Page 65 of Tethered Thrones

Bracken and Clem were now embracing high up in the air.

“Bracken!” I shouted. “Clem!”

But the fools didn't hear me. They were still too busy celebrating. I understood that the new feelings surging through us were almost euphoric, but the battle was still at hand.

Instead, I shot through the crowd toward Hadi.

When I came upon him, I didn't need to say anything. The moment his gaze landed on me his eyes widened.

“Sun,” he said simply.

“He has ridden his steed to the palace to face the emperor alone.”

Hadi cursed and suddenly, without even saying a word to me, he reached down and pulled me, hoisting me onto his back and leaping through the crowd.

I held on tight, not used to this new sensation of jumping so high and then landing with a crash. I had never been on Hadi's back before, but then again, his landings were somewhat more graceful than Bracken's and I could get used to it.

“What is happening?!”

Clem's urgent voice drew my attention, and I looked over, realizing that he and Bracken were flying with us now.

“Finally!” I chastised. “Sun has ridden off to the palace to face Gaulu.”

Clem's eyes widened but Bracken's face darkened with determination. Goddess, I was glad to see the bastard still alive.

“He's not facing that asshole without me,” he promised and shot forward, going ahead of us.

Good. We would catch up with Sun fast. He would not face the emperor alone.

He would not faceanythingalone. We wouldn't allow it.

Chapter 23

Sun

Haru galloped up the stairs to the grandiose palace with me on her back. I could feel her fiery nature, her determination, so familiar even after years without her.

She didn't care about the guards pointing arrows down at us. Like me, she did not fear death. As long as I could take the emperor with me, it would be worth it.

Still, I had no shield to block their strikes, I had no weapons to fire back. All I had was my horned dagger and I needed that. I needed it to slice through the emperor.

An arrow hit me, glancing off my shoulder as though I was made of metal, and I laughed in shock.

WhathadClem done to us? And whose power now flowed through my veins? Surely not Tsuki's. The moon goddess dealt in darkness and mirrors.

But the sun god Taiyo, he was all power. Perhaps he had stepped in to help assist his wife's chosen ones.

“Go!” I shouted, kicking Haru to go faster as we reached the top of the staircase.

There were more guards than I'd realized. Hopefully, we could survive a rain of arrows, but there was no need to find outbecause suddenly Bracken dropped down, landing atop one of them and making quick work of the others by spinning, sending them flying with his new strong wing.

“Bracken!” I shouted, grinning. “Looking good!”

“Better than ever!” he laughed. “Now get inside!”

“I've got the doors!” Clem shouted.

I glanced over my shoulder just as my mothian threw his hands forward, catching the heavy wooden palace doors with white light and then pulling them back. The doors swung open easily and despite the guards' best efforts to stop us, we were inside the palace.

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