Page 50 of The Erion Triad

“Turn right,” Tann yelled.

Kyel scooped Lucy beneath her knees and shoulders and hugged her tight to his chest. They could run faster this way. She wrapped her arms about his neck and clung to him so tightly he felt her racing heart beating against her ribcage.

“Highness. In front!” one of the guards called.

Kyel skidded to a stop, pivoted to change direction, and came up short as mist gathered into a solid wall to his left. His right. In front. “It’s surrounded us.”

One the guards bumped into him. Kyel swung around to see the circle of mist tightening. They were trapped. He spun, looking for a way through. Looking for anything. The wall was tight and thick and intelligent, though. It knew what it was doing.

“Put me down, Kyel,” Lucie said.

He clutched her tighter. “No, mate. I will run and you will be safe.”

“Kyel. You need to put me down. Now.” Blue light glowed from the thousands of little crystal shards in her skin. She glowed so brightly, even her eyes shone with somethingother. “It’s telling me what to do. Trust me. Please.”

He forced his hands to loosen, fighting against his first and utmost instinct to protect her at all costs. She slid down his body and he reluctantly let her go once her feet had reached the ground.

She turned and held the crystal above her head. The crystal burst into life and a blue-green glow encircled them. Her skin glowed brighter than the crystal, until he had to shade his eyes just to look at her.

The light extended to the edge of the mist and continued to expand. The mist sizzled and recoiled. The more the light from the crystal expanded, the more of the mist was pushed back.

“Gods! She’s…” one of the guards whispered. There was a tremor in his voice.

“She’s saving us.” Kyel growled and spun to catch the guard with a withering stare, but the guard watched Lucie in awe, and his anger faded.

“The crystal light is eating the mist away. Look at it! No wonder it wants to get to the tower. The light from the crystal will eat the clouds away from our entire Homeland,” Zaen said.

An unearthly moan trembled around them. The moan became louder and turned into a high-pitched scream made from a thousand voices. Vibrations quivered the air. A slight breeze became a gale that whipped his hair and his clothing. Leaves and debris blasted against him, picked up by the wind and hurtled everywhere.

The darkness surrounding them grew darker still, the black outside of their little glowing circle absolute. A yawning mouth formed in the solid wall of clouds. Unblinking eyes the size of dinner plates stared down at them. The air turned so frigid that Kyel’s breath condensed.

The wind buffeted them, as hard as a fist. Lucie stumbled and the scream increased in pitch, scouring his skull from the inside.

He caught her and brought her up against his chest again, where she belonged. She was burning hot, almost too hot to touch, but she held the crystal high, her face a mask of concentration. Beads of perspiration pearled on her upper lip and forehead. A slight tremor worked through her body. The crystal was taking its toll.

“Kyel. Tower. Stay. Together,” Lucie panted, her face scrunched tight.

“Hurry,” Kyel barked, striding towards the tower.

Our mate is hanging on by a thread. If she falters…Kyel spoke through the bond.

We will take her there,Zaen spoke in his head.

Whatever it takes,Juliran mind-spoke.

The wind was cyclonic. Juliran braced himself on one side and Zaen the other, and together they stumbled against the battering, unending wind. Kyel slid backwards. There was a shoulder in his back, and Tann grunted as he pushed forwards. Then he felt the extra help of the soldiers behind his back as they linked arms and advanced. As one, they staggered against the force of the wind.

He glimpsed the wall of the tower against his watering vision. The secret door was within reach. Zaen planted his palm on the panel and the door slid open. They staggered inside and Juliran slapped his palm on the inside panel, closing the door.

Kyel’s skin stung with heated prickles in the absence of the freezing wind.

“Brother. Hurry,” Zaen said, and Kyel realized he’d been standing still.

“Lucie…” Kyel ground out.

“I’m fine. Just. Hurry.” In his arms, Lucie pressed her face against his chest. Her delicate features were strained and pale, and the light faded before his eyes.

He scooped her up and bolted up the stairs, two at a time, holding Lucie tight against his chest. He reached the tower room. The windows had been repaired and the floor cleaned since they’d been here last. The door to the glass case the crystal rested on was open.

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