Defiance Rising

THIRTY-FOUR

  I land one block back from the courtyard that leads to the front doors of the Shard. The grass has long since died out, leaving behind a desolate space. A large fountain occupies the center of the courtyard, chipped and cracked from the battle that rages all around. Piles of bricks dot the space. Blood splatters everything in sight.

  Caldonian soldiers form a circle around a tall wooden platform. I peer around the edge of a building and frown. Kyan stands in the center of the platform, his legs and wrists bound. He is leaned back against tall branches piled into a large pyre. Flickering torches reside on either side of the platform.

  “Barbarians!” I swear softly.

  Zahra is nowhere to be seen, but my guess is she’s biding her time. The cawing of birds is gone, as are the howls of the wolves.

  I raise my gaze toward the towering building overhead and know that Drakon is up there. I wonder if Toren managed to find a way to free them or if he too has become a prisoner.

  Anger simmers in my belly as I step out into the open. Kyan lifts his head and I have to fight back my revulsion. There is hardly any patch of skin that has not been blistered or cut. One eye is completely swollen shut, the other partially. His lips are split and blood drips from both ears.

  My anger turns to burning wrath as his one decent eye locks onto mine. Eamon won’t last much longer. You have to leave me.

  “No!”

  The cry sends soldiers into a frenzy as they face off with me, lasers aimed directly at my heart. I don’t know if you can absorb all of their shots. Don’t risk it.

  Don’t worry. They won’t get the chance to shoot!

  Dark clouds swirl overhead as winds whip into strong gales. My hair lashes against my face, obscuring the veil of black that falls over my eyes. I stretch out my hands and yank ice shards from the sky, keeping a protective bubble around Kyan.

  The aliens scream and dash for cover as large splinters of ice pierce their flesh. They shield their heads as blood dots the ground. The ground ripples underfoot as great chasms tear through the earth, sealing the aliens within.

  Don’t kill them. They are only following orders, Kyan calls to me.

  I look to Kyan and sever the bonds holding him to the pyre with my mind. He falls to the ground.

  “Kyan!” Zahra races out from the lower level of the Shard. I raise my hands and wave off the ice storm as she leaps onto the platform and pulls him into her arms.

  I turn toward the wounded aliens. “Surrender and your lives will be spared. Lay one finger on my friends and I promise you a painful end.”

  Racing toward the platform, I reach Zahra’s side. Tears stream down her cheeks as she looks at me. “Thank you. I didn’t know how to save him.”

  I nod and focus on Kyan. “Let me heal you.”

  “No!” He croaks. “You have to get to Eamon. Drakon thinks he’s the one you will fight for.”

  I grit my teeth, hearing the unspoken truth behind his words. Drakon will use Eamon’s sanity as leverage against me. I stretch out my hand and levitate a laser gun to Zahra’s side. “Stay with him. If any of the Caldonians attack, I want you to use this.”

  “Count on it,” she growls, clutching it in her free hand.

  “They won’t…” Kyan coughs, holding his sides. “We will be safe.”

  “I hope you’re right.” I pat him on the shoulder and sprint for the Shard. It is time to finish this.

 

  The interior of the Shard is rather surprising. Plush couches line the lower floor while potted plants and other unique trinkets dot the sitting area. My shoes whisper against the plush white carpet, leaving bloody boot prints in my wake.

  Despite the battle waging outside, the Shard is ominously quiet. No screaming, no whimpering, no humming lasers. A shiver ripples along my spine as I ascend the stairs.

  I imagine the Shard used to be a very impressive building, rising high above all the others. The glass-panned tower must have stretched up to the clouds. Now it is but a shell of its former glory.

  Pictures hang on the walls, images of a life I have never known──children playing in parks of lush greens and autumn leaves, men tossing fishing lines into water, spending a leisurely day at the lake. Each image captures my attention as I pass, but I force myself to search for the top floor.

  When I reach the opening at the top of the final stairway, I can feel Drakon, like a tiny portion of the Shadow is calling to me from the end of the hall. Fear worms its way into my mind as I approach. I haven’t seen any sign of Toren yet.

  The hallway widens to reveal a large sitting area. Cracked leather chairs form a quaint semicircle around a darkened screen. The carpet is slightly worn here, evidence of a great amount of traffic.

  Blood droplets draw my attention toward the closed double doors. I take a deep breath before opening them but I walk into the room with an air of confidence.

  “Ah, Illyria,” Drakon grins as he turns to face me. “I was wondering when you might show up.”

  “I got a little preoccupied with your army outside. Sorry about those Sky Ships. I hope they weren’t too important.”

  A vein running down his forehead pulsates as he grits his teeth. “All is fair in love and war.”

  His black uniform is pristine, creased to perfection. His hair is shorter than I remember. His left breast is proudly emblazoned with his many medals of honor. “You didn’t have to primp just for me,” I jeer as I step further into the large space.

  The room is circular in design, lined with curved windows to give a panoramic view of the City. I can imagine Drakon sitting behind the large mahogany wood desk, staring out at his empire like one of those Roman Caesars my father told me about, never satisfied with the world they command.

  Aminah rests against a tall wooden cabinet off to my right. Her eyes are wide with fear, and her skin is frightfully pale. A growl rumbles in my chest at the sight of her broken leg and fingers pushed so far out of joint it make me nauseous.

  Her eyes flicker to the side and I follow her gaze to a pair of legs sticking out from behind a large black leather couch. The pants are darkened with blood. Toren!

  “I see you’ve noticed the state of your friends.” Drakon tsks, shaking his head as he clasps his hands behind his back. “It’s a pity you didn’t come sooner. You might have been able to save them some of their pain.”

  My teeth grind as I glare at him, where he remains perched on the edge of his desk. “Where is Eamon?”

  “Oh, I should have known you would come for the boy. Silly me,” he gloats, sweeping his hand behind him.

  My chest clenches at the sight of Eamon curled into a ball of agony just beyond Drakon. Aminah was right. This man is no fool. He has kept his most prized leverage well out of reach.

  “What do you want?” I ask, stepping into the center of the room.

  From this point, I can reach Aminah in three steps and Toren in five. Even if I did manage to get them out of here, Eamon is sure to suffer the consequences.

  “What I have always wanted, my dear. To help you fulfill your destiny. Although,” he taps his fingers on his lips, “I do think I preferred you as a blonde. The black is so…dramatic.”

  “Sorry to disappoint,” I grin, flexing my fingers against my side.

  He notices every twitch I make. A grin stretches across his thin lips as I feel him touch my mind for the first time. It comes like the swift jab of a sword, invading and deadly accurate. I can feel my skin pulsate as I allow the Shadow to drape over my mind.

  Drakon is thrown off his feet as I mentally shove him aside. Hairline cracks appear in the glass window behind his back as he slides to the floor. He rises, his beady black eyes livid as he wipes a drop of blood from his ear.

  “I see the true Shadow Walker standing before me now. Impressive.” His anger fades as a glint of greed makes him giddy with desire. “Perhaps we can come to some sort of an
agreement.”

  I don’t let a smile form this time. I want him to think that I would consider making a deal with him even though I’ve just proven he has no power over me. “Go on.”

  “I will let your friends go if you agree to join me. I can teach you how to unleash your powers. I can offer you riches beyond your wildest dreams.”

  “And my friends?”

  “Will be allowed to return to their hovel you called a home in the woods. They will be free to rebuild.”

  “And they will be safe?” I press.

  His eyes narrow. “Safe enough. I can’t promise that all of my men will obey my commands.”

  I approach, making each calculated step count. I can sense his nervousness. “No deal.”

  “It is a fair offer,” he protests, shrinking back slightly. Drakon glances toward Eamon, producing terrifyingly horrific screams. “I wouldn’t do anything rash, my dear. Poor Eamon’s mind is hanging in the balance. One wrong move and you will be feeding him with a spoon for the rest of your life.”

  Anger rips through my mind as I restrain the urge to squeeze the life from him. “You seem to─”

  The window behind Drakon explodes inward, sending glass splinters shooting through the air. Aminah shrieks and ducks as the shards rain over her. I wave my hand and create a protective barrier over her head and the glass patters harmlessly against the wooden floor.

  Drakon rises to his feet, his face a minefield of bloody gashes. “Who dares disrupt me?”

  A figure rises from behind the sofa in a whirlwind of papers caused by the gusting winds funneling through the broken window. “I dare,” Bastien growls.

  I throw out my hand and shove Drakon’s desk directly at him as I leap to Bastien’s side. I close my eyes and focus. He cries out as I pummel him to the floor, disappearing completely.

  “What are you doing?” He growls in my ear.

  “Saving your life.”

  From the other side of the room, Drakon lunges for the laser concealed under the desk and takes aim in our direction. His eyes roam the empty space. “That’s a clever trick,” he growls stepping around his desk.

  He lowers his laser and I roll Bastien to the side only a second before the laser slams into the wood where we were laying. “Don’t let go of me,” I whisper in his ear as I pull him to his knees.

  Drakon shoots off random shots, growling as each one fails to hit us. “I’m not in the mood for games today, girl. Come out now or I will fry your friend.”

  Aminah whimpers as Drakon approaches.

  I lean up into Bastien’s ear. “When I let go you will be visible again. Get Aminah and Toren out of here. I will take care of Eamon.”

  I can feel him shaking his head beside me. “No. I came for you, not them.”

  “I’m waiting,” Drakon calls.

  I roll Bastien until we are behind an overturned chair. My fingers move across his face until I find his chin. With a whimper, I crush my lips onto his and then dive away from him. I roll to my feet behind Drakon, completely visible.

  He turns, gun aimed at Aminah’s chest. “Sorry. Your time was up.”

  I scream as he fingers the trigger. Bastien tackles Aminah out of the way, as the laser hits the floor. He leaps to his feet with her in his arms and dives through the open window.

  “No!” Drakon growls, leaping to the side of the couch to get a clear shot at Toren. “He can’t save your friend this time.”

  I stretch out my hand and yank the couch toward me, sending Drakon tumbling end over end. He crumples to the floor, his laser spiraling out of his hand. I bend over and grab Toren, lifting him into my arms as I race for the window.

  Bastien! Catch!

  I toss Toren out of the window and watch as Bastien speeds up to meet him, slowing at the last second to match Toren’s speed so he doesn’t break his back. Toren’s head flops as he lands in Bastien’s arms.

  “I’m coming back for you!” Bastien shouts before he races to place Toren on the ground.

  Heat explodes along my spine and I collapse against the window frame. I can see the red glow of the laser fire flickering against the window beside me. A sneer curls my lip as I rise to my feet and turn to face Drakon.

  His face drains of color. “That’s impossible!”

  I roll my neck as heat radiates up my spine and curls around my heart. Drakon backs away, tripping over the mess of papers that line the floor, fallen from his overturned desk. He stretches out his hand and Eamon’s back arches, his neck tensing as he screams.

  “Not too close, Illyria. I still have your precious Eamon.”

  No matter how I look at this situation, I can’t find a way out without risking Eamon’s life. Although I seem completely capable of breaking Drakon’s attempts to latch onto my mind, I am unable to break his connection with Eamon’s.

  “Fine,” I throw up my hands. “You win. Release Eamon and I will go with you.”

  Drakon’s eyebrow arches. “How can I trust you? As soon as Eamon is gone you can toss me straight out that window.”

  “Let my friends come for him. Once they are through the door I will release full control to you.”

  He cocks his head to the side. “A tempting offer.”

  I nod. “One I know you can’t pass up. Not if you want to win favor with Aloysius.”

  He blinks. “You know of him?”

  “I know what my destiny requires.” I reply flatly.

  “And yet you would still go with me.”

  I nod.

  “Fair enough.” He retracts his hand slightly and Eamon’s back sinks to the floor. Exhaustion mars his face but the excruciating pain has faded. “Call your friends.”

  Kyan?

  I’m here.

  Are you well enough to join me?

  I’m healed. Bastien and I are on our way.

  I stifle the cry rising in my throat at the deal I have just made with the devil. I know what I risk, the complete loss of my own mind, but the risk is worth it.

  Drakon has agreed to release Eamon to you and allow you a pardon. The war is over.

  Kyan is silent for a moment. At what price?

  Me.

  No! You’re not ready! Kyan’s protests make me close my eyes against my tears.

  It’s already done.

  I sever the connection and wait. “They are on their way.”

  Drakon’s grin turns my stomach. “Excellent.”

  “Let me see him,” I say, stepping toward Eamon. Drakon hesitates, but relents with another reminder of the hold he has over Eamon’s mind. I dip down low beside Eamon, gently pressing my lips against his bruised temple. “Please forgive me.”

  Drakon cackles behind me. “How touching.”

  “Kyan already told you everything you needed to know. You didn’t have to hurt him.”

  “True,” he nods. “But I do so enjoy my job.”

  I turn and glare up at him over my shoulder. “Be thankful you have a hold on him. If not, I promise you I would find a much slower way for you to die than tossing you out a window.”

  The skin around his eyes pinch, but he grins down at me. “Aloysius is going to have so much fun breaking you, girl.”

  I turn at the sound of Bastien and Kyan busting through the door. I frown, confused as to why Bastien didn’t just fly Kyan up through the window, but then I notice the strain lining his face. Bastien is near exhaustion.

  “Take Eamon and leave the City,” I say aloud as Kyan dips down beside me. When he is near enough to whisper, I lean in. “Don’t stay in the mountains. Drakon will not keep his word.”

  Kyan nods in silent agreement as he rises with Eamon’s arm thrown over his shoulder. Eamon’s dead weight is a struggle for Kyan, but he manages. I look to Bastien as Kyan stumbles past.

  “I’m not leaving without you.” His voice is low, heavy with emotion.

  Pain crashes through my thin veil of confidence and I fe
el my grip on the Shadow weaken. Drakon’s face lights up. “Ah…so he’s the one!”

  Bastien’s stance tenses as I face off with Drakon. “Try to hurt him and I swear you will regret it,” I threaten darkly. Electricity sparks in the air around me, but Drakon only shrugs.

  Kyan lugs Eamon out into the hall. He pauses and turns back for Bastien. “Bastien?”

  He shakes his head. “I can’t make myself leave.”

  “You have to. It’s the only way to protect you.” I plead with him, begging him to see the truth of my words.

  Bastien shakes his head, planting his feet on the floor. “Not without saying goodbye.”

  “Not gonna happen, pretty boy. You fooled me once, but I don’t fall for the same trick twice.”

  I whip around, unleashing the full extent of my anger on Drakon. He watches the swirl of shadow in my eyes. “Either I get to say goodbye to him or our deal is off.”

  He splutters, going red in the face as his vein becomes more pronounced. He eyes Bastien and then me. “We have a ship to catch. Make it fast.”

  Bastien leaps forward, taking me in his arms. I cling to him, desperate to glean strength from him, as his tormented soul is laid bare before me. I can see love, unfathomable in its depth. “Please don’t do this. Come with me,” he begs.

  “I can’t,” I whisper. “He can still destroy Eamon’s mind.”

  A sob rises in Bastien’s throat as he crushes his lips against mine. His hands tighten around my arms, pressing me against the length of his body. I want to mold myself around him, to savor this one last kiss, but Drakon shoves us apart.

  “That’s enough. Get a move on, boy.”

  “I love you,” I cry out as he shoves Bastien toward the door.

  Tears dampen Bastien’s cheeks. “I will find you. I promise!”

  “I think I might throw up,” Drakon mocks from behind me.

  “Have you no decency?” I hear a rustle of fabric and turn to see him rising with a laser gun in his hand.

  “I guess not.” He raises his gun and fires straight at Bastien’s heart.