Page 105 of Riftborne
But for now, I could at least remove the tension from my body.
I allowed my mind and my hands to wander until I found what I’d been searching for. I didn’t stop until waves of euphoria shot through me.
CHAPTER 37
My eyes snapped wideopen as war horns ripped through the silence. I scanned the darkness in a panic, heart pounding in my chest. I heard the heavy thud of boots just outside the door. The clanging of metal and marching soldiers erupted through the Compound.
Was I dreaming?
No.
The sounds above proved otherwise.
We were under attack.
I jerked my eyes towards the ceiling. Frantic orders echoed through the Compound.
"Raine!" I yelled, my voice straining against the noise. "We're under attack! Get up, get dressed!"
“Holy shit,” I heard from across the room.
I leaped from the bed, urgency lending speed to my movements as I struggled into my leathers. My fingers fumbled for my boots in the darkness.
Another blast of horns shattered the air. "I'm ready," I called, quickly tying my hair at the nape of my neck.
"Let's go." Raine's figure, barely discernible in the night, darted for the door. I followed closely behind.
She wrenched it open, revealing the chaos that engulfed the Compound, darkness swallowing everything in its path.
"We need to find the others," she commanded.
I fell into step beside her as we raced down the corridor, the stone-lined wall our only guide. I focused on controlling my breath, letting instinct and training take over.
"Arrow nocked!" The command echoed from above as we sprinted towards the men's dormitories, navigating obstacles as best we could in the darkness, every movement fueled by urgency.
“Fire!” The voice called out again as we rushed past recruits of all factions, only discernible by the clink of armor and sudden glimpses of crisp white fabric.
My stomach lurched as my mind wandered. There was only one thing that permeated my thoughts.
Wraiths.
It had to be. The Compound was never this dark.
They had made it. They had reached Luminaria.
Chills ran up my spine as the realization settled in.
Suddenly, Raine hit the ground with a loud thud. In an instant, she was back on her feet, blindly looking around for whatever she had crashed into, before bringing sparks to her fingers, lighting the small space around us.
I noticed a figure on the floor.
“Raine? Fia?” Draven’s voice sounded from below us. I reached out and pulled him up.
“Raine, can you make that brighter?” A flash of fear splintered across Nazul’s expression.
“Not unless you want to be incinerated,” Raine huffed, eyeing the closed-in hallway.
“Fine. We need to get to the north control room. Briar will lead the way.” Nazul turned quickly, feeling for the doorway.
