Page 306 of The Lands Defying
He stands in the middle of it all, that black mist of his power swirling around him as he looks up to the coming morning, bathing him in a soft light.
His back is toward us, hands clenching at his side, and there is no sign of Drax with him at all.
But he’s slowly sinking into the ground.
I let go of Leo’s arm and start to move toward him on shaky legs. They feel numb, like they can barely stand as I start to stumble in his direction, but I don’t stop.
“Darius…”I choke out down the link.
He doesn’t answer, but his head turns to the side, like he knows I’m here.
Even from this far away, I see his back tense, see his power become more volatile around him.
“Darius!”I try again, and his hands flex.
When he sinks further, I run.
No matter my exhaustion, no matter how I feel like my legs can no longer hold me up.
I run to him.
“Darius!” I scream his name, a cry bubbling up my throat at what I’m seeing.
I dodge rogures, dead men, roaring beasts…I jump over corpses in my bid to go to him and still, he won’t turn around, he won’t answer me.
“Darius, what are you doing!” I’m so close, so, so close now and I move what little power I have left to my feet to gain speed.
I’m nearly there.
Just a few feet away.
I can grab him and…
I slam into a barrier.
I stare at it in shock, my palms flat against it as I dig my fingers in.
I frantically look around it, looking down to where the dark hole is swallowing Darius.
Taking him.
“Darius, quick, drop the barrier and I’ll help you get out of there.” I push power into the barrier and I look behind me quickly as Runa whines within me.
His brothers are there, watching me. “Come and help me, quickly,” I tell them. They just stand there, faces crumbling. “Why aren’t you helping me!” I scream at them, tears rolling down my face as I drop to my knees, clawing at the dirt, trying to dig my way through.
If I can getunderthe barrier, I can help him get out. I can pull him from there.
“Rhea.” Darius’s voice is a whisper, but I continue to scrape the dirt away. “Little wolf.”
A sob bursts from me as I frantically dig at the ground, tearing clumps away and throwing them anywhere I can as I continue.
“Vihnarn.”
“No!” I scream, leaning my forehead against the barrier, as I catch my breath, “No,” I whimper.
My eyes flutter open, and he’s there, directly in front of me now.
His green eyes that I love so much are now full of sadness.
