Page 77 of The Last Aether

The assassin ran screaming in circles as one of his compatriots tried to douse him with water. But it was too late. The woman pouring water on him howled in pain.

It wasn’t the cry of physical agony but emotional. Her head lifted, rage pulsing in her dark eyes. She pulled a gun, aiming at Phoenix.

My palms shot out. The ground beneath her rocked, sending her flying and the bullet shooting off course. She struggled to her feet, glaring and trying to turn the gun on me.

A gust of air blew past me and suddenly the woman’s eyes were bugging out of her head as she clawed at her throat.

I turned to Riven whose gaze was locked on the assassin, fury burning there. His hand fisted and the life went out of the woman’s eyes as she crumpled to the ground.

I didn’t let myself feel it, the weight of the death around us. It was too much. I had to focus on surviving. I’d deal with the rest later.

Shouts sounded from the forest. One of the guards. “Fall back!”

But there was nowhere to go. If we retreated into the dorm, we could become trapped.

Movement flickered from the forest. Too much to be anything good.

Dozens of figures hooded in black moved like a silent wave through the trees. I started to count but couldn’t. It was too many. There was no way we would make it out alive.

A million different things flashed through my mind in that moment. Precious memories. Pushing Charlie on the swings when he was little, his shrieking giggle floating through the air. Cuddling on the couch with Janine as we watched The Sound of Music for the thousandth time. Sitting at the park with Riven as he gave me peace about my scars. Atlas holding me in the shower when I could do nothing but fall apart. Kai making me laugh harder than I ever had before and making me feel so deeply desired. The roof with Phoenix, the gift of feeling seen.

I couldn’t lose that. Couldn’t lose them.

A surge of power coursed through me. I threw up my hands on instinct, not even sure what I was doing. It was as if that cascade of colors within me was telling me what to do. And I listened.

A wave of fire shot out of me. Not just my hands, but my entire being. That wall of flame ate up the ground in front of us, taking out everyone in its path.

My chest clenched as it swept over Atlas, but he was unmarred. It was only the assassin prowling towards him that was consumed by the flames. I released my fire as if it no longer belonged to me. I set it free, hoping against hope that it would protect us all.

But as soon as I did, everything around me went sideways. As if I could finally feel the toll that blast of power had taken. I staggered to the side as Riven shouted my name. And then everything went black.

43

A gentle hand stroked over my hair, pulling me from the darkness that was swirling around me. I wanted more of that touch, the warmth that came with it.

“Come on, Aura. Come back to us.”

That deep voice. I knew it. Wanted to curl up in its comfort and protection.

I fought harder, trying to open my eyes. But they felt as if lead weights were holding them down. Giving everything I had, my eyelids fluttered, letting in tiny bursts of light.

“There she is.” Atlas kept stroking my hair. He was smiling, but there was so much strain around his eyes.

“What happened?” I croaked. But as soon as I spoke the words, memories flooded me, one after the other.

I struggled to sit up. “Phoenix.” He’d been shot. Hurt. I needed to see him, to—

“Right here, Pip.” Phoenix leaned in, nuzzling my neck. “We’re all okay.”

Riven crossed his arms, frowning down at us on the bed. “That is yet to be determined. How are you feeling, Aura?”

I did a mental sweep of my body. My muscles ached like I’d run a marathon and I was bone-tired, but I wasn’t in any pain. “I think I’m fine.”

Kai clapped Riven on the shoulder. “Told you our little badass could handle it.”

“She’s been unconscious for the past three days,” Riven gritted out.

My eyes widened. “Three days?”