Page 183 of City of Snakes
So instead of traveling a few blocks, we crashed through the darkness—a lusterless heap of flailing bodies. I cried out and tried to regain control, but I could no longer guide us. Everything turned to amber smoke as we plummeted and hit sand with a horrid thud.
Ryn clung to my forearm as we rose together.
We stood at the center of the amphitheater in Sahlmsara.
No, please not here.
I’d led him right into my city. I felt too weak to Shadow back to Sahlmkar now. My only thought of hope was that Sybilla had escaped—she’d spoken to me.I hoped she had found a way to Lymrasi without me.
The bells of Umber House rang, and horns blared. They were evacuating.
Caym was no longer at our side. Instead, he stood on the flat marble stage above one of the entry archways. The iron gates had been drawn shut and, judging from the faint amber glimmer across their surface, also warded. The Death Origin held out his arms on both sides, looking like a horrid gray-cloaked statue.
I gasped, trying to regain my strength.
“And now we wait for theshow.” Caym’s voice boomed down on us. “I tried to serve you a quick, humane death, nephew. Let us wait for your Isleen to come so she can watch her loved ones fall. She will learn how futile her fight against me will be.”
He was luring her here.
I tried to step toward him—tried to push Shadows out. My legs refused to move for the second time, and I roared in protest. The most horrific pain I’d ever felt encased my whole body, and I crumbled.
The agony had me blind to any reason to live.
Ryn kept running toward the podium, making it a few paces before he, too, dropped and writhed. Our pained shrieks mirrored one another.
My hands grasped at the sand, taking fistfuls of it and squeezing.
A cold feeling crept up the back of my neck, and everything grew dark. A gray veil had clouded my vision.
No matter how hard I fought, control no longer belonged to me.
Chapter 61
Emmerick
The Egress dropped us into the halls of the South Tower. I ran toward the drawing room. I’d only been here once, for that dreadful meeting when I’d enraged Sybilla by allying with her cousins.
“Amara! It’s me, Emmerick. I’m not here to harm you.” Entering the room, I raised my hands.
Amara stood with one hand pressed against a pine desk, a black triangular stone next to her fingertips. She wore a simple beige dress with gold seams and brown boots. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she seemed forlorn until she set her sight on me and brightened. “Emmerick? Thank the Sources—you are safe.”
Safe? Debatable. I wouldn’t worry her about that now.
As Amara gazed beyond me, her whole body stiffened.
“She is not here to harm you either,” I said, keeping my tone as calm as possible.
Amara stammered, “You—you are dead. How are you here?” A bright light formed in Amara’s palm, and she began to aimit. Her eyes burned with golden fury. “What have you done to him?”
I stepped into the path between Amara’s ball of sunlight and Firose.
“Please, please listen first,” I begged.
She glanced between me and Firose. With her glowing hand shaking, and her lip trembling, she said, “You never told me what Corric was. He never told me you were helping him.” Her voice cracked. “For centuries I thought you kept him from me, that you were hurting him. How? How areyouhere and he is not? Tell me that this memorandum is not a cruel trick.”
She motioned to the black stone on the desk before approaching.
“Ithadto be that way. You would not have given up on him if you knew Corric still loved you. His love for you was a liability. He wanted you safe. There is no room for love in Caym’s grasp.”
