The Silver Siren (Iron Butterfly, #3)(41)

Syrani was tiring, so I leapt up and ran toward one of our wagons. It had been separated from the formation and was being hooked up to horses. Several bodies lay bound and tied inside, and I thought I saw Joss unconscious in the back.

“No!” I screamed. The driver used a whip on the horse and it began to move. I flung out my arms and gritted my teeth, unearthing a large sycamore tree. It landed directly in front of the wagon, making the horses rear up in fright.

I kept running, but another Septori lumbered at me with a giant knife. I turned and flung him into the wagon. I heard his head crack against the wheel and he stilled. I winced at the sound, knowing he was dead.

The wagon driver stood, raising a robed hand toward me. I saw a bright blue light emanate from the driver’s palm and then I couldn’t breathe. A blue ring appeared around my neck as I started to suffocate.

My hands grasped at my throat and I fell to my knees. I tried to suck in air, but there wasn’t any. I crawled on all fours toward the wagon, but it was being backed up. I watched helplessly as it moved away. My lungs burned.

In the predawn light, I could clearly make out the slumped form of Joss. His whole body was slack, and I couldn’t tell if he was dead. A smaller robed figure crouched next to him as her feminine hands draped possessively over his shoulder. I watched as the hooded passenger in the back of the wagon looked toward me and removed her hood. I recognized the dark hair and beautiful eyes of Mona. She laughed maliciously and stroked her hands down Joss’s face.

She blew a kiss at me as I struggled to inhale.

I heard someone call my name and I turned toward Kael, who was running toward me. But my vision was blurring, fading. He was going to be too late. He sounded miles away and I was falling…slowly falling.

~~~

There was blackness, darkness, and then my chest was on fire. Pain, but then relief as the mysterious clamp that was around my throat disappeared and I could breathe. My eyes fluttered open and I inhaled. But it wasn’t enough. My body wanted to inhale again, but I couldn’t. I started to cough.

Kael leaned over me. His eyes dark with worry, his breathing was ragged. But when he realized I was breathing, his shoulders slumped in relief.

“Kael, they got them, they took them!” I said, wishing my voice were stronger. I swatted at his hands touching my neck. Every minute we delayed was a minute that helped in their escape.

“It’s okay, settle down.”

“Joss!” My throat burned but I ignored the pain. “Joss. The others. Kael, we have to go after them.”

Kael pulled away from me as if my words burned him. He looked at me in doubt and then he turned to stare down the road where the Septori had disappeared. I could see the effects of his inner turmoil. The muscle in his jaw ticked as he ground his teeth together.

“Kael, please. We have to go after them,” I reached out and tugged on his arm. Fear shot through my whole body and I couldn’t control my voice from quivering. “W—we can’t let what happened to us happen to them,” I implored.

“I won’t,” Kael looked at me his eyes pleading with me to understand. “But you have to stay here.”

“No, I’m coming with you Kael. I can fight them,” I argued and tried to stand. But my body disagreed and I flopped back down to the ground.

“Thalia, I won’t go after them unless you promise to stay here, take care of the others, and get them somewhere safe,” Kael raised his voice. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Then I’ll go without you. You can’t leave me behind. I deserve justice for what was done to me,” I cried out. Finally, I was able to get my legs to stand firm beneath me. I raised my chin and dared him to argue. “I’m going too.”

“Thalia, it’s not too dangerous for you. It’s too dangerous for me,” his voice dropped to barely above a whisper. He leaned in close to me, his eyes zeroed in on my lips and I held my breath expecting him to kiss me. He saw my inhaled breath and he hesitated. Instead he tucked a stray wisp of hair behind my ear. “You leave me…vulnerable.”

I could see the sweat from the heat of battle along his brow, the smear of blood across his arm. None of that took away from how handsome he looked. Kael was the best fighter in all of Calandry, and I was his weakness.

Kael’s eyes dropped from my mouth and he turned to survey the dead bodies of both the Septori and our own guards. His body stiffened and his voice became stern. “I failed today, because as soon as I knew something was wrong, I came to protect you instead of the students. I failed the Adept Council. I failed in my duty because I was distracted...by you.”

The bitter taste of guilt began to consume me. I was a liability. He was right. As long as I stayed alive, he would be fine. But if I did something reckless he would pay the price. If I went with him, he would always be looking over his shoulder.

“Fine, I’ll stay here and help get the others somewhere safe.” By now my imagination had started playing horrible tricks on me. I imagined Joss on the table and the Raven doing experiments on him. I could see Joss cry out in pain as the iron bands wrapped around his body and pierced his skin. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head, trying to stop the terror that threatened to consume me.

He nodded his head in agreement. I could tell he didn’t want to go, but would…for me. “I’ll be faster if I go alone.”