Page 147 of Bound By Darkness

Tent flaps fluttered as the woman herself entered.

“Sorry to interrupt your…conversation,” Naexi grumbled as she stormed into the tent, “but you’re needed outside.”

I turned to Moria then Naexi. “We’re not done talking. Piss off.”

Naexi reached down, clutching onto my arm as she hauled me from my chair.

It clattered behind me.

Moria stood. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t have time to explain,” Naexi huffed as she hauled me outside, the thick fog of winter settling.

Her grip tightened as I tugged against her. My arm burned at the sensation and my teeth clattered at the change in temperature.

“Let go!” I hissed. “I can walk by myself,” I spat as I shoved her fingernails from my forearm.

Moria appeared on my right a second later, her eyes glancing at me for any information.

I shrugged, having no clue why Iyanna’s right hand was guiding us toward the middle of camp.

“Will you please?—”

Naexi pointed to the sky and my eyes followed it.

Silver flickered above us in flashes of brilliant light. The scenery warbled, prisms of color spreading against the gray sky.

“By the Mother,” Moria cursed for all three of us.

The ward was breaking.

Chapter 43

Shadows

THALIA

It flickered above us,sparks dropping onto the tents with brilliant specks of faelight. The edges were beginning to collapse and disappear.

My head whipped to Naexi. “Does Iyanna know?—”

“Of course you idiot!” she yelled. “It’s why I even bothered finding you two. She’s trying to hold the ward with her remaining casting. She needs you both to help evacuate seeing as we’re low on available options.” Her eyes turned to me. “After the last person is rescued, you’re to report to her tent. She can’t call on the blood oath while incapacitated with the wards.”

I gave a nod. “Okay.”

“The ward is collapsing on all sides. Even if they run to one area, it might not be safe when it falls,” Naexi continued. “There’s an underground passage near the training grounds. It’ll lead them out to safety.” She brandished the sword from her back, a snarl rising in her throat. “I’m going to find Fin and Ivan as we need every hand available so get to it.”

“Kaydn. You mean Kaydn.”

Naexi’s eyes widened with recognition, but all she sent me was a nod before she ran off to the camp’s edge.

Moria turned to me. “You take this half and I’ll check the other. Meet back here after?”

I gave her a quick nod. “Be careful.”

“You too,” she said before running off into the chaos, her figure slipping behind a broken carriage.

Blood pumped in my ears as I checked the tents nearest me. Most of them were empty, but there were a few people who were stuck due to illness or injury.

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