Page 105 of Ashes of Gold
Julius’s fist connects with Jhamal’s cheek. “That’s the least you deserve, bruh.” He sneers. “You’re welcome.”
My insides quake, but I choke them down and rush to the door, the crack buckling, shattering what’s left of me into a million pieces. Kai whispers as the door clicks shut. Outside, I hold the doorknob, its etchings digging into my skin, when Julius gently touches my shoulder.
“Rue, let it go, fam.”
My heart is in my throat and some weird mix of anger and sadness sears into me. I’d be lying if I said a raw part of me isn’t burning for the love I thought we had. But if Kai could steal him, he was never truly mine. Jue’s right. He will get his. I shove Jhamal out of my mind. For what he’s done to our people in this war. For what he’s done to us.
He’s dead to me.
CHAPTER THIRTY
SHAUN IS NOWHERE TObe found in the private rooms along the hall where I stumbled upon Jhamal and Kai. The hair of an enemy is the final ingredient. If I’d been thinking, I could have taken one of Jhamal’s.
My insides are a knot as we scope another corridor nearby.
“Rue, you good?” Julius asks.
“I’m fine. Just thinking—” I storm ahead, turning my back to him so he can’t see whatever’s on my face. I don’t feel like being read right now. Images of Jhamal and me wrapped around each other in that cell for so long play in my mind, and my insides ache. I try to shove them off, but they slip their way in. My blood boils.How could he?He said I knew him. I never knew him. Not truly.
I skim the halls and all is quiet. Everyone’s asleep. Someone’s patrolling sentry down here somewhere, I’m sure of it. We round another corner. The light is dim and I squint. Julius sticks close to me. The rooms are all very small, and Shaun seems like the type who would put himself up somewhere grand. Or better yet, he would cement his position with a throne or crown or something. But where? Where down here could he find a place for that?
The room where Kowana Yechi was held had a crumbled dais inthe back. It was the largest space, from what I’d seen. “Let’s try this way.”
Footsteps echo around the corner up ahead and I throw out an arm to stop Julius from walking. Two Beerchi with fur wrapped around their shoulders and curved blades clutched in their hands stand outside two double doors. A bear claw has been branded into the wood.
“There are two of them,” I whisper to Julius. “Do you remember the way we got here?”
“Back that way. A left, down a long hall. A right and then another left and the first ladder takes you up to the ground.”
“Paying attention, I see.”
“I told you I be watching that double-o-seven shit.”
I smirk.Julius got jokes. Always.
“If this goes left, take that way as fast as you can and get out of here.”
He gives me side-eyes, gesturing for me to turn right on back around. Telling me he ain’t leaving. Period.
I peek back around the corner. How do I get in therewithoutletting Shaun know something’s up? I have no choice… I have to fight them. My own people. I let out a huge breath and round the corner, stepping out of the shadows. The shock doesn’t register at first on their faces. After a moment they reach for their blades, but their hesitation is the split second I need. The closest Beerchi heaves his over his shoulder with a grunt to swing.
“Surpizah!” A coil of light shoots from my fingertips, attaching to his mouth like a sticky bandage. He stumbles backward, the spell gelling his mouth shut. He tries to talk, but it’s all muffled, hismouth zipped closed, magic fizzing on his lips. The bigger guy raises his hands to full height, his blade grazing the ceiling. He brings it down over me, but I jump out of the way and aim for his weapon.
“Feey’l!” My magic slams into his curved blade. The force of it shoves his blade backward into a notch in the wall. He yanks it out and bits of rock go flying. He swings. I twist out of the way as sharp metal whooshes past, nicking my arm.Shit!I stumble backward into Julius, who’s swinging left and right hooks between blade swipes at his neck from the other Beerchi.
“Yo, this dude ain’t playing,” he says, ducking. For his lack of fighting skills, he’s doing alright. The curved blade swooshes over his head. “Bruh…” He jumps, the blade swiping under his feet. “I just wanna…” The blade comes down over him. But he sidesteps and it grazes past his arm. “Talk!”
The Beerchi growls, bringing his weapon down hard. Julius pushes me out of the way, and it sticks in the ground with a thud. He tugs on the handle of his weapon with both hands, trying to free it from its wedge on the floor. Magic coils like rope from my fingers and loops around his wrists.
“Tight,” I whisper, and my magic obeys, cinching. “Tighter.”
My magic binds his arms together from wrist to elbow. He howls in pain as he topples over.
“Quick, get his blade,” I say. Julius dashes for it. The other Beerchi claws at his bound lips before rushing at the double doors they were guarding. The door rattles under his fist.
Shit! So much for the element of surprise.
“This shit is stuck, like for real,” Julius says, arm wrapped around the weapon handle, pulling. “Aghhhh!” He tugs harder. The bladegives, throwing him backward. He lands hard, but the weapon is in his hand.
