Page 20 of Celestial Shadows

“Dragan?”

“With the soldiers,” he replies. “He ordered the gargoyles to provide cover. The golems are helping too.” Baron tilts my head from one side to the other, searching me over for injuries. He moves quickly, checking the depth and severity of each wound. “They really got you good, Eilish. Let me heal you.”

“No. We don’t have time to heal me. Those things won’t be down for long and I need to protect my people. They’re counting on me.”

“Please, just let me take care of the worst. You’re strong, but you’re not fucking invincible.”

“Baron, I don’t have time…”

“Make time. I won’t let you get yourself killed by being stubborn.” Baron pauses with his hand hovering near a gash inmy side. The two of us stare at each other, close enough to share the same breath. “I just need to know you’re alright. Please?”

I lean back against the wall and let his magic pour over me. Warm, tingling power cascades across my skin as it heals me. I trace the curve of his jaw with my finger and pull him towards me. With a faint smile, I press a kiss to his lips that’s lighter than air and finished in the blink of an eye. “I love you too.”

He chuckles and smiles at me as I step out of my arms and flutter my wings to test them before retracting them once more. There are a few painful twinges left over, but nothing too bad. However, I can see how much healing me has drained Baron as he rests for a moment against the wall. “Baron?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “Don’t worry about me. I just need to feed and then I’ll be fine. Focus on ending this before anyone else gets hurt.”

I peer around the corner, watching as the Obiqui change course and head for Silvanus. He destroys most of them with a single spell, but there are too many for him to destroy all of them. I pass one last lingering glance to Baron before I rush to the center of the courtyard.

“Take cover!” I shout above the barrage of sound as a bright light surrounds me. Pure, powerful grace amplifies within me. The brightness of the light surrounding me suddenly presses outward, expanding in orbs that grow in diameter until they overcome the Obiqui and the hell birds vanish. Nothing is left behind. Not a single drop of blood or bone.

I can’t get my power to recede. It builds within me until it threatens to blow, taking everyone with it. “Run!” I may level the entire city if I can’t get control.

Arms wrap around me and darkness neutralizes the light, dimming it until it’s forced to cower back in my body. I look up and see Pyre’s beautiful, scarred face. He holds me gently, lifting me from the ground in one swoop and carrying me inside.Silvanus and Baron give chase, following us into the war room. Baron digs into his bag and retrieves a potion of some sort. “Drink this. It will take away the pain and make your head stop spinning.”

The bottle presses against my lips and I swallow down the bitter liquid. It tastes like ginger, ash, yarrow, valerian root, and a few more ingredients I can’t identify. My stomach burns intensely before a soothing warmth relaxes the cramping muscles.

“Is it over?” I ask. “Where are the others?”

“It seems to be over for now,” Silvanus says. “Cambion is tending to the people, Dragan and Myerdoth are busy with the soldiers still, and I’m not certain about Theren and Variant.”

“We have to find them. They could be hurt.”

I attempt to sit up, but Pyre keeps me on the table instead.

“I would sense if they are hurt and so would you, Eilish,” he says. “Leave them be for now. Your power is still unstable and you pose a threat to all of those lives you’re trying to save. Rest for a moment and let Baron’s potion help you.”

I nod and lay back down. “What happens now?” I breathe slowly and deliberately to ease the lingering nausea in my stomach.

“The Obiqui are gone momentarily, but they could come back,” Baron says, facing Pyre, who nods. At that moment, Silvanus enters the room. He looks at Pyre who simply nods back to him as if to say I’ll be alright.

“Elioth, the Knights of Umbria, and Abedon need to be taken care of,” Pyre says. “They’re building an army, one that will be fueled by the power of the Chasm.”

“Now that the realms have seen what the true darkness is, we may be able to bring the Seelie army over to our side,” Silvanus supposes as he sits in one of the chairs beside me. “The Unseelie will follow Elioth to their deaths, but the Seeliewill answer to Cambion if given the chance. Without Morrigan’s power influencing everything... it might be our only hope.”

“And we can ask the people to fight,” Baron suggests.

“The people are afraid,” I start.

Baron shakes his head. “If they know what’s at stake and you give them the chance to fight for their freedom, I think some of them might surprise you.”

I nod and take a deep breath. “The refugees can be sent to the Delendren Glade. Zir’s device can protect the keep from invasion while the rest of us march towards battle. We’ll need weapons and armor, but I think we can do this.”

***

THEREN

Mortal Ruins

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