Before She Ignites (Fallen Isles Trilogy #1)(103)

“Aaru?” I called, taking a noorestone from a wall sconce and lifting it high.

His face was stern as he shook his head. Carefully, he began making his way back to the center. Hurrok and Kumas were still in their cells, but they were on the other side of the Luminary Guards—unreachable for now.

“It’s all right.” But oh, if we could have darkened the whole hall, smothered it with soundlessness, and forced our enemies into disorientation, I might have been able to lead my friends to freedom.

“Kason, Varissa”—I motioned at them—“help over here.”

“Of course.” Varissa smiled proudly as she switched sides. “Anything for my favorite daughter.”

Kason said nothing, but his motions were swift and strong. He was eager to fight the warriors—his oppressors for so long.

Gerel had already killed five of Altan’s fourteen warriors, and injured seven others. That didn’t stop their attacks, but she fended them off with the grace of a dancer. The sword was lightning in her hand, and the knife in the other was thunder. She whipped the blades, blocking and thrusting and slashing; it was impossible to keep up.

She’d kicked back seven batons, out of reach of her opponents. Kason and Varissa took them.

Altan was in there somewhere, but through the dust and mass of moving bodies, I couldn’t see him. Surely he wasn’t fighting, though. Not with a gaping hole in his side. But Altan was a Khulani warrior, capable of so many things. He might really be able to battle through that kind of injury.

In spite of Gerel and Hristo’s considerable abilities, and the reinforcement of angry prisoners, we were still outnumbered, trapped, and exhausted.

If only I’d understood my noorestone ability. We had so many. Even the cellblock noorestones, which I’d thought were old and dim before, were merely dusty. When I wiped one against my dress, brilliant light shone through.

“If you like noorestones so much,” Chenda said, eyeing the bag at my feet, and the large crystal clutched in my fist, “I have an idea. Hold that up.”

I frowned, but obeyed, shining white-blue light across the cellblock.

Chenda bowed her head and pressed her hands to her heart. The knifepoint rested just under her chin. “Blessed Bopha,” she whispered. “Grant me your gifts in my hour of need. Cela, cela.” Then, she sucked in a sharp breath and her shadow behind her grew.

“More light.” Her words came raspy. Desperate.

Quickly, I grabbed a second stone from my bag and lifted that as well.

Chenda’s shadow deepened and shifted, independently of its owner. That was a Bophan trick, yes, but what good did that do us?

The Dawn Lady leaned heavily onto the nearest wall. “More.”

My hands were already full and my sore shoulder throbbed, but more light did come. Aaru took four noorestones from my bag and lifted them skyward, touching the two already in my hands.

On the wall, Chenda’s shadow was as black as the space between stars as it peeled off the stone and became a wholly separate object. With great solemnity, Chenda offered it her knife. Armed, it lurched toward the warriors.

I yelped, almost dropping a noorestone, but Aaru caught me. He pressed his fists around mine, holding me steady. A breath tickled my ear, like he’d tried to say something. Silence, though. Only silence from him.

A warrior screamed behind Chenda’s shadow, and when it moved aside, all I could see was the blood pouring from the man’s throat. The knife dripped with red.

My stomach turned over at the sight. A shadow assassin. But hadn’t that been what I’d asked for? Help removing the people trying to arrest or kill us?

I couldn’t take my eyes off Chenda’s shadow as it slipped away from the body, seeking another victim. The warriors turned on it, swinging their batons at its throat and head, but nothing touched the shadow. It thrust out with the knife, killing a second and third man, and that was half of Altan’s warriors, with six others clutching shattered knees and bleeding heads.

That was wrong. There’d been fourteen, plus Altan. “One is missing!” I called. “One is gone!”

Just then, Gerel gasped and staggered back. The knife fell from her hand, and her sword dipped. Altan slammed his baton against her head, and she went down.

“This effort is futile.” Altan looked up at me as reinforcements of twenty warriors came into the hallway, along with the one who’d been missing moments before. No matter how many we fought our way through, they would always have more. “You should have taken my offer.”

Chenda called for her shadow, which surged toward the newcomers with its bloody knife. Hristo rushed past me, sword drawn back to swing in a wide arc.

The bowstring thwapped and an arrow pierced a warrior’s eye.

Kelsine roared and positioned herself in front of me.

Aaru pressed all six noorestones into my hands, and though my shoulder throbbed with the strain of holding my arms up for so long, I pressed my hands together to keep the stones from slipping.

::Wait,:: he tapped, and found the keys again. When I glanced over, the sole remaining Luminary Guard was pulling Tirta from the cellblock. The way was clear to release the last of the prisoners. First Kumas, who took up a weapon and joined the fight without hesitation.

Then Hurrok.

Just as the bars rang open, tattooed hands reached out. Hurrok grabbed Aaru’s arm, twisted it sharply, and stole the keys and knife.