The Heart Forger (The Bone Witch #2)(42)
“Stop treating me like I’m not here,” Princess Inessa complained.
Zoya took over Kismet’s reins, and Khalad climbed up behind Polaire. The latter muttered another protest but had no strength to follow through.
“I’m not going with you,” Kalen broke in.
I felt cold all over. “This is not the time for jokes, Kalen.”
“I am not leaving Prince Kance. I promised to protect him.” The Deathseeker’s fists clenched, anger and guilt spilling out of his heartsglass. “I may not have been successful at that, but I’m not going to abandon him either.”
“He isn’t in danger,” Khalad said quietly. “They have to keep his body physically healthy if they are to use his heartsglass.”
But Kalen shook his head, stubborn to the end. “That doesn’t matter. I swore an oath not to leave his side.”
“You can’t!” I cried. Strong as he was, he was no match for a whole army, and he knew it. Visions of Kalen fighting off soldiers as they surrounded and overwhelmed him until he was lost amid a sea of flashing swords, horrified me. “That’s suicide!”
“You don’t know me, Tea.”
“I don’t need to to know you’re going to die!” My voice broke. “Kalen, please…”
He paused. “I’m sorry, Tea. More than you’ll know.” He turned his horse around, and my panic rose.
I felt apprehension on Fox’s end, but he made no move to stop me when I drew Compulsion and directed it toward the Deathseeker.
“You. Will. Not. For once in your life, do as I say!”
Kalen stopped. He nudged his horse back to follow without another word, though his jaw had hardened. I could feel his outrage filtering through my shock.
I stared down at my hands, which were shaking. I didn’t want to do that, least of all to him. But what else could I do?
I was breathing hard, and there were spots in my vision. We had barely left the castle and already I felt like I could topple over any second. Wordlessly, Fox grabbed my hand and helped me onto Chief.
“Did she just…?” I heard Likh murmur, confused.
“Not now!” Zoya insisted. “Let’s move!”
The walls crawled with men firing arrows that the azi avoided with ease. Already we were attracting attention; soldiers crept toward us with swords and bows at the ready. Zoya flung out an arm, and weapons flew from their hands. Another gesture sent them stumbling back. Likh and Altaecia flanked her, but Kalen remained where he was.
Tea. It was Fox, gently bringing me back to the present. Now is not the time.
I forced myself to speak. “I’m going to do something unusual. Fox, tell them not to panic.”
“I will help you,” Zoya said warily, “if you tell me what we shouldn’t be panicking over first.”
But I had closed my eyes, all my strength directed at the beast above us, eager to let the daeva in and chase away my guilt. The azi dipped down, close enough to send many of the men and women scrambling for cover or sprawling away.
There were a few asha and Deathseekers manning parts of the gates, but I knew none of them would risk fire or lightning at this range. Zoya was already weaving the air with her fingers, prepared to attack the daeva. Fox grabbed her arm. “Don’t hurt it!”
“Grab my arm like that again, and you’ll lose yours,” the asha said ominously. “And why shouldn’t I?”
“Because Tea’s in its head right now,” Althy said quietly. “Isn’t she?”
I couldn’t answer; the strain of keeping the daeva under control when it was so close to the city was too tasking.
Ram the gates? Fox suggested.
My mind recoiled at the potential casualties from his suggestion. Absolutely not! The azi could kill everyone on those walls.
I didn’t mean with the azi, idiot.
I felt arms encircle me; my brother lifted me off Chief and transferred me to Likh’s mount. “I’ll need to borrow that!” he yelled at an approaching soldier, swiftly slamming his fist into the man’s face to knock him out and promptly retrieving the latter’s shield. Then he goaded Chief into a dead run toward the gates.
“Fox!” Princess Inessa shrieked behind me, and then both man and horse hit the barrier. There was the frightening sound of bone snapping and wood splintering.
Rise up! I screamed, and the azi flew so quickly that it became a speck in the sky within seconds. What were you thinking?! I screamed at my brother.
Were you expecting them to open the gates for us?
The rest of the group stared at the large, gaping hole Fox and Chief had left in their wake. “Ride hard!” Althy yelled.
A few asha struggled to block our way. Zoya whipped out a series of Shield runes that repelled arrows and sword thrusts. Althy was rougher; Fire and Mountain burst from the ground at times, surrounding attackers in either a ring of flames or stony obstacles. Likh maintained a Shield of his own, hovering it over the now-sleeping Mykaela and the barely conscious Polaire. I had stopped compelling him long before we reached the gates, but Kalen no longer showed signs of wanting to remain with us; his own runes of Rot and Shake sent fissures opening and walls crumbling behind us, preventing more soldiers from following.
Once our last horse was past the gates, I took hold of the azi’s mind again. The daeva landed, blocking the army’s way and crowing belligerently. We kept riding, not stopping until we had reached the first copse of trees several miles from the city. From a small hill, we watched the daeva rise again, ringing the city but no longer attacking.