Page 73 of Sunshine & Ink

“Let’s go,” I ordered grimly, taking half of our men with me and leaving half here to dig up and undam these goddamn rivers.

And sure the hell enough, when we followed in exactly the direction Willow said to, we found the ornate golden gates of the Celestial Abode, nine feet tall with stained glass portraits that showed Elders in their distinctive robes blessing the land with water and praying over the trickles.

And all along they had been sitting on massive, powerful dams that blocked us in Resurrected from accessing our own land’s gifts.

I extended the handle of my knife, right into the center of this stained glass, and it shattered, sending colored shards out into the dark night sky.

Then I did it again, and again until the glass was nothing but shattered pieces all around me. Then I kicked the fucking door open and we burst in.

Oh, they tried to fight us, all right. Dozens of guards streamed out of their hidden enclave, but against the combined might of the Saints and the Souls, they couldn’t win.

I finally managed to corral the remaining Elders who hadn’t fled, mostly men in their 70s who looked weak and cowardly without their usual robes and the ceremonial bags of water to designate their status.

“See out there?” I said. “Those are my men dismantling your little Celestial Abode brick by brick.

“Luckily your ancient ages protect you, but you’re going to take your wrinkly ball sacks in hand and get the fuck out of town.If I see any of your faces by the time the sun rises, then I am going to overcome my scruples against slicing your moldy cocks off.”

And they couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

The sound of rubble falling filled my ears as we made our way back down the cliffs to where I could already see dark streams of water beginning to flow, out past the broken dams, back down the hills where they used to feed the land.

Water! Finally, free and flowing water!

“Prez!” Teacher called. “Over here.”

I hurried over to see Willow lying on the ground, her hand clutching her side, bright red blood oozing between her fingers.

Shit

Some goddamn Celestial Abode guard!

Cold fucking panic filled my body.

Builder was tearing strips off his shirt to bind the wound as I came over.

“Let’s go,” I said, “I’m taking you to the ER.”

Willow’s breath was coming in short, jagged pants.

“Go away and let me die next to the earth,” she gasped.

“You think I’m going to go back to Sunni and Elise without you? Like fuck I will. I swore to Sunni I’d keep you safe. So let’s fucking go.”

I picked her up carefully, blood running down and soaking into my cut.

“But the siege—don’t you want to be here when the last brick comes down?” she asked.

“Teacher can send me a video. I’m taking you to the ER.”

I left a few last directions to my brothers, and then headed to the big Jeep Builder had driven over with supplies.

Willow slumped over in the passenger seat and I hastily snapped the seatbelt around her.

“Hold the cloth tight against yourself to slow the bleeding,” I ordered.

“If I don’t make it—” Willow began, her breathing slow and painful, but I cut her off.

“Shut upand don’t be melodramatic.”

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