Page 180 of The Legacy of Ophelia
Wiping my tears with a staunch finality, I looked at the Soulguider who had opened her shop to care for Ezalia. “Thank you.”
Then, I barreled through the back door and straight into a war of gods and Angels.
The city had descendedinto madness.
“The manor,” I panted as I ran, my boots scraping over stone and sand.
I needed to get back to Meridat’s manor. Spirits, I hoped my friends hadn’t left yet. Had any of the Angels gone straightthere? Fear sent my arms and legs pumping faster, sent me leaping over fallen piles of rubble as I tore down residential streets, beating my wings to clear pillars and broken beams as warriors around me rushed to defend their city.
I rose into the air, assessing. All inhabitants of this area were either hurrying to their lines or hunkering down with the defenseless. Using all the strength I’d practiced, I flew above the two-story buildings, and?—
I gasped, nearly crashing back to the ground. The Angels shot beams of light from the clouds, collapsing walkways and paths out of the city to keep us centralized.
No one would be leaving Xenovia tonight.
In the distance, bronze minarets and domes reflected cracking magic. The gray clouds that had rumbled around the border of the city for weeks crowded the skies overhead, glowing in an array of colors with each bolt of Angellight. Bright purple streaked down, crumbling a stone statue of Xenique only blocks away.
Heart racing, I dropped back to the ground and continued ducking beneath awnings and shadows to get to the manor. I didn’t know what the Angels were doing, but I could guarantee one of their goals:me. And I had to find my friends and the leaders of the other armies before I could let that happen.
Gaveny had a chance, and he’d flown off. My breath sawed through my lungs, the Vincienzo dagger burning in my palm as I tried to make sense of it all. But as the dust of a city being sacked spiraled into the air above me, I didn’t give an Angel’s wrath. I only tore around corners and down alleys, blasting seraph magic at anything in my way until I hit the wide cobbled street the manor stood at the end of.
“Ophelia!” a shout broke above the rest.
“JEZ!”
I collided with my sister before the open gates to Meridat’s home. Zanox was behind her, his leather wings coated in razor-sharp scales, and Erista talked quickly with a group of Soulguiders, their chancellor commanding her advisors along with Esmond, Cyren, and Dax.
“What’s happening?” Jezebel asked, panting. Mystlight from the sconces lining the street flickered across her terror-stricken face. “Everything is so loud—the spirits.”
Fucking realms, she was hearing all of it. I’d kill every Angel responsible for the pain clawing through her voice.
“The Angels are here,” I explained. “I don’t know how or why, but?—”
The air shuddered, a ripple going all throughout Xenovia. We froze, gripping each other tightly. My sister’s eyes squeezed shut. I brushed her hair behind her ear, wishing to every Spirit that she didn’t have to suffer this power.
“Can you do this, Jez?” I whispered. “Can you fight? If it will be too painful—distract you—flee now. Get on Zanox and go somewhere safe.”
Her eyes snapped open, and with the burning stare she gave me, I’d have thoughtshewas the sister who commanded Angellight. “Absolutely not. I’ve fought in a war before, and I will do so again, sister.”
The fire in her voice was the steel will of a Mystique Warrior.
“I’m so proud of you,” I said, pulling her to me.
Over her shoulder, a blue and white blur dove from beyond the manor walls. Sapphire’s hooves clattered to the stone, and Tolek hopped off her back.
“Alabath!” he shouted as he sped over. His arms curled around me, and for a moment the fear returned. It crashed over us like one of Gaveny’s tidal waves.
“Tol,” I breathed as heartache bloomed fiercely, pulling back to meet his eyes. “Ezalia. Gaveny—he killed her.”
“Hewhat?” he growled.
Vale and Cypherion were just behind him on Dynaxtar, the latter sliding off the khrysaor and hurrying to Meridat while the Fatecatcher stayed mounted. Lancaster, Santorina, and Mora raced into view next, the male carrying Rina until he stopped before us.
I nodded, taking stock of them all. “I don’t know why. He saidI hoped it wouldn’t be this way. And the rest of the Angels are here. They’re effectively locking down the city.”
“They don’t want anyone to find a way out…” I could tell from the tone of Tol’s voice that he was trying to work it out as quickly as I was. And from the way his arms tightened around me, he came to the one answer I had, too. “If they’re here for you, they won’t get you. We’ve fought them off before, we will again.”
A sick feeling in my gut told me he was wrong, but I didn’t voice it. We couldn’t lead an army with fear or fear would win.
