Page 43 of Beyond the Treaty
“Coward,” it hissed.
“Survivor,” I retorted.
The council’s shouts receded into the distance, their torches
engulfed by the darkness. Yet, I knew this was merely the beginning. They wouldn’t cease until they had captured me, or until I annihilated them.
And the worst part? A small, treacherous part of me wanted to do exactly that.
As the night wore on, the forest receded, and I stood at the edge of a cliff, gazing down at an expansive, shadowy valley. The wind howled around me, carrying the faint echo of Elara’s voice with it.
You are more than this.
ACT IV
ELARA
CHAPTER 26
The wind carried a bitter chill as I traced my fingers over the map spread across a rather large boulder. The worn parch- ment, smudged with dirt and frayed at the edges, reflected the state of our journey, haphazard, desperate, and far from over. Azrael sat opposite me, his eyes shadowed by exhaustion but unwavering as they scanned our surroundings. He hadn’t spoken much since we left the nexus, and I could feel the weight of unspoken thoughts pressing down on him.
I wanted to reach out to draw him from whatever dark corner of his mind he had retreated to, but I didn’t. Not yet. Azrael wasn’t someone you could pull into the light; he came willingly or not at all. And my guess is, not. Especially after what happened in the nexus.
I still don’t know what the fragment took from me. I shouted ‘dreams’, but I don’t think I have any. Not now anyway.
Instead, I concentrated on the task at hand, forcing myself to steady my breathing as my fingers hovered above a marked point on the map. “If we take this route to Ebonshade Keep,” I said, breaking the silence, “we can avoid the council’s patrols. It’s longer, but it will buy us time.”
Azrael’s gaze flicked to the map, his jaw tightening. “Timewon’t matter if we don’t get to the other two nexuses. The Council is closing in, Elara. We can’t outrun them indefinitely. We have already had to dodge a few enforcers.”
The way he pronounced my name sent a shiver down my spine. There was a rawness to it, as though he was clinging to it like a lifeline.
“Then what do you propose?” I asked, striving to keep my voice steady.
He leaned back, running a hand through his hair. “Darius? Do you suffer from motion sickness?”
Darius glances up from sharpening his dagger. “I never really considered it; why?”
Azrael’s smirk broadens across his face. “With the last of my energy, I could materialise all three of us to Obsidia first. Find that nexus. And whilst we are there, I can gather enough strength and energy to materialise us to Ebonshade Keep to retrieve the last fragment there.” He glances between me and Darius. It’s not actually a bad idea. It saves us from constantly running and hiding.
“I vote yes, Darius. What do you say?” My head turns towards Darius, awaiting a yes. In all honesty, no was out of the question.
“I suppose we have no other choice, really... Yes.”
A smile spread across my face. “Let us get moving then.” As we stood, the wind picked up, whipping the edges of the
map with frenzied energy. Azrael closed his eyes momentarily, and I could see the tension in his posture as he gathered his remaining strength. This plan was risky, but it was our best chance.
Darius sheathed his dagger and stepped closer. “How long will it take you to recover sufficiently to make the second jump?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.
Azrael exhaled deeply, his eyes opening with renewed determination. “Not long, but every second counts. We must be prepared for whatever awaits us in Obsidia. Stay close and stay alert.”
With a nod, I folded the map and tucked it securely into my pack. The three of us formed a tight circle, with Azrael at the centre. I placed a hand on his arm, sensing the faint tremor of his fatigue. Darius did likewise, his grip steady and reassuring.
“Hold on tight,” Azrael murmured, his voice hardly dis- cernible above the howling wind. He closed his eyes once again, and a subtle glow started to radiate from his hands, spreading outward and enveloping us in a gentle, shimmering light.
The world around us blurred and twisted, the sensation of being pulled through space both exhilarating and disorienting. I clung to Azrael’s arm, my heart pounding in my chest as the landscape shifted and reformed around us.
When the light finally faded, we found ourselves standing on the outskirts of Obsidia. The air was thick with the scent of molten rock and smoke, remnants of a volcano erupting.
