Chapter 9
Altair
Erzur groans in my arms as we flee from the tunnel creatures careening down the mountainside behind us. I can't keep her steady, and her limp body bounces and jostles. Her face is twisted in pain, but she doesn't scream. For an instant, I feel a flash of respect for Erzur's warrior-like and stony demeanor. I try to move more evenly, and I sense her almond-shaped eyes studying my face.
"Faster," she grunts, scrunching her face as she fights against the pain. "Injuries be damned—move."
I obey, pushing hard again and flying between the trees. I dare a glance over my shoulder and see Verity struggling to keep up with the rest of us. Sadal is running haphazardly, wrists at chest level, restraints jangling. His eyes are wide and filled with fear, but he stays a step behind me. I curl my lip. The rat probably knows there’s safety in numbers. He’d be dead in an hour without us.
"Ah!" I hear Verity gasp, and my heart lurches.
Images of her diving back into the tunnel for Erzur flash through my mind. I risk another glance and almost stumble over uneven ground. I see Thal beside her then, his brows furrowed with concern for her. He pulls her forward, dragging her behind him at Fae speed. My heart eases somewhat as they gain on us, putting more distance between them and the creatures.
“I see it, the arch,” Erzur says weakly.
The trees begin to thin, and I see a structure of black stone peak between the leaves and trunks. I sprint towards it, bent on making it before the beasts catch us. The portal is another arch, as tall as the door leading into my now-destroyed palace. The stone is so black, it seems to absorb the surrounding light. I hurtle through the small clearing, breaking the tree line.
Suddenly, a howl rends the air and birds burst from the treetops. I skid to a halt, heart pounding. The others have joined me, and we turn in a slow circle, searching for the source of the noise. Verity is pale with fear. “The creatures have returned to the tunnel,” she whispers. “They ran when they heard that sound.”
“I think we should do the same,” Sadal says, hunching.
“Agreed,” I murmur. “Thal, you and Verity through first. Then Sadal, and I’ll follow with Erzur.”
Thal touches his forehead in a lazy salute and pulls Verity forward. Suddenly, a black shape hurls out of the nearby brush, all long, skinny limbs, and fleshy skin. Sadal shrieks, his pitch matching Verity's. The creature turns its hairless head towards me. Its eyes are perfectly circular and yellow, the pupil too small. It smiles, and I shudder. I had expected razor-sharp fangs, but the creature's teeth are square and flat. It's too normal, too familiar, to be a part of a creature like this. When it rises onto its hind legs and its long arms press against its body, it looks like a tall, thin shadow with vibrant eyes.
It shrieks again, and the sound makes my eardrums ache. “It’s a Shade,” Verity says, breaking the silence. “Run!”
Sadal makes a break for the portal, but the creature lashes out at him with a long arm. It slams into Sadal, flinging him like a rag doll towards the trees. Sadal crumples, panting. Thal draws his sword with a grin and starts toward the Shade. He circles him, beginning an intricate dance of death. I retreat behind Thal and place Erzur gently on the ground. She clenches her teeth and I see fresh blood soaking through her tunic.
“I can fight,” she hisses. “Give me a weapon.”
“We need you in the Third Stratum, Erzur.” I shake my head. “I won’t risk you like that.”
“Bastard. Let me die like a warrior.” Her eyes are blazing.
I rise, drawing out my sword as Thal darts towards the Shade. “You’re not going to die.”
Verity rushes past me towards Sadal. “Go through the portal!” She cries, tugging at Sadal.
He stumbles to his feet, a hand on his temple. “It will follow,” he mumbles.
“Just go.” Verity pushes him forward. She turns desperate eyes towards Thal. Thal leaps nimbly to the side just as the creature’s claws slice through the air where he stood. He swipes his sword in an arc, bringing the edge down on the Shade’s elbow. It shrieks, black blood spurting onto the grass. Verity hovers beside the portal and then our eyes meet. “Take Erzur through—please Altair.”
“You go,” I say, striding towards Thal and the Shade.
“I can’t lift her,” Verity pleads, eyes wide.
“Thal,” I bark. My cousin dances out of the Shade’s reach, barely missing its jaws. “Take Erzur through. I’ll finish this.”
“Always taking my victories, eh?” Thal cocks a brow but obeys, sweeping Erzur into his arms. “Just remember I warmed him up for you.”
“Just go,” I growl.
Thal disappears through the portal, following Sadal. Verity’s shoulders sag with relief and she glances at me. Time slows as I watch a black hand slither towards her. It wraps around her waist, pulling her sharply. She screams, shattering the stillness. The Shade snatches Verity, dragging her towards it as if to embrace her. I dart towards them, heart pounding with fear. If we lose Verity, we lose everything. I lose everything. The Shade grins at me as if it knows all this perfectly well.
“Goodbye, little Fae King,” it whispers. Its voice is unpleasant enough to make me grimace. “I have my prize.”
My stomach twists with fear. The deepest kind, the kind that makes you feel weak at the knees and helpless. I shift my gaze from the Shade to Verity. She’s looking at me desperately and I suddenly wish I had done a million things differently—that I had made a life for her and I. My lips part in a silent cry of fear and I lunge at the Shade. The Shade screams, a sound of pain and surprise. I hear a thumping noise and then the Shade recoils violently.
Verity is
