Page 77 of A World of Ruins

Aurum’s smile falls. ‘Aurelia is dead.’ His one visible eye narrows. ‘So I wouldn’t dwell on her words too much.’

My fists clench as my chest falls and rises in harsh waves.

‘Now.’ Aurum claps his hands and rubs them together. ‘Shall we get going?’

‘The Isle won’t help your state,’ I tell him as if that will do much when I am dealing with a psychotic man.

Aurum’s eye latches on to me, the green in it darkening to something sinister as he slowly walks up to me. ‘Then I will use the one thing they can’t deny.’ He grins in my face. ‘Solaris’s vessel herself.’

My palm flies out to connect with his face, but his reflexes are still too sharp as he takes hold of my wrist and extends his other hand towards Gus, who suddenly grimaces in agony, collapsing to his knees and clutching his chest.

My face pales. ‘What are you doing?’

The wound near Gus’s heart tears open, unravelling and extending, as if Aurum is magnifying his injuries by using the very thing I don’t have right now.

Magic.

Rivernorth magic.

I look between him and Gus, panic cinching my gut. ‘Stop!’ I yell, trying to pull away from Aurum, my free hand trying to grab at him to stop his power from causing more harm. ‘Stop hurting him!’

Aurum whips his hand away, stumbling slightly on his legs as I notice another rotting tear appear on his neck.

When his grip loosens, I yank myself free and kneel in front of Gus.

He’s swaying, drawing back long breaths as I scan the wound on his chest.

‘It’s okay,’ he says weakly. ‘I’m okay.’

I shake my head. ‘I can heal it,’ I whisper. I did it once with Darius when he had Neoma blood in him. I can do it again.

‘How sweet,’ Aurum says from behind. ‘A father and his daughter-in-law, looking out for one another. If only my nephew could see this precious moment.’ He starts to laugh. ‘Then again, he hates your guts.’

My molars grind together.

Aurum must notice my intentions as he tugs me away from Gus, making me stand. His fingers dig into my upper arm, turning me to face him. ‘Don’t eventhinkabout helping him.’ I squirm in his hold. ‘You’re with me.’

In my peripheral vision, Gus struggles to rise. He presses a palm to his chest and winces as Aurum jerks his chin, forcing him to go ahead of us.

‘Now,’ Aurum says to us both. ‘Walk.’

The cave where the power source lies crumbles and shakes once we enter. Aurum still holds me tightly, his eye wide and gazing around in lunacy as he follows the golden light, paving the way to Solaris and Crello’s magic.

I put as much distance between us, hoping to slow him down as much as possible so that I can regain my strength in power. But he’s as ruthless as they come.

Gus’s breathing seems to worsen, as does the gash on his chest. Regardless, he keeps looking back at me, ensuring I am okay.

As we turn the corner, Aurum jerks to a stop, his grip loosening.

The cascading waterfall of Solaris and Crello’s power gently flows into a pit with the four pillars standing in place around it.

Though I have seen this all before, nothing prepares me to witness the last standing element barely functioning.

The flame. Now, it is a tiny flicker of what it once used to be.

My heart yearns to fix it.

‘Beautiful,’ Aurum says, mesmerised. The enchantment of the power source is messing with his already screwed-up mind.

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