“Fight me, runt!” Bryony screamed at the sight of us. We had almost reached the end of the tunnel, the others had already passed through the Gate. Bryony ran to me, unwilling to let me escape.
Was I meant to be Queen of Krev as Gwen had prophesied? Maybe in another decade or a hundred, but not today.
Bryony drew her sword, close enough to take a slash at me. I spun around backing into the Gate.
Thana and I stopped, hitting an invisible wall. I stared at her with wide eyes, a fraction of a second to apologize before drawing my sword and blocking Bryony's next blow.
Thana removed a glove and I shook my head, looking to the army behind Bryony. She wouldn't be able to touch them all.
“I don't know where it will send you. But you'll live.”
Cold fingers wrapped around my arm. “No—” I began. I thought I heard Bryony roar with wrath in the distance, but I was sucked into Shadow, words stolen from my breath.
26
I landed back onto solid ground, the Shadow releasing me. My jelly legs wobbled and I stumbled into a tree. The astringent scent of pine made me alert. The Forest of Souls. “Thana, why would you do that?” I half expected her to answer, hiding out there in the laden Shadow. Tears ran down my face, dripping off my chin. I let myself fall to the ground, my shoulder lodged into the bark uncomfortably.
Nothing had gone how it was supposed to. And now Thana was...
I jumped to my feet, wiping my tears from my face as I broke into a run. It wasn't over yet. Thana could still be alive up there.
Though I ran as fast as I could, it felt like forever getting to the Gate. The run allowed my thoughts to clear. Realizations slipping in, doubt webbing through any hope. How much time had already passed in the Upperworld? Those soldiers were merciless. Bryony was merciless.
I skidded to a stop as I saw the others near the Gate, downtrodden faces, looking through the blur of the Gate, the frosted barrier now blocking the sunlight. Their eyes lit up when they saw me, but shifted as they saw my new tears. Thana was gone.
“How did you get here?” Demetri asked, pulling me into a hug. “I thought we lost you guys.”
My cheek pressed into his shoulder. “Thana...” I choked on a sob. I couldn't find the right words, and I wondered if my voice would even work. “The army was almost upon us. Thana...grabbed me and I was brought to the Forest of Souls.”
Gwen burst into tears, nearly collapsing. Zander swooped in to hold onto her.
“How did we not see this coming?” Demetri asked, running his fingers through his hair.
“My Sight isn't perfect, okay! You know I would never allow any of us to get hurt on purpose!” Gwen yelled unexpectedly.
Demetri let go of me, moving toward Gwen. “I know, Gwen. We would be lost without you. This is not your fault.”
Zander reached Gwen before Demetri, pulling her into an embrace. Gwen broke down, sobbing into his shoulder. Long hours passed as we mourned the loss of our friend.
Finally, Keiran broke the silence. “But why didn't the prophecy come true?” His eyes moved carefully between Gwen and me.
I caught Gwen's gaze. “You never saw me become Queen.”
She dropped her eyes to the ground, head shaking. “No, I did. Just not of Krev.” She glanced hesitantly to Demetri and then back to me. She lowered herself to a bow before me. “My Queen.”
All eyes locked onto me, and I blushed at the suggestion, unable to look at Demetri, though I could feel his eyes on me.
“You knew she was my Queen and you didn't tell me?” Zander demanded of Gwen. Zander took a step back, eyes wide and searching around us. “We need to go, Prince. We are unarmed and need to get the Queen to safety.”
“I'm not the Queen!” I said, boiling at the assumptions. But my statement went ignored.
Demetri nodded. “Very well.” The others boxed protectively around me, while his smirk trailed behind me all the way back to the castle.
The pools sparkled with starlight. I smiled, looking over the waters to the tall trees around the Garden. Keiran watched me, half hidden within the Shadows. Between him and Zander acting as round-the-clock bodyguards, I could never be alone. He gave a small nod.
I shook my head and bent down, heaving the body of the harpy into the river. As soon as it hit the water, sharp teeth collapsed and the entire body disappeared.
A short minute later, a snout appeared, coming close to me. I reached forward, stroking the hydra gently. A puff of warm air hit me, their way of saying thank you. Several others approached, ready for feeding time. I laughed, reaching for another harpy from the recent attack.
With a lopsided throw, the water splashed, drenching half my body. The hydras attacked their food, spraying another wave my direction.
“Isn't this romantic?” His voice came from behind me.
I spun around. Demetri shook his arms off, completely covered in the water. A wide grin spread across my face and I pushed a wet strand of hair out of the way.
“Have you come for a rematch?” I teased, my hand lingering on my sword for a moment.
He reached forward, pulling me close against his chest. His warmth spread through me, relieving the cold breeze and setting my nerves on fire. I could stay there forever. “You know I let you win,” he whispered into my ear.
I pushed him back, my sword out in seconds, aimed at him. He smirked, his blade crashing against mine.
Shadow and Starlight Page 16
