Page 156 of Rising Out of the Darkness
“Dec!” My senses slammed back into me all at once, and I jolted at the sound of Liam’s deep voice. “We’ve got to go!”
He helped me up, then I scooped up Lena into my arms. Before we moved, I frantically scoured the room for Alastor or my father, but turned up empty.
“Alastor zephyred them out of here,” Liam said, tugging my arm to get me to move.
We made our way past the hallways to the kitchen and out the back door. The stables were nearby, and thankfully our horses were still there when we reached it.
Neither of us bothered with a saddle. It took too much time, and we had to get to Elena’s town as fast as we could.
Once seated, Liam lifted Lena up to me and I secured her against my chest. We bolted out of the stables, heading towards Lostburrow.
As the sounds of hooves thundered against the ground, I grasped the reins tighter as a piercing pain struck through my chest. I knew one day this moment would come, they day I’d finally have to leave, but it hurt more than I’d ever imagined.
No matter what darkness had crept in to my home, it was stillmy home. The place where I grew up, the city that I loved, the place where I had made some wonderful memories with the ones I’d loved.
I turned back to take one last look, the castle became smaller and smaller as we galloped away. Glancing down to the beautiful soul lying against me, I realized wherever we were,shewould always be ‘home’.
Chapter 63
Declan
We rode hard and fast until we made it to the town of Pinepeak, where we had stayed before. That was where I forced Liam to leave for Oria with my horse. He fought me hard, calling me a stubborn ass, but deep down, he knew that we would zephyr faster with just the two of us.
Elena had finally come to during our argument, but still hadn’t spoken a word. Her pale face looked exhausted, but determination was written in her actions.
We took turns zephyring in spurts, only stopping for short breaks to replenish our dynamis before launching once more. Night had fallen, and both of our wells of dynamis were drained. It took some convincing, but I finally forced her to pause and sleep for a few hours before we tried again.
Lena lay restless in my arms. She finally rose and walked towards the creek beside us. I followed behind, giving her space to breathe.
Her arms curled around her trembling body, and I ached to surround her with my arms. The sodden ground squelched beneath my boot as I approached her, but she raised her hand, halting me in place.
The moonlight illuminated her haunted face. Even the golden glow from her freckles had dimmed.
“How do you do it?” Her voice was so small, it barely reached my ears. Tremors shook her body as she took a tentative step towards me.
“How do I do what, love?”
A sob broke free and her palm crashed over her mouth before her knees buckled. I leapt forward and pulled her into me, kneeling on the moss-covered forest floor.
“Dec,” she sobbed into my shoulder as I rocked her. “How do you rise each day knowing that so many lives have been lost because of your actions, your m-mistakes?”
The mournful cry that spilled out of her broke me entirely. With a deep exhale, I took a moment to find the right words, because truthfully, to rise each day and keep fighting was one of the greatest challenges of my existence. Only once I’d met Elena had I remembered what it was like to feel full of hope, alive with life, with a reason to breathe the air each day.
With one hand, I drew circles on her back. The other held her hand against my heart.
“Did I ever tell you why I call you, Wildfire?” Lifting my hand from her back, I brushed the fallen hair out of her face and tilted her gaze to meet mine. “Wildfires spread rapidly, without any set path or intended direction. They consume everything in their wild, blazing infernos.” I paused as her gaze bore into mine.
“From the first moment my eyes met yours, I felt your fire, your spirit, burn a path deep down into my soul. You’ve destroyed every shard of restraint I have, but I’d let you burn through me time and time again, because just one look in your eyes makes me feel like I’m alive. You give me the strength I need to keep fighting, Elena, you’ve given me a reason to live.”
I paused, her eyes welling with tears.
“Your resilience astounds me, love, but I know that sometimes the darkness feels too much to bear. Those are the days I must fight. The days I search for my torch to guide me back. It hasn’t been easy, and it’s a weight I’m afraid will always burden our souls.”
The tears slid down her cheeks as she nodded.
“I’m here, love, and you’ll never have to fight this battle alone anymore. A fire needs oxygen to keep it aflame. Let me be your air, love, let me help you continue to blaze.”
Her fingers dug into my back as her arms constricted tighter around me. As she unleashed every bit of despair and anger into my chest, my emotions rippled underneath my skin in the form of my dynamis.
