Page 24 of A World of Ruins

‘Loving,’ Illias aids him, earning himself a glare from Idris and a snort from Iker.

‘Involvingyourself with a shifter,’ Idris corrects him. ‘But if you believe you can get him back from the clutches of Aurum, then I will follow you. We all will.’

I am so used to the assertive look in Idris’s eyes that whenever he accepts me in spite of my antics, I can’t help it; all my emotions tumble into me, knocking me off balance. When I was a child, I used to hate it. I thought he was only trying to teach me a valuable lesson by conceding to my wishes. Now, I savour every moment and every second he does it.

As I embrace my brother, I spot Lorcan standing idly by one of the pillars near the garrison. My shoulders hitch from the tension, and I step away from Idris as Lorcan walks across the grass.

‘Oh, Solaris,’ Rydan mutters. ‘Don’t tell me you are also coming, Lorcy?’

‘He’s not,’ I snap. Truce or not, I still don’t trust Lorcan enough to come with me, let alone to a place where everything went wrong to begin with.

‘Nara.’ Gus’s voice sounds like he is trying to reason with me. It’s as ifheis on board with this.

I shake my head up at the sky. This is insane. All of it.

‘You were going to go at this alone, to begin with—’

My eyes narrow as I force my gaze back down to Lorcan and stop him before he can carry on. ‘IhadFreya.’

Rydan’s overdramatic gasp doesn’t go unheard as he mutters to Freya how offended he is that I didn’t mention him.

Lorcan sighs, his steps slow and careful not to spook me as he comes forward. ‘I know that city like the back of my hand, Nara. I can help you.’ He looks me straight in the eyes. ‘But I need you to work with me. Just this once.’

He is asking me to do the exact thing I can’t seem to do just yet.

To trust him.

I glance at everyone who is here. They all surround me, waiting to hear what my final decision is. Only Freya has that look in her eye where she knows I’m secretly asking for some guidance. She smiles and tilts her head to reassure me that everything will be fine.

‘What about Hira?’ I peer up at Lorcan. It’s been a matter of hours since I last saw her, but I can already imagine how disappointed she will be with me.

Lorcan rubs the back of his neck, pulling at the lengths of his outgrown hair. ‘She will . . .understandonce Darius is safe and with us.’ He doesn’t sound convinced, even to himself, but this is a risk I am going to take regardless of anyone standing in my way.

‘Then . . .’ My attention sweeps to everyone else just as the wind picks up, dragging my hair across my face. ‘If we are to do this, we will need a new plan.’ One that might or might not end in chaos.

Gus steps forward. ‘Where do we start?’

CHAPTERTEN

The streets of Emberwell are silent. Void of any civilians save for Lorcan and me. Grime coats the roads, even those of the once-prestigious Chrysos Street. I’m careful not to step on broken debris as nausea stings the back of my throat at the ruins of my once-home.

This is all my fault. I waited too long.

A rat skitters across my boots, and Lorcan is about to unsheathe his sword as if to attack it. I grip his arm and send him a warning look.

‘Are you really going to try to kill a rat when we have other pressing matters at hand?’

He blinks, still holding on to the hilt of his sword. I roll my eyes, wishing I had chosen someone else to accompany me through this part of the plan. Letting go of him, I continue on our pathway as thick heat blows with the wind, contrasting with Aeris’s winter weather at night. However, this feels different. Emberwell might always be warm, but it was never this blistering, even in the supposed hotter months. Can it be that it’s worsened after Aurum used the Isle of Elements?

The thought hurts my head, and I try to shake it away when another gust of wind picks up. A torn flyer lands by the edge of my boot. When I pick it up and turn it over, my chest caves in at the sight of Darius’s sketched face.

HisWantedThiefposter.

‘I always hated seeing those all around the city.’ Lorcan chuckles.

I stare at the sketch for a few more seconds before pocketing it away and turning. ‘Because you despised him?’

Lorcan’s smile fades over my cutting gaze. ‘It wasn’t because of that.’ He sighs. ‘It’s just . . . It’s just hard to believe that the last time I was here, all I was was a monster that should have never been created.’

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