Page 65 of Crown of Darkness
“Think about it! There are no guards,” I hiss. “There are usually guards in this section of the bailey, aren’t there?”
After all, I’d spent enough time working out their rotations before I made my previous mission into the library.
Imerys’s nails dig into my forearms, but she’s looking at me now.
“Eris went to see what was happening. And I can’t find her. She wouldn’t disappear like this. And now the library’s on fire.” It’s not just the flames we need to worry about.
Imerys’s eyes sharpen. “You think whoever did this happened upon her?”
I’ve seen Eris with a sword in hand. If they did, then they’re regretting it right now. “Where’s the nearest water tower? Where are your magic-wielders? Surely someone can wield water?”
Imerys suddenly gasps. “Gossamer!”
And before I can grab her, she bolts into the burning tower.
“Imerys!” There’s no answer. “Imerys!”
Gone to rescue her demi-fey.
I look around desperately, but despite our yells, no one has come.
And I can’t just let her burn.
Fire is the gift of my fae heritage after all.
It has to be enough.
Yanking my cloak over my face I leap through the doorway, warding the flames away from me. They part like the sea, but there’s so much of it. Too much smoke. Too much heat.
A gust of hot air sweeps around me, and I wield it away. “Imerys!”
“Gossamer!” I hear someone scream.
There. To the right. She’s trying to battle through a wall of flames. Focusing on them, I clench my hand and they die down. Imerys shoots me a grateful look and then leaps toward the desk where the little demi-fey guard flutters helplessly.
“This way!” I yell, sweat dripping down my temples as I try to contain the fire. A chained grimoire makes a leap off its shelf, the chain yanking it back. It slaps against the bookcase, and a spurt of flame catches in the black-edged pages. With a hiss, the flames turn green, and then an amorphous shape howls free, screaming as if it was somehow trapped within the book.
Sparks of white catapult past my nose, and another book screams loudly enough to shatter glass.
Maia’s blessing. There are so many spells contained within these pages that I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire tower explodes.
“Imerys!”
She tucks the little demi-fey under her coat and sprints toward me, ducking a belch of flame. I wave it out of her way, and then she’s slamming into me, shoving me back toward the door.
“Watch out!” she yells.
A burning strut crashes down, knocking the shelves into Imerys. They jam her between them, and I fall free at the last second. It’s easier to breath down here, but I cough out smoke, my eyes stinging.
“Vi?Vi!”
A voice.
“Over here!” Tremors run through my arms as magic backlash starts to fry my nerves. This is the most I’ve ever used my magic, and I can feel it starting to drive a knife right through my brain. Too long disused.
I just have to hold the flames away long enough for our rescuers to reach us.
An enormous shape appears in the smoke and for a second my heart lifts, thinking it’s Thiago, but then the smoke clears enough to see more of him, and I recognize Finn.
