Amongst the rubble. Amongst the dead.
Another sob rose. I pressed my fingers against my lips and refused to let it go.
Yara peeled away to land on a relatively empty section of wall, but we continued on, over the various levels. I didn’t look down. I looked up. The wall still stood, relatively untouched, as did, rather incongruously, a small middle section of the building between the admin section and the war room. The section where our earth mages had run their tests and refashioned the stone, perhaps?
But the rest... I sucked in a breath that ended in a sob. The destruction was vast.
The war room and a good section of the administration building was simply gone. The few remnants of wall that remained were little more than black fingers reaching forlornly toward rumbling skies. Huge chunks of rubble scattered the ground on this side of the wall—and no doubt the inner courtyard—some so large they’d crushed the buildings they’d landed on. Smoke rose along the length of the wall, encasing the few sections that remained. But the wall remained manned, the injured were being removed, and the dead covered. Life might have been taken, but life continued on.
I sucked in another quivering breath and, as Kaia soared over the wall and readied to land, I detached my harness, then leaned forward and undid hers, letting it drop to the ground as she landed amongst the remnants of building and bodies.
I didn’t look at the bodies.
I wasn’t ready yet.
I slid down her leg, hitting the ground hard and staggering a little before I caught my balance. Then I scratched her eye ridge and bid her to go rest.
Will, she said wearily.Burning take strength.
It does,but it’s worth it.
Is. We hunt riders now?
My lips twitched, despite the gathering wall of grief.Maybe not today.
But soon?
Yes.
I go. You eat. Must get strong. Revenge to be had.
I swallowed heavily and stepped out of her way. She crouched low, then leapt high, her wings pumping hard, stirring dust, ash, and humanity into the air.
Then I turned and resolutely walked back into the destruction. A familiar figure emerged from the gloom, and for a second, my heart leapt. Then reality stepped in and sent hope crashing.
It wasn’t either of my parents. It was Jarin, our night shift commander. If he was here rather than down on the wall... I crossed my arms and refused to follow that thought through to the end.
I stopped and saluted, but the question I needed to ask was stuck in my throat, and I just stared at him.
For several long seconds, he didn’t say anything. He just stood there, grief and sympathy in his eyes. Then he dropped his gaze and said, in a voice as broken as my heart, “I’m sorry, but it is my duty to inform you that you now bear the mantle of grand commander and?—”
I didn’t hear the rest of it. I didn’t need to. Grief surged, and I screamed. Screamed in heartbreak and despair, and dropped hard to my knees, hugging my body and rocking back and forth as I sobbed. Deep, heartbreaking, all-encompassing sobs.
They were gone.
They wereallgone.
Everyone that had meant anything to me, leaving me broken and alone.
Not alone, came Kaia’s soft comment.I here. Gria here. We kin.
AndIwas now Queen. Grief could wait.
I sucked in a deep breath, then swiped grubby hands across bloody tears and climbed to my feet. “Right, Commander, what needs to be done?”
He hesitated. “Are you?—”
“I’m fine,” I said flatly, even though I wasn’t and maybe never would be. “We’ve people to look after and a war room to rebuild, and the sooner the better.”
He nodded and turned, filling me in as we walked back across the courtyard.
We would rebuild.
And we would have our revenge.
Iwould have my revenge.
Even if it was the very last thing I ever did.
