He fell to his knees beside her, trying to figure out where he could touch her without causing further damage. He gently placed his fingertips against her throat, searching for a pulse.
Saida stumbled to Elmerah’s other side, then fell to her knees, mirroring Alluin. Behind her stood Killian, Celen, Brosod, and Isara. He didn’t see Daemon or Merwyn.
Tears stung his eyes as he peered across Elmerah at Saida, mirroring him on her other side. She was the only one who truly understood this loss.
Her lip trembled, then she shook her head. “No, it does not end like this.” She closed her eyes, then laid her hands gently on Elmerah’s chest. The circlet upon her brow began to glow. Tears slipped down Saida’s dirty face, and the circlet shone brighter.
Alluin clutched Elmerah’s limp hand, praying to whatever god would listen. She had sacrificed so much to protect them all. She didn’t deserve to sacrifice her life too.
He didn’t deserve to lose her.
The glow from Saida’s hands transferred to Elmerah, lighting her up like a star. The blood seeping from her nose slowed.
Alluin blinked. He couldn’t let himself hope, but— “Please,” he muttered. “Please live.”
Nothing happened. Her chest did not fill with breath. Her heart did not beat. He vaguely noticed Celen and Isara both crying. Killian hung his head, muttering a prayer under his breath. Elmerah had given her life to protect them all.
The glow around her body brightened, then went out. Alluin’s will to survive went with it. He gripped Elmerah’s cold hand and hung his head.
“Alluin,” Saida said, “look.”
Elmerah’s eyes had fluttered open. Suddenly she gasped, then bolted upright. Her hand tore free from Alluin’s and went to her throat. She clutched at her neck, her hands flapping like the wings of a frantic bird.
He lunged toward her and gripped one hand as she managed another ragged inhale. The next breath came easier, then the next, until she was hunched forward, panting.
He lightly moved his hand to her shoulder, frightened she might collapse. Saida rocked back on her heels, her face shining with sweat, her eyes hooded. The others watched on silently as Elmerah relearned to breathe.
“Is he dead?” she rasped. “Is Egrin dead?”
Alluin moved closer to her back, carefully putting his arms around her. “He’s dead. You’re safe.”
Elmerah leaned back against him, breathing more easily. She was bloody and beaten, but she was alive. She reached one trembling hand back to him, lacing her fingers with his and pulling him closer. “You were the last thing I saw, and if I had to die, I was glad you were alive.”
He held her tight, forgetting everyone else in the cavern. “I much prefer both of us being alive, if you don’t mind.”
“I’m alive too,” Celen said from somewhere behind them, his voice thick with tears, “if anybody cares.”
Isara laughed, though it was more just an abrupt bark of sound. “Can we please get out of here now?”
A deep rumbling echoed her words. The cavern trembled.
“Everyone out!” Celen ordered.
Alluin helped Elmerah to her feet. Daemon was already by the ladder, ready to escape, though he did at least have the sense to let his sister climb up first.
Celen went next, carrying the Faerune elf who had been near the cauldron. She was either unconscious, or dead—there was no time to check now. Killian and Brosod went up after Celen, then Merwyn, his face hidden in his cloak.
Reaching the ladder with Elmerah and Saida, Alluin stepped back. “You both go up first.”
Elmerah paused, glancing back toward Egrin’s body. “You’re sure he’s dead?”
He nodded hurriedly. “Up you go. We’re not entirely safe yet.”
“Wait,” Saida interrupted. Her eyes were on a nearby body.
Alluin followed her gaze as the Dreilore lord struggled to sit up.
Despite the trembling cavern, Saida stepped toward him. “What is your name?” she demanded.
“Orius,” the Dreilore groaned. “I am the commander of my people. Get me out of here, and you will have a great army. Now that Egrin is dead, I can grant you anything you please.”
Saida was quiet for a heartbeat as she stared down at him. “Lord Orius,” she said finally, “you killed my mother.”
Alluin was anxious to escape, but hearing Saida’s words, he froze.
“When Egrin died,” she continued. “You lost the magic he granted you. Was it worth the cost?”
“I can grant you anything,” Orius repeated.
Saida turned her back on him. “I already have everything I need.” She walked away from him, then climbed up the ladder, calling back, “Are you two coming?”
Elmerah took one last look at Egrin’s crumpled body, then climbed the ladder as the first small chunks of stone rained down from the ceiling. Orius tried to climb to his feet, but one leg was badly broken and he soon slumped back down
Alluin took one last look at him, wondering how many elves had fallen by his blade.
“Help me,” he pleaded, dragging himself across the stones with his hands.
Larger chunks of rock pelleted down around him. Alluin turned away from the Dreilore, leaving him to his fate. He quickly scaled the ladder, his attention fully on the light above. Even though Egrin was dead, their troubles were not over. A battle was still taking place within the city, and only the fates knew who would prevail.
Chapter Seventeen
Elmerah
Elmerah braced her hands on her knees in the courtyard, gulping deep breaths of fresh air. He was dead. He was really dead. There was no one left to hunt her. Her body ached, and the memory of Egrin breaking her bones was still too fresh, but she was alive.
Alluin stood beside her, watching her like she might fall over at any moment. How did he look so steady? He was always steady, even when she was about to fall apart.
She straightened, pressing her palms against her thighs to keep her hands from trembling. They were not entirely safe yet. She watched as Celen gently laid Thera on the ground.
He looked over his shoulder at her. Grime smudged his face, mingling with his scars. He had come here with nothing to gain. He had risked his life for her. They all had. Misreading her expression, he stood and stepped away from Thera. “I wasn’t sure if she was a friend or an enemy . . . ”
Elmerah nodded, looking down at the elf. She had proven herself mostly an enemy, but . . . “I don’t think she ever had much choice in her actions. She and Rissine were once friends.”
Saida stood near Thera with Brosod. “She was the one who kidnapped me and delivered me to Egrin.”
Celen looked to Saida. “If Saredoth gets to live, I’d say the elf does too.”
At the mention of his surname, Daemon stepped behind his sister. Isara had lost her spectacles in the explosion, and now squinted at Elmerah.
Elmerah glared at Daemon, but her words were for Isara. “Egrin was going to sacrifice you to empower his queen. You share the same magic, perhaps even the same bloodline. Your brother would have let him kill you.”
Isara went utterly still. After a long, tense, moment, she asked, “Is this true, Daemon?”
Daemon blinked at Elmerah, stunned. “He never—”
Isara kept her back to her brother. She had closed her eyes, fighting the tears glistening in her lashes. “What exactly did he ask you to do while we were on that island?”
“He just wanted me to bond with you. I thought he wanted to use your magic against the witches. I never would have let him kill you.”
Isara finally opened her eyes. “You wouldn’t have had a choice.” Her mouth pressed into a hard line for a moment, then she said to Elmerah, “I would leave this decision to you. You are the one who technically died for all of us. The fate of the elf, and my brother, are both in your hands.”
Elmerah remembered her promise to Isara, that no matter what, she wouldn’t kill Daemon. Even with all of the wrongs he had committe
d, it would destroy something inside her friend to lose her brother. She did not have to think long on her decision. “Let him live. Let them both live. I have seen enough death to last a lifetime.”
Isara bowed her head. Daemon reached a hand toward her shoulder, then let it fall.
Elmerah turned toward Saida at her side. “We must put an end to the fighting. Egrin is dead. The task is finished.” Everyone he had harmed, including her mother—both of their mothers—had been avenged.
Saida took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I agree. I have had enough of death.”
Merwyn stood beside her, shrouded in his cloak. There was something off about him. He stood a little straighter. If she didn’t already know it was him beneath the cloak, she wouldn’t have guessed it.
She had the sudden urge to pull back his hood. “What do you think your High King is doing with my sister?”
His shoulders stiffened, but he didn’t reply. He took a step back and held up his hands as the others turned toward him.
Saida gasped, the first to notice that his mottled, pallid skin was now a healthy tone. She moved toward him. “Merwyn, remove your hood.”
He shook his head, taking another step back. Without speaking a single word, he held everyone’s full attention. Elmerah thought she glimpsed healthy flesh within the deep shadows of his hood.
“Please,” Saida said. “Time is short and I would see that you are well before we move on.”
His shoulders slumped, but he lifted his hands and pulled back his hood.
Everyone gasped. He was still mostly bald, but his skin was smooth, his features more neatly aligned. His pointed ears now looked just like Saida’s.
Alluin shook his head in disbelief. “Hotrath was telling the truth. The Akkeri really were cursed.”
“But how is he well now?” Celen asked.
Merwyn hung his head. “I stood within the light of Cindra. I believe the curse originated with the circlet. That is why Hotrath had it hidden away. He is very old. As far as any can remember, he has always been our king.”
Saida tilted her head as her eyes went distant. Almost as if she could hear something that no one else could. After a moment, she blinked, and the foggy look in her eyes cleared. “We will speak more on this later,” she said to Merwyn. “My army approaches.”
Elmerah straightened, listening for whatever Saida had heard. She could hear the sounds of battle in the distance. But if the army of Makali was near, the sound came from a different battle taking place. Perhaps one that involved her sister.
Thera groaned, then opened her eyes. “Where am I? What happened with the cauldron?”
“Bring her,” Saida ordered, ignoring Thera’s questions. “I need to find Malon.” She pulled out her compass, looked down at it for a moment, then started walking toward the front of the keep.
Elmerah raised a brow at her departure. “She’s changed. Malon has changed her.”
Alluin patted her shoulder. “I don’t think he was the one who changed her. I think she figured it out herself.”
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Thera asked, sitting up and rubbing her head.
Celen knelt down and helped her to her feet, then started walking after Saida. “Time for that later.”
Elmerah managed a weak smile for Alluin, then turned and followed. She needed to find her sister. The footsteps of the others sounded behind her.
She could still hear rumbling in the castle, and wondered if the entire thing would collapse. It shouldn’t. The underground cavern might take a portion of the floor above with it, but the rest of the castle should be fine.
Thinking of the poor soul who would have to live in the keep knowing that two demons were buried underneath, she glanced at Isara.
Isara was already watching her. Catching Elmerah’s glance, she moved closer to walk at her side. Her hair puffed up around her scrunched face. She looked strange without her spectacles. “Thank you, for sparing my brother.”
“We both have terrible siblings. Don’t worry about it.”
Isara smiled. “I’m not sure when the right moment will come to say I’m sorry, I almost arrived too late.”
Elmerah bristled at her apology. It was undeserved. “We thought you were gone. We searched the entire island for you. I never would have left you behind had I known you were still alive.”
“I know, though someone,” she glared at her brother, “tried to convince me otherwise.”
Elmerah was sure Daemon still deserved to die, but she would not be the one to choose his punishment. Isara could figure out what to do with him once she was empress—if the people of Galterra would accept her as such. She was no true relation of Egrin, but few would ever know the truth.
“We should put all of that behind us now,” she decided. “It’s time to move forward.” To move forward from all old grudges, including her own.
Her thoughts moved to Rissine and she quickly shifted them away. She had made a deal with Hotrath, she must still be alive. He wouldn’t have killed her until he got what he wanted. Would he?
“We’ll find her,” Alluin said from her other side, reading her expression. “I’m sure she’s well. She’s a survivor.”
She nodded. “So is Vessa. We will locate them both soon enough.”
She turned her attention forward, then stopped dead in her tracks. Ahead, just outside the castle gates, stood an entire army of Makali, interspersed with elves. Saida had not exaggerated their numbers. To make it all the way to the keep, they must have lost many, yet she still could not see beyond the rows of warriors. Or perhaps their losses were few, because Malon stood at their head, the Crown of Arcale on his brow. How many had he killed to reach this place?
She realized everyone else had stopped walking around her, except for Saida and Brosod, who reached the gates ahead, now being opened by the Makali warriors.
Elmerah hurried to catch up, nearing Saida just as Malon was explaining that the Akkeri had taken the docks.
He gave Elmerah a knowing look. “Some saw lightning near the sea.” He needn’t say more, Rissine was with the Akkeri, and she was free to use her magic. He’d been correct in his assumption that she had made a deal with them.
Elmerah looked Malon up and down. “You seem rather unscathed for having fought your way through the city.”
And he did. There wasn’t a speck of dirt on him, though flakes of ash clung to his hair and dusted his shoulders. “I cannot say the same for you. You look awful. I suppose defeating a demon proved the more difficult task.”
So Saida had caught him up. It surely was the first thing she’d said to him. Elmerah glanced back at Alluin and the others. “I must go to the docks. Who is coming?”
Saida stepped away from Malon. “I’m coming.” She gave him a look before he could argue. “I understand now why things felt so wrong to me. Cindra was a healer, she made the plants grow. That is my gift as well. You had . . . another purpose.”
He inclined his chin. “Be that as it may, I will accompany you. Just in case you are in need of . . . other purposes.”
“Just say you’re coming to kill any Akkeri who try to take her,” Elmerah cut in, impatient to find her sister.
Malon gestured for Brosod, who edged in toward him. “Speak with the clan leaders, have them take the keep.” As Brosod retreated, he turned his silver eyes back to Elmerah. She really didn’t like the way he looked at her. “Shall we?”
“You let me handle my sister.”
“Of course.”
Isara cleared her throat. “Daemon and I will remain here. I know Egrin is gone, but I’m worried about the portal he opened.”
Elmerah tensed. She hadn’t thought about that. She’d been more concerned with miraculously escaping with her life. “But it’s buried. Shouldn’t it be safe?”
Isara reached for her face like she might push up her spectacles, but found them missing. “Just in case, I would like to be around if anything else comes through.” She gazed out a
cross the army of Makali. “I am assuming they will help destroy any threats?”
Elmerah only then realized that Isara had been lost before Saida and Malon found them. She knew nothing of the Makali army and yet, she hardly reacted at the sight of them. Perhaps Saida was not the only one who’d grown hard over time.
Malon gestured for Brosod, who was returning from within the crowd of warriors. He introduced her to Isara. “Brosod can translate any requests you might have,” he explained.
Isara nodded, taking it all in stride, then turned to Thera. “You will come with me. I assume you know the keep well? I find the idea of trusting my brother’s further advice . . . unappealing.”
It seemed to take Thera a moment to register that she was being spoken to, then she quickly nodded. “I am at your disposal.”
Isara waved to Elmerah and the others as she turned back toward the keep with her brother and Thera scurrying quietly after her.
“She’ll make a good empress,” Malon said once she was gone.
Saida glanced sideways at him. “I thought you didn’t care who ruled the Capital.”
“No, but you do.” He held out his arm to her. “Shall we?”
They moved aside for the Makali to begin marching through the gates, then started toward the docks. While Elmerah was impatient to reach her sister, she was also reluctant. She had a feeling she knew what Rissine had promised Hotrath. She would need to protect Saida, but in doing so, would she sacrifice her own sister?
She didn’t know, but Alluin was with her, and Celen and Killian. Not to mention Saida herself. Perhaps she was no longer in need of protection. Perhaps when it came to friends, the whole point wasn’t to simply have the strong look after the weak. The point was to look after each other.
Alluin
The city was eerily quiet, save the occasional sound of crying, or whispers from those hiding in their homes. Alluin stayed close to Elmerah, scanning the empty streets for his sister, but he was finding it difficult to concentrate. Malon had conquered the capital of the Empire in a single day. Such power should not be possessed by any one man.
Empire of Demons (The Moonstone Chronicles Book 4) Page 16
