Page 49 of Eluvonia
Panic claws at me, but I shove it down. I scan the battlefield, my gaze darting between the bodies and the chaos.There.I spot her limp form being dragged through the broken gate by two Fae males. Esra—the girl Aeris seemed to care about—leads them, a tall male with silver hair at her side.It’s him again.
A roar rips from my throat, shaking the ground beneath me. I charge after them, each step sending tremors through the earth. But before I can reach the gate, more Fae swarm me, climbing my tail and back legs. Their daggers stab at my scales, searching for weaknesses. I twist and thrash, trying to shake them off, but they cling like leeches.
I watch helplessly as Aeris disappears into the thick forestbeyond the trade center.
Dammit!I roar, shaking another Fae loose and crushing him underfoot.
Declan appears in front of me, a bloodied sword in hand. He’s panting, his face smeared with dirt and blood, but his eyes are sharp.
“I saw her!” he shouts, stabbing a Fae attempting to climb my tail. “They took her into the forest!”
I huff, steam escaping my nostrils, but I don’t move. Declan notices and freezes, his brows furrowing in confusion.
“You’re letting her go?” he asks, disbelief coloring his voice.
A horn blows from the forest, the sound low and mournful. The Fae around us pause, then retreat, melting back into the shadows of the trees. I take a deep breath, letting the air fill my lungs as I shift back into my human form. The transformation is quicker this time, though no less painful. My bones snap and realign, scales receding into skin, claws shrinking into fingers. I stand naked in the aftermath, the air cool against my sweat-slicked skin.
Declan stares at me, his sword still in hand. “Why aren’t we following them?”
I run a hand through my hair, now damp with sweat and blood. “Let her go for now,” I say, my voice low. “We don’t know what’s in that forest. We need to scout first, maybe get reinforcements.”
Declan exhales sharply, raking his hand through his hair. “Reinforcements? By the time we get back, she’ll be dead. Or worse.”
“She shouldn’t be my responsibility,” I snap, though the words taste bitter. “She’s Fae. Let her deal with her ownkind.”
He steps closer, his expression hard. “How will the bond respond if you lose her?”
I glare at him but say nothing. He’s right, and we both know it. The bond will tear me apart if I let her slip through my fingers.
“We’ll find her,” I say finally, my voice rough. “Just not like this.”
Another horn blows, deeper this time, and the remaining Fae vanish into the forest. The battlefield falls silent, save for the crackling of flames and the groans of the wounded.
I glance at the broken gate, then at the forest beyond. Somewhere in there, they have her. And whether I’m ready to admit it or not, I’m going to get her back.
Chapter 19
KAIDA
The air reeks of smoke and blood as Declan and I turn back toward the trade center. The battle is over—for now—but the devastation it’s left behind makes my stomach churn. Scattered bodies, twisted in death, line the streets. Some are our own Dragons who gave their lives defending the gates. Others are the damned Fae rebels who stormed this place like they owned it. It takes everything in me not to let the rage creep back into my chest, but I push it back down. First things first.
“Come on,” I grunt, nodding toward the carnage ahead.
Declan is already moving, his blade still slick with rebel blood. He wipes it on a rag before slipping it back into its sheath, his face grim but focused.
We move through the ruined streets, stopping to help the wounded first. A Dragon male groans as we approach, his leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Blood pools around him, sticky and dark. Declan kneels beside him without hesitation.
“Easy, soldier,” Declan says, his voice steady as he pulls a strip of cloth from his pack. “Let me see.”
The soldier winces, his jaw tight as Declan ties the cloth around his leg to slow the bleeding.
I crouch next to him, scanning the area. “You’re lucky,” I say, trying to inject some levity into the grim situation. “Missed the artery. You’ll live to fight another day.”
The soldier manages a weak smile. “Lucky isn’t the word I’d use, sir.”
Declan chuckles, patting his shoulder before calling for a guard to help carry the man to safety.
We keep moving, weaving through the chaos. A child cries nearby, their small frame shaking as they clutch their mother’s lifeless hand. My chest tightens, but I force myself to focus.
