Page 98 of Rising Out of the Darkness
A moment of relief washed over me as I wrapped my arm around his back. When my palm smoothed over his tunic, his face wrinkled in discomfort. Declan wiped his expression away, moving my hand away from his back. I slapped it away, ripping his shirt up so that I could see what was going on underneath. Horror struck my face at the scars lashed across his back. Scars that could only be caused by one thing for Elysians—iron.
“WHO DID THIS TO YOU?”
Strong arms wrapped around my trembling arms, holding me still. “Lena, I’m okay?—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Alaric bellowed his name. His distressed eyes scanned over mine.
“You should go back inside.” Sucking in his breath, Declan pushed past me and made his way towards the row of men in the courtyard.
I took a step after him, to tell him he didn’t have to go through with this, but Liam wrapped his hand around my wrist, halting me in my tracks.
Normally calm and collected, Liam silently pleaded with his eyes for me to return to his side. My shoulders sank in defeat as I took my place between him and Killian. Clara and Nayla flanked both captains. All eyes were locked on the Lord of Shadows pacing back and forth behind the guards.
“These men have forsaken our great city. Their job is to protect and shield those in danger.” The king’s voice boomed over the courtyard, hushing the nearby crowd.
“However, they let in the darkness. They allowed our walls to be penetrated by those foul beasts. Their failure resulted in the loss of several precious lives, some of which will never get the chance to see this realm through adult eyes.”
Cries of sorrow spilled from the crowd, piercing straight through my chest to my heart. Without breaking my stare from Declan, I reached down and grabbed Liam’s hand. Instead of letting go after a squeeze, he held it tightly, both of us trying to find balance in the terror that was about to unfold before us.
“These men will receive five lashes each. A lash for every life that was lost, whipped with iron tails. Their scars will be a permanent reminder of their disgrace.”
A mixture of cheers and disgruntled cries rang out from the crowd, the division of their opinions clearly evident. Even Alaric’s face faltered for a fraction of a second before regaining composure.
“The remaining two guards will pay the ultimate price. For falling asleep during their duty, letting the beasts slip right through our front gates, and allowing the loss of innocent children, they are sentenced to death. May the gods have mercy on your souls.”
Enthusiasm and cries of distress roared once more, and the two guards trembled with fear. Alastor handed the whip to Declan and stormed off to join Alaric. Declan ran his hand through his hair as the faintest wisps of shadows skimmed over his body. A crack in his ward, a seam torn through his control.
Killian held onto Clara’s hand. Tears streamed down her face as her entire body trembled. Killian’s eyes glistened in the sunlight. A tear rolled down the side of Liam’s cheek. Nayla gently wiped it away. My eyes fluttered closed, and for once in my life I desperately wished that this was all just a dream.
“We can’t allow this to h-happen.” My lip trembled. “We have to s-stop this.”
“Lena, if we interfere now, it will only become more devastating for everyone involved. Including Declan.” Liam scrubbed a palm over his mouth like the words had physically pained his lips.
Numb, we all watched as Declan began the lashings.
The sound of the whip’s tails cracking against flesh slick with blood would haunt me for the rest of my life. After each round, Declan paused, as if trying to regain courage and composure simultaneously. By the time he made it to the last guard, the crowd’s voices fell eerily silent and I teetered on the verge of passing out.
Limping towards the edge of the courtyard, the final guard took up ranks with the others. The wind swept in from the sea, sending a chill throughout my body.
From behind the flanks of men, Alastor emerged and stopped directly in front of Declan. Both men glared at each other.
Declan shook his head, lips moving in a silent conversation. Alastor grabbed him around his neck and leaned in close. As he whispered, Declan’s body became taut, and my heart sank to mystomach when the whip slid out of his hand and crashed to the ground.
Clara’s sob beside me was muffled, and I could barely feel Liam’s palm as it tightened around my own. All I could focus on was the stranger who now was staring straight into the depths of my soul.
Once-bright emerald eyes were shadowed and dulled. All that was left was an endless void of black. Life faded from his face, leaving pale flesh behind. Shadows unraveled from Declan’s body at an alarming speed, twisting around him in a turbulent storm of destruction.
Darkened eyes still lingered on mine as the pull I always felt around him tugged against my chest. I leaned forward into the pull. A wave of remorse and shame slammed into me. It drowned me so heavily with emotion, my legs threatened to give until Killian pulled me back up.
Declan’s eyes widened, almost in concern, yet his face remained cold. A burst of air fled out of me as I pushed out the emotions, and I took two steps towards him.
As I did, Declan shook his head, halting me in my path. His lips pursed, like he was fighting whatever had taken over him, as a single tear rolled down his cheek.
Then he turned and charged toward the men.
My mouth opened to shout when Killian slid a heavy palm over it and slammed me backwards into his chest. “Hush now, Lena. It’s too dangerous to go after him right now. No one will get through to him in this state.”
I was grateful he left his palm over my mouth, because a scream fled my lips a second later.
