Page 15 of Rook of Ruin
Energy sparks at my fingertips, and a blinding light blasts through me, not my brace,me. A strangled cry of surprise is released into the air, and raging emotions explode through me then disperse. For a moment, relief from all those emotions relaxes me, but then I notice little bursts of light floating in the room like tiny suns floating through time and space. Ossian takes a hesitant step back and drags my body with him. We stare in awe as the bursts of light pull together.
One of the women being interrogated begins to cackle. Her face contorts, and her lifeless eyes change color, as if a new person is reaching up through her body to see the splendor of my light. Her once-green eyes, now a deep shade of dark blue. She stares at me in curiosity, and chills run down my body. I glare at her with icy disdain. Lawden’s brace begins to glow, and I narrow my eyes at the dark blue-eyed woman, awaiting her savage screams.
Lawden flicks his eyes to me while the cackling woman almost sings, “Little light, how you burn bright.”
Fire shoots out from Lawden, and a sharp, burning sensation hits my chest, causing me to stumble back in shock. Bits of my charred shirt along with burn marks on the top of my breasts peek through the scorched leathers.
Heal.
Ossian roars, “You’re fucking dead!”
Lawden falls to his knees, his mind becoming a web for the Spider to crawl through. A translucent black bubble encompasses our bodies, the bright glow of Ossian’s white gold, onyx, and black diamond brace creating a protective shield around us both. The poor Rook caught in the middle of this tries to run towards us, but he touches a spark of light, causing him to collapse, his body turned to ash.
Oh shit.The sunlight grows bright. Ossian continues to destroy Lawden’s mind, and I spin quickly, trying to drag hisstubborn body with mine to leave. He reaches for me, pulls me back into his chest, and wraps his body around me. Protecting me. Silver eyes fall on mine as an explosion of light overtakes us.
The metallic tang of blood hits me hard, and my eyes fling open. High-pitched ringing dulls my hearing, and a pounding headache blooms.Not good. My head rests on brown leathers as my body sways. It’s Paul. He’s carrying me and yelling something to someone over his shoulder. I’m covered in blood.
Ossian.
I begin to squirm in Paul’s arms and yell, “Where is the other Rook?” Paul doesn’t respond, just looks at me grimly. He nods to my brace. It sparks to life. I feel my body tug itself together, perfectly healed, and he sets my feet down onto the grey stone floor.
“Paul, where is—”
“The Spider is indisposed at the moment.” Paul frowns, brushing stray hairs off my face.
“What do you meanindisposed?” Who the hells saysindisposedat a time like this—I’ll blame Zane for this one.
He lowers his voice. “The queen requested the Spider’s presence at the castle.” Paul looks at his bloody hands and wipes them on his leathers. Red blood smears in an ugly pattern across his chest.
“Right. Okay. What happened? What about Matron? Do you—”
Paul cuts me off. “You need to go to the Locker barracks. There’ll be a debrief in the morning.”
“But what about—”
“I’ve been worried sick. I ordered a Rook to go to the castle for another healer because I didn’t know if you were going to wake up.” Paul sees my “oh fuck” face, and he sighs. “Yeah, this is—it’s not good. Other than you and the Spider, everyone in that room turned to ash.”
I breathe in sharply, and he nods.
“That’s not everything. A prisoner who was brought in last night was murdered . . .” His voice lowers. “Darren Epher, the Panther’s second.”
Who is the Panther, and why does he have a second?I try to commit that name to memory, but my head is all kinds of—
“It’s all kinds of fucked.” He glances down at his hands then back up to me. “I thought—when I walked in and the Spider wouldn’t let you go, not until I demanded that he hand you to me—I thought we had lost you.” His blue-green eyes appear glassy. “What would I have said to her? To them?” He swallows.
Tess. Her parents, and siblings. The only real example of a family for Paul and me. It’s what we wish we had and what we desperately want to have. I didn’t know what a true family was until I met Tess’s as a Recruit. They gave me the desire to have my own one day.
“I’m sorry.” I really do mean it. I would feel the exact same way if the roles were reversed.
“Hells, this isn’t your fault. More than likely, it’s the Spider’s.” Paul shrugs as if he doesn’t care, but from the eye twitch, I can tell he is fuming. “Some stupid secret that—” His eyes check me over. “Go get cleaned up and grab some sleep. I need you to be at your best tomorrow.” He is wary, like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. It probably is. Ossian and I just made his life more difficult.
“I’m glad you don’t have to tell her I died. You definitely wouldn’t be getting any more home-brewed spice with that news.” I try to make light of the situation.
He smiles halfheartedly. “That is exactly what I would miss.”
I give him a small hug. “You’re one of the best things in my life.”
Paul grins. “I’mthebest thing in your life.” Cheeky bastard. He turns and then throws over his shoulder, “As you are mine.”
