Page 194 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
They had both been made into weapons wielded by a king who misused them for his selfish ambitions. It was time they reclaimed their power.
Today, they fought for their freedom and the freedom of others who were just like them.
Chapter 78
MYRA
As Laurince squeezed her hands,Myra wanted so badly to tell him to him stay. But she didn’t.
"I’ll come back to you," he said, his voice hoarse.
She smiled softly at him, unable to speak for fear of tears.
Then he let go of her hand and followed Rian toward the capital.
It took all of Myra’s energy not to crash to the floor as she watched him walk away.
Chapter 79
KALLIE
Four arrows shotthrough the sky, all hitting their marks. One watchguard fell over the edge of the stone tower and smacked the ground. Kallie flinched, and several people behind her gagged.
The air hung heavy with the coopery tang of blood and the acrid scent of smoke. Although the city was no longer on fire, ash covered the ground like a thin layer of snow. As they crept toward the massive iron gates of the capital, silence befell the small army. They stared at the grand gate blocking their path. Cutting down the archers in the towers was one issue. The gates were another.
"Is there another way inside?" Kallie asked, turning to Rian and Laurince.
Rian shook his head. "If this gate is locked, the others will be too." He scanned the towering walls, but there was no way to climb them.
"We’ll take care of it," Graeson said, his eyes glowing as if he was pulling from the dragon.
"Ready?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.
Laurince and Moris nodded.
"What are you doing?" Rian asked, hurrying after them.
As Graeson wrapped his hand around the iron bars, Kallie thought of the cell door that had been torn apart in Tetria. She grabbed Rian’s arm, pulling him back. "Just watch."
The three men wrapped their hands around the metal bars. Rian’s jaw dropped. The metal creaked and groaned as the men bent the bars back, their muscles straining even with their inhuman strength. A collective gasp rippled through the army as they witnessed a hole form in the middle of the gate.
Rian rubbed his face and mumbled, "Now I’m going to need someone to fix that once this is over."
"That’s not the only thing that will need fixing," Kallie said, peering through the hole in the gate. Beyond it, the city was in ruins. Rubble covered the streets. The wind whistled through the shattered windows of collapsed buildings.
"Fuck," Rian breathed out.
Laurince slipped through the new hole, maneuvering carefully to avoid snagging his wings on the metal spires. He waved the rest of them forward.
"Come on," Kallie said, beckoning Rian toward the gate. There was no time to waste.
Once beyond the wall, Rian tilted his head one way, then gestured for Kallie and Graeson to go the other. The army split off, one half going with the king, and the rest following Kallie.
The deeper they embarked, the thicker the scent of the smoke became. Throughout the city, piles of embers still burned. Entire houses had collapsed, the explosives destroying them. Inside one building, a faint cry sounded, and a few of the soldiers entered the building to inspect it. When Kallie looked over her shoulder a minute later, she saw them carrying out two children. The sight of the children covered in ash and soot squeezed her heart. Kallie struggled to wrap her mind around the catastrophe.Did Sebastian not care if he burned the entire capital down? Was that part of his plan? To start anew?
As they crept through the destruction, those tasked with helping the injured moved as quickly as possible, carrying those who could be moved back the way they came. Kallie hoped the healers and Myra had rested.
A rumble rippled through the streets. They halted, searching for the source. Graeson crouched down, feeling the ground as he stared at the sky, his nostrils flaring.
