Page 184 of City of Snakes
I looked Amara in the eyes. “Now he has me too. He’s risen to his full power; he is in the Sahlms. We can stop him…but I need your help.”
Amara’s posture straightened, and the light in her palms blinked out. Running her gaze over me, as though auditing for any sign of harm, she whispered, “I cannot lose you too.”
Firose stepped up beside me. She carefully said, “Then hear us out.”
“You lied to me for centuries,” Amara answered. She pressed her lips into a hard line.
Firose nodded once. “Yes. I have spent so many years hiding things. But you werealwaysmy friend, Amara…even when it did not feel that way to you.”
Firose’s words lingered between us like stale air, burning with truths she’d never say.
She’d spent decades helping Corric hide me from Caym and centuries before that training Asterie to be strong enoughagainst him too. My birth father’s fall to the Death Origin had never been her fault. “I tried my hardest to save him for you,” she whispered.
“You have one minute to explain, Firose, before I decide to turn you over to Luz and let Asterie and Fen decide your fate,” Amara said, her head held high.
We explained as quickly as we could about what had occurred in Sahlmsara and what had transpired in Helos. About our whereabouts, about Caym’s hold on me. She listened but began pacing in front of us—I, too, could never seem to sit still.
With newfound vigor, Amara said, “I will Egress to Luz and gather the others. We don’t have time for any more reunions,” she said and eyed Firose with reluctant acceptance. “Stay here, away from where Caym might reach you.”
As she stepped toward the hall, she gave my shoulder a tight squeeze.
I glanced over at Firose, whose brow pinched. We heard the gentle whoosh of Amara Egressing out of the tower—only then did I let a sigh of relief escape me. Firose mirrored my slackened posture.
I started for the hall.
“Where are you going?”
“To Sahlmsara,” I said.
Sybilla might still be in the fray, might still be in Sahlmkar, and there was no way I’d hide across the realms while innocent people fell at the hands of a monster.
“Wait!” she called out and trailed me.
My brow furrowed. “You’re sure?”
Her eyes glistened with sapphire fire. “I will not hide from him any longer.”
She took my hand in the Egress, and our touch pulsed with our combined magic—palms heating. It felt like her flames grew between our fingers.
When we exited the Egress in Sahlmsara, a ghoulish gray face greeted us with a curdling shriek. I reached for the phantom sword at my side. My fingers didn’t make purchase on anything.
A rag was shoved to my nose, and arms wrapped around my neck. Firose squeaked, but was quickly pulled out of my grasp.
“Emmerick!” she screamed before a cloth was shoved over her mouth too.
Hands grasped me from all sides. Horrendous creatures surrounded us. I grew rapidly light-headed, limp and weak—whatever was on that cloth made my attempts to wield my Source power useless. We had no defense against the Moirai.
Why not just kill us now?
Everything blurred around me as they dragged us by our legs down the cobblestone streets of Sahlmsara toward a behemoth domed, open-air structure made of rough, pale marble.
Chapter 62
Sybilla
It seemed impossible how fast Isleen’s wings carried us over the Vallic mountains. “What is that?” I asked, seeing spots of moving objects below us.
She answered, “They are Moirai. Makings of Caym from those who worshiped him.”
