Page 112 of Dragon Unleashed
“Eyes front, soldier,” I bellow. “I’m with Lorelei.”
Scanning the room, I see the disaster as it happens. My father’s general casts, his hands weaving, his beady little eyesfixed on Naeve. Breaking into a sprint, I weave between the idiots blocking my path. Too late, I’m going to be too late. His spell complete, a shard of lightning fires from the general’s hands, straight at Naeve. My frustrated bellow has Chano’s head whipping round. A curse forms on his lips and, without hesitation, he steps in front of Naeve.
His shield comes up milliseconds too late and he falls. I skid to a halt beside them, dropping to my knees.Be alive, motherfucker. Goddesses damn you, she’ll never forgive me if you die on me now.His pulse flutters weakly under my fingers.
The soldiers surround us, backs to us, weapons pointed out. More and more of my father’s men are piling into the room. We’re outnumbered. Severely.
“Chano is Lorelei’s Aeternum. Protect him,” I bark.
“The princess’s mate.”
“The princess’s mate.”
They take up the chant, moving to surround Chano. He’s quickly lifted and propelled toward the shaft, the creepy chanting continuing. Hell. When did she instill such loyalty in these soldiers? They weremyguys.
I turn back to help hold off the advancing party.
My father’s soldiers can’t quite see what’s behind me, can’t see past the crates. They can’tseethe shaft. This oddly shaped little room is normally just a store. Hopefully none of them has the brain cells to figure out why we’re in here. I glance desperately over my shoulder. It’s taking too long to get Chano tied to a rope. We don’t have the time.
With great care one of the rebels starts to widen the shaft with earth magic, and others levitate Chano upward using small gusts of air magic. The rope goes taut, and he’s heaved up.
These soldiers. They were loyal to me only a year ago. Now they drag her Aeternum up, while I stand and fight. Shoulder toshoulder with Naeve and Zephyr…it hits me. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Eventually Chano’s big frame vanishes from view.
“Right, Naeve and Zephyr, you next. They won’t kill me. I’m too valuable.” I hope.
By the time I scramble out the top of the shaft, my father’s men have worked out how we’re escaping. They’re spilling into the yard. But they’re too late; Chano has been carried through the portal. Away. Safe.
My father appears around the corner, his head swinging dangerously side to side, hands raised ready to cast. I back slowly toward the portal, Naeve and Zephyr behind me. I hear the first pop. One of them is through.
“Let us leave,” Naeve calls.
She’s not close enough to the portal.
“I have a document in my inbox and I’m not afraid to share it.”
I whirl, taking my eyes off my father for a second. Has she gone nuts?
Naeve offers me a tight smile and I turn back to my father. He’s stopped his advance.
“Lorelei sent me proof. You’re behind all these chemical leaks, aren’t you? You knew about the damage they were causing and you hid it, didn’t you, Virrey?”
I don’t know what Naeve’s playing at. This is not the time to challenge him. I nudge her toward the portal as my father’s hands start to weave in a cast. I have to buy her some time.
“Father? Is this true?”
He pauses only for a second before he starts moving again, sparks jumping from palm to palm. “You chose the wrong side, son. Don’t worry, I’ll forgive you when you come crawling back.”
He claps his hands together and forms a giant arc. I turn, jerking Naeve toward the portal, one step, two, three… We step through together just as the Virrey lets loose.
Searing pain rips through my chest and I stagger into Fates Academy grounds.
He hit me. Naeve clutches me, then drops to the ground. Gasping, I grab my chest. Nothing.
No blood. No wound.
It’s not my pain.
