Page 130 of A World of Ruins

That doesn’t make this any better.

‘And what are we supposed to do with that information when she is no longer alive?’ Darius raises his brows at her expectantly.

Silaria simply smiles cryptically. ‘She doesn’t have to be alive to end him. Have you ever thought that perhaps the place where life was given to him is also the place where it can be taken away?’

Her words coil around me like a serpent, whispering knowledge into my ears that I can decipher completely.

‘What—’

My question is severed by the sudden sound of a body hitting the ground with a weight that drags the breath from my lungs.

‘Idris!’ Freya yells, and I spin around with my heart in my throat, finding my brother crumpled on the floor as he claws at his splint.

We all rush to him, a flurry of hands trying to hold him down as he writhes in agony, and Silaria marches over to see.

‘Idris,’ I plead. ‘Look at me—’

‘I’m sorry,’ he says, glancing over at Freya. ‘Forgive me.’

Freya and I look at each other; our worry is so potent that it taints the air around us with dread.

‘What’s wrong with him, Mrs Nara?’ Tibith’s voice is a distant cry, lost in the chaos of my mind right now.

Darius acts quickly, ripping the dressing off his wrist just as Silaria looks at my brother. Immediately, she takes a frightened step back, her expression solemn as she turns to look at me, like this is the one thing she had not seen coming. ‘I am so sorry, child.’ That is all she says before I glance down at Idris’s wrist, and my worst fear comes to life.

There, etched into Idris’s flesh, are the unmistakable marks of a bite – marks that match where Aurum grabbed his wrist only yesterday.

CHAPTERFIFTY-SIX

The doors to the barracks infirmary swing wide open as we carry Idris into one of the bays. He lets out a pained cry and writhes as we carefully lay him down and examine the area where the bite has begun to spread.

‘What happened?’ Lorcan bursts into the infirmary, taking in the agonising sight before him.

Darius says something to him, yet I tune everything out, focusing solely on my brother. Gasping for breath, his complexion is drained, his face covered in perspiration as he desperately reaches towards me, my brothers and even Darius. ‘Nara,’ he gasps, and I hold on to his hand.

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ I whisper, my heart trembling with fear as I steal a glance at Iker and Illias across from me, their composure barely intact.

‘There’s nothing you could have done.’ There is a hint of sorrow in his tone, but I shake my head, refusing to believe it.

‘No, I could have done something. I still can.’

Freya runs towards us from the entrance, and Link and Rydan trail behind. When Freya sees the bite has become worse, with the dark venom filling Idris’s veins, she can’t help but stifle a gasp with her hand.

No, no,no.

‘If we can just delay it,’ I say, ‘I can find something, we—we can search for a cure. There has to be one. There’s always been a cure for everything.’

Darius locks eyes with me, his gaze filled with urgency as he bites his wrist, drawing out blood. I watch him lean over my brother, ready to give it to him, but Lorcan pushes his way through and stops Darius before a drop can get past my brother’s lips.

‘It won’t work,’ he says, his hand trying to seize Idris’s arm.

Iker shoves him, causing him to stumble back into Rydan. ‘Don’t touch him!’

Lorcan’s eyes shift towards mine apologetically, like he knows I will be the one to understand. Except this isn’t the same as what happened with Erion, and there’s no time to waste if I am to save my brother.

I reach out my hand, gently extending it towards Idris’s chest. His breaths come in heavy, ragged waves as I close my eyes, feeling my power ripple through me and onto my brother.

Please, please, please—

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