Page 48 of War Of Fire and Fortune
Valla giggled then, a sound so out of place in this dark, dank cell. There was pleasure in her mirth. She loved witnessing the inner turmoil her words induced.
"Oh, little brother," she cooed mockingly. "Your agony is the sweetest song." She laughed then. "I might like this more than physical torment," she mused.
Her eyes raked over me before she turned on her heel to leave, but then I broke.
“What the fuck happened to you, Valla!?” I screamed. My breaths came in ragged gasps. “You changed from when we were kids. You weren’t always like this!” I paused. “This is what you think is right? This war, all the lives you’ve taken, the families you’ve destroyed, that’s what really matters to you?! Violence and power and nothing else?”
She looked at me then, as if I could pluck her reasoning from her mind.
“There is nothing else anymore. I havenothingleft to lose.” Her words sounded almost . . . sad.
And then she left me without another word.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Emelyn
The ground quaked beneath my boots, a violent shudder that rippled through the earth and up my spine. I swiveled as a shadow began falling from the sun.
No. Not a shadow. Emeris.
The dragon's body collided with the battlefield.
No. No. No.
Dust billowed, a grave cloud rising to mark where her broken body had fallen. Shay’s scream tore through the clamor of battle, a sound so raw and filled with agony that it cleaved the chaos around me. It punched through my chest, fracturing my last bits of composure. My heart shattered for her.
Then, darkness unfurled across the field, swallowing the light whole. Soldiers began to collapse and scream. Panic surgedwithin me as I searched the murky void for Kade, but he was nowhere to be seen. Then it worsened, the world plunged into shadow, like a starless sky. I could barely see anything.
Something gripped me. I tensed at first, but then I realized it was him. His darkness—it latched onto me with a tender touch, pulling me away from the violence. I was adrift in its embrace, the darkness retreating, dragging me along with it. This was like one big Hollow.
The rebellion’s cries of despair filled the air around me. Some soldiers lay eerily still, their battles over, and others writhed in pain, their moans and pleas echoing around me.
Kade had done it. He'd Hollowed the whole damned army back to camp. But at what cost? A flicker of fear ignited at the thought. I stumbled over soldiers, my gaze darting around in search of him. "Kade!" Where was he? He’d used such monumental power, he could have burned out and died. No. I refused to entertain the possibility, pushing the dread back into the depths of my mind.
I was surrounded by injured soldiers and needed to help them. I dropped to my knees beside a man, his eyes glazed with pain. Blood seeped through his leathers, the scent mingling with the metallic tang of war that still clung to the air. Dull blue light came to my palms as my water worked over his wounds. He would be okay, and I had to believe Kade was too. I couldn't afford to lose myself to fear—not now.
Other water benders moved through the wounded, their faces etched with concentration. Their efforts were valiant, but their skills were lacking. I made a mental note: we would need to hone our bending before Ember's next onslaught.
I moved from one fallen ally to the next, my heart thundering behind my ribs. Panic threatened to choke me as I wove through the sea of fallen bodies, my mind screaming for Kade, for Ace, for any sign of Shay or Atreya. Each soldier’s face was a blur,their moans and cries blending into a cacophony of despair that gripped the campgrounds. I let my water flow, its cool tendrils weaving over torn flesh and shattered bone. My breath hitched with every shudder of relief from those beneath my care, but my heart wouldn’t stop drumming.Are they safe?
Sweat mingled with tears on my cheeks, the salt stinging my skin. My hands trembled, not just from the exertion of bending, but from the dread that now felt like it was feasting on my soul. The world blurred at the edges, everything fading save for the question that clawed at my insides:where are they?
A piercing cry cut through the noise. I recognized it as Shay’s. The sound spurred my feet into motion, each step pounding against the earth as I raced toward the noise. A tent was in front of me, the canvas snapping like a flag in the wind. I darted inside, and Shay’s face was crumbled in agony. I froze for a moment, taking in the sight as Shay wailed again. Her pants had been thrown off and her legs were open, and with the next scream, I could see a baby’s head start to crown.
“She’s gone. She’s gone . . . .” Each word was a dagger to my heart. I knew she was referring to Emeris. Baron looked up at me then, his eyes begging for help. His mate, my best friend, was drowning in both physical suffering and grief. And Baron, he was powerless. All he could do was watch it play out.
Tears threatened to spill over my lashes as I wrestled with the sight. Gulping down the lump in my throat, I forced myself to move. They needed me. Shay groaned again, her body tensing as she pushed, letting out another cry. Her body arched as she gripped on to Baron. He whispered calming words to her, and she settled better on the blankets she was on.
“I can’t do it. I can’t. I can’t—” Shay murmured through gasps. I could feel the fear rolling off her in her vulnerable state.
I cursed as I quickly gathered some supplies: towels, a blanket, a large basin filled with water that I used my bending to warmup. Shay's cry broke through her labored breathing as another contraction came.
"Shay, look at me," I commanded, and she obeyed, a single tear trailing down her dirt-streaked face, mingling with the sweat that beaded on her dark skin. "I need you to bear down and push during your next contraction. I can see the baby's head." Her gaze locked onto mine, as if holding my stare gave her something to focus on.
The world narrowed to a pinpoint as Shay's body convulsed with another wave of raw, wrenching pain. Her voice broke the heavy air, a string of curses muffled against Baron's shoulder. She was all grit and determination now, her fingers digging into his arm like talons as. She found her strength—pushing and pushing until the head fully emerged. Then she stopped to breathe, and Baron brushed her braids away from her face and kept whispering to her.
"Good, Shay," I breathed out. My hands hovered, ready to grab the baby.
