Page 63 of Wrath of the Fae

‘Don’t die and leave me to be turned to sand, Raven. Or I will haunt you.’

‘As long as you promise not to run off and leave me trapped by Desert Demons,’ I counter.

She holds out her hand, and I take it.

‘I swear on the Goddess I won’t leave you,’ she says, and I feel her truth. ‘Lucca would never talk to me again if I did. And Wolf would likely skin me alive.’

I stretch out my wings.

‘Ready?’ I ask her.

Her hands start to create that whisp of light. It grows and smothers her, getting faster and more potent as it whips around her body.

The Desert Demon with the face slowly turns its mammoth forms in our direction.

‘I would suggest you hurry,’ she says. ‘I won’t be able to hold them for long.’

I take to the skies.

eleven

Ibankhardtothe left, keeping low to the ground. Sand swirls wildly around me, making seeing more than a few meters ahead almost impossible.

The demons are moving, shifting their swarms towards Tessa. My dress whips violently around me as I fly, and I feel the sharp sandblast across my skin and wings. It’s hard work to keep myself on course as the wind changes direction in an instant over and over. I pass the first demon, steering clear of its base, and get closer to the remains of the main city. I peer down and see bodies lying in the sand. First Kingdom soldiers, their flesh is all but gone. Rotten skeletons are wearing First Kingdom rags. There are so many of them. I stop counting at twenty.

I land when I spot a sword and a torn cloak half buried. It’s a relief to have something to protect myself with, even if it is an enemy's cloak and weapon. The iron of the sword faintly hums, but I grip the hilt and return to the sky. I feel the power of the arch and follow it until I land on the roof of a large structure to get an idea of where I am. I spot a building in the distance. It’s above the rest of the city, looming over those desert beasts, waiting in silence as they destroy everything.

I gasp and grip my heart. My body goes icy cold, and my mouth becomes as dry as this lost Kingdom.

Something is happening at the arch!

My body screams in protest as I fly. My muscles ache. My skin stings from the sand, and the grip on my heart is enough to make me want to scream.

But I fly as fast as I can towards the power and pain.

I soar over the central courtyard of what I think was the Lady’s house. It’s as bare, torn up and decimated as everything else, but I think I see gold statues and elegant pillars marking the corners of grand rooms buried in the dunes.

The sensation calls me on, so I follow the horizon to where rocks jut from the earth. A slight path weaves through them before descending into a narrow, deep canyon. I land and run straight towards a cave. The violent wind doesn’t follow me inside, so I shake off the sand and relish the calm air.

But the cave is shaking. A constant rumble, knocking loose the deadly chunks of stone and rock clinging to the ceiling. I narrowly miss a falling boulder and fall on my face.

I feel it. The portal. The arch. Something is happening to it!

Will I be strong enough to resist if they start it up again?

I stagger deeper into the cave. Darkness consumes the long passage as I cling to the walls. Ahead, a low light glows, flickering wildly.

What the fuck is that?

From behind, the passage fills with dust before the roof cracks. The cave is collapsing. I have no choice but to run deeper inside.

I scream and cover my head as it rains rocks. My wing stretches over my body, taking the brunt of it. Rocks hit them and roll right off, leaving my body unbroken. When it stops, I cough and gasp through the thick air. I turn and come face to face with a wall of rock blocking the way out.

I slam my hand into an unmovable wall.

I search for a gap but can’t find one.

I’m trapped. Buried alive.

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