Page 141 of The Princesses of Ruin
The creature drops to all four and bellows its horrific song. When it lands, its mouth opens wide, and those closest fall into it as if gravity itself has changed. Spiders who have successfully scaled the Wall hook into harnesses at the top and then drop back down. They grabchildren first, but the people are so desperate they start grabbing at them, clinging to them—pulling them down and snapping their only escape.
The final rune is carved into the stone and Alastair twists away from the Wall with gut-clenching speed. My head droops and I struggle to keep it up. I realize why a second later as a glob of inky darkness splats against the stones where we were. The runes light up like the sun and the black goo sizzles into ash.
We fly to the closest downed soldier and I shield him, pushing all the groping citizens away.
“Stand back! One at a time!” Alastair roars and the people flee from him.
The Spider adjusts his harness, but the pulley is broken at the top.
“We need to fix it!” I yell, pointing up to the top of the Wall.
I’m not sure if Icanfix it, but I have to try.
It takes us time to pick up enough speed to get to the top.
“Drop me and get the others,” I say as we reach the landing at the top of the Wall.
Zane is fifty feet out, grabbing people as they come up to the top and scurrying them over the side. Scarlett lays close by. I can’t tell if her chest is moving. I want to go to her. I want to help her, but if she’s already dead…
I have to help those who are still alive. This is just one among many, but every life counts, and every second counts to getting them clear of the monster.
Alastair sets me down at the pulley and I get to work finding the issue. The top block has ripped away from the arm, dangling down against the Wall. I grab it and give the rope some slack before pulling it up to the wooden arm. There’s no appropriate material for me touse to fix it, as all the wood that broke fell away, so I reach down into the Wall and grab stone instead.
My magic is near the sputtering end, but I rip apart the bits of the Wall I can use and shape them as best I can. The mend takes me a moment, but when it’s done, I tug on the rope to let the Spider below know it’s ready for use.
The creature bellows again and I yelp, my weary body worn through and rung out. I collapse against the side of the Wall and look over the edge. It’s so far down and there’s still so many people. So many lives.
My kingdom. Ruined. Because I couldn’t be better. Because I couldn’t be stronger. My throat aches as tears gather in my eyes unbidden.
“No one else is giving up,” I growl at myself. “You can’t either.”
I push against the edge and stand, my legs as wobbly as a newborn foal’s. I have potions in my bag, one of Adrik’s special cocktails. I stagger toward Scarlett, dodging screaming citizens and leaping Spiders as I get closer. The vial of rejuvenating elixir thrums in my hand. I want to drink it—I want to keep helping—but somewhere deep in my gut I know she needs it more.
I drop to my knees and pull her head onto my lap. Her face is covered in black gore that’s been smeared at her eyes and lips. I push her chin down to open her mouth and bite the cork of the vial. Itthupslike a bottle of wine when I pull it free.
I’m going to have a bottle of wine after this.
I dump the contents into her mouth and close it, praying to her since I know the gods are worthless.
“Wake up, sis.”
Chapter fifty
Scarlett
Consciousness grips me like the burning hands of a fever. I gasp, throwing myself from whoever’s arms restrain me. The world is normal. The ground is the ground and the sky, the sky. There is no seam, and no door.
Hundreds of people swarm a narrow walk, flying up and flying off. I recognize their clothes.
Spiders.
My soldiers.
“Scarlett.” A voice murmurs my name.
My name.
I turn to see a young woman leaned against the wall. She’s covered in black ink and blood. Her face is gaunt, her eyes barely open.
