said he’d left her.

My ears rang, the sounds of screaming and fighting fading out around me as my focus shifted solely onto Riley. Getting to her, and then getting her to safety. Now. I had to get to her now.

Nothing was allowed to happen to her. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She was the light to my darkness, the balance I’d been searching for my whole fucking life. They couldn’t have her.

I couldn’t see her. She wasn’t on the beach, which must mean she was still inside the nook. Pushing up from the ground, I ran, my feet slipping on the soft sand as I tried to close the distance between us.

“Stefan!” A voice yelled from behind me, anger and fear lacing it in equal parts. I didn’t need to turn to know that voice, to know Colin—General Brand—was behind me. He’d fallen just as hard for Riley. Of course he was here, searching for her, too.

“This way,” I shouted at him, without so much as looking in his direction. Colin could follow me, he’d catch up, I couldn’t slow for a moment. The alcove came into view, or at least the trees and rocks surrounding it did. Not daring to slow, I only pushed harder as I felt Colin catching up with me. We’d make it. We’d find her. We had to.

Muscles tensing, every inch of my body recoiling, I roared in horror as at least a dozen hooded figures leapt out of the trees, converging on the alcove.

No. Fuck, no.

They were too far for my air to hit them. My magic had never failed me before, but it couldn’t help me now. When it felt like I needed it most.

Colin’s roar echoed my own, the sound full of warning. Both to Riley, for her to get the fuck out of there, and to the fuckers clearly attempting to take her.

The fucking creature inside of me lifted its head again, its ears perking up in response to the General’s roar, sniffing at the air like it too recognized the sense of impending doom. Smoke from the explosion surrounded us, filling the night air, urging me forward, and I pumped my limbs as hard and fast as I could.

Just a little closer and I’d be able to fight. Stop those people from taking my girl.

There was no time to smother the beast inside, to push it down, and ensure I had control of myself. To make sure I grasped that control and held it in an iron tight grip.

Riley was all I could focus on. Just a little further.

More hooded figures leapt from the trees surrounding the alcove, turning to face us as we raced toward them. They were going to stand their ground. Fuck if I’d let them get away with this.

Pushing my hands in front of me as I ran, I gathered my air, let it flow through my veins, and built into a crescendo in my palms. I was going to knock these fuckers out of my path. They would not keep me from my girl.

Colin was by my side now, and we were closing in. I could see his flames dancing in his palms. Good. He was ready.

“On three,” he shouted, panting hard as we ran. Nodding my agreement, I pulled more and more power from my core, readying myself. I’d drain every last drop of magic inside of me if it would save her. My little dove, my sunshine.

“Three. Two. One—”

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

A series of explosions rang out across the night, the ground beneath my feet rocking violently as sand flew through the air.

Something hard slammed into me, throwing me to the ground, shock and alarm causing me to release my air attack into the skies. The weight of whatever had knocked me down—Colin, I realized quickly—knocked the wind from my lungs, stunning me for a long second.

Scrambling out from under him, I tried desperately to get my bearings. Fire and smoke surrounded me, Fae and Resistance members fighting all around me. I tried to ignore the crumpled figures spotted around the grounds. I could think of them later. Riley needed me.

Locating the alcove, I realized in horror that it was no longer surrounded. A group of figures was further out, sprinting for the outer wall of Danann. In the moonlight, I glimpsed curly blonde hair hanging over the shoulder of one man at the center of the group.

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