Bone Crier's Moon (Bone Grace, #1)(106)

My mother glances my way while she fights three Chained. My falcon vision narrows on the twitch of her brow. A sign of guilt? Did she find Bastien before he could return to me? I fight to breathe. “Bastien!” I cry again.

“I’m here!”

My pulse jumps. His voice sounds throaty and exhausted. He’s standing on the ledge just past the foot of the bridge. He blindly battles a Chained with his father’s knife while another one crawls headfirst down the cavern wall, ready to leap on him.

“Watch out!” I race to intervene, but my mother throws two more Chained at me. I scowl and fight them back toward the Gate as quickly as possible. “Above you, Bastien!” I call, though I can’t see him anymore.

My hastiness makes me sloppy, and when I cast one of the Chained through, the second one grabs my dress. I’m dragged dangerously close to the swirling black dust. I grind my teeth and yank away just in time. The Chained tumbles through the Gate. I fall backward on the bridge from the force of our separation.

Well done, Ailesse, Tyrus’s realm sings to me. Now come and receive your reward.

Reward? My limbs tingle, and I pull to my feet.

“Move back from the Gate, Ailesse!” my mother shouts. “You’re too close!”

Vaguely, I hear the growls of several Chained surrounding her. She’s too enmeshed in fighting to come for me.

My chest sways toward the Gate, but my feet root me to the ground. “I . . . can’t go,” I murmur into the hot breeze reaching out for me. “Bastien . . .” I frown and shake my head. What about Bastien? I can’t remember what felt so urgent a moment ago.

Tyrus’s siren song shivers through my body, a euphoric rush that promises more. Where I am is a better place. It has greater power. You can do anything in my realm.

“Ailesse!” A woman’s voice. My mother again. What does she want now? “He is lying! Come back to me!” Her words are insignificant. They fade as the siren song blares louder.

“I want to fly,” I tell Tyrus, my imagination running wild. “I want to breathe underwater.”

I will give you that and more.

“I want . . .” My legs tremble. “I want love.” Love has two faces. A blue-eyed boy. A dark-haired girl. But I can’t remember their names.

“Do something, Bastien!” my mother cries.

My thoughts snag. Bastien? I almost know what that means. It doesn’t stop my feet from slipping forward. The black dust undulates like beckoning fingers. What would it feel like to have that glittering darkness wrapped all around me? I lift my hand. I reach.

“Ailesse, no!” A new voice. Male. One that stirs warmth in my blood.

The drums beat harder, but I can’t forget that voice. It doesn’t come from the Gate. My sixth sense pounds up my spine and across my shoulders.

“Walk away from the Gate, Ailesse, or I will kill Bastien!” my mother yells.

Bastien. He’s the boy I love. That’s his name.

The siren song shatters. The black dust snaps at me like the jaws of a jackal. I jump backward and dodge the bite. Blood rushes to my head as I spin around. Two Unchained run toward me. I leap aside, and they race through Elara’s translucent Gate. I look across the bridge. Three Chained fall off its side in streaks of chazoure. My mother delivers a powerful round kick and strikes the last soul standing. He screams and falls off the bridge with the others.

I gape at her. Those were the last of the dead, and she didn’t even ferry them. She’s staying close to Bastien with her hand at his back. He’s unnaturally stiff—and he’s no longer holding his father’s knife. My heart stops. My mother is using it against him.

“What are you doing?” I dart toward them.

“That is far enough,” she says calmly. I halt at once, ten feet away, fearing what she’ll do otherwise.

Perspiration slicks Bastien’s hair. His eyes are fever bright. He’s been fighting the Chained just as hard as we have, but it’s taken a greater toll on him. How can my mother reward him like this?

“Let him go! He was helping us. Why are you—?”

“The Gates will not stay open much longer. The two years are at an end, and Tyrus has still not given him back to . . .” Her mouth creases shut, and she inhales a steadying breath. “This is my final chance, Ailesse.”

My heartbeat quickens. She’s not making any sense. What does all this have to do with Bastien? “Final chance for what?”

“To redeem myself.” Her black eyes gleam. “I understand now. This is Tyrus’s last requirement —my last act of reconciliation. I need to help you see it through.”

I stop breathing. I glance at Bastien’s pale face. “See what through?”

Her commanding gaze bores into me. “Your rite of passage.”





49

Sabine

CAS AND I RACE DEEPER into the western part of the forest. The soldiers try their best to keep up with us. An hour ago, we heard an explosion in the same direction we’re still headed. Cas said it was stolen black powder. We’ve been moving as fast as possible ever since.

Faint sounds of arguing drift to me on the night air. Even with my jackal grace, they’re too distant to understand clearly. I can’t tell who they are or what they’re saying. What if one of them is Ailesse? I grab Cas’s arm. “This is as far as the soldiers come.”