She released him from her chokehold, stepping back, her gaze landing on Memphis. Brokk could taste the tension between them, the raw and wild thing it was. It consumed them, leaving everyone else on the outside. Memphis cleared his throat, shooting him an apologetic look, before stepping forward, grasping Emory’s face in between his hands, whispering fiercely, “We have to go, Em. But I promise you we will come back. I will come back to you.”
Brokk’s face flushed deeply as he watched his best friend swoop down and kiss her. Not caring there was an army of students and teachers filtering by them. Not caring he was right there. That she was a princess now, the face of their country. The turmoil and emotional charge of their situation had taken hold and he could practically hear Memphis’s mind shouting out to her, begging her to understand. That he loved her, had always loved her. Would always love her. Just in case they didn’t come back.
Averting his eyes, he looked anywhere but at his friends suspended in their embrace. With his heart in his throat, he swallowed thickly. Years had passed with unsaid words and lingering looks, and this was the first time Memphis had made his declaration, and how Emory melted against him, she had known as well.
A coldness gripped his heart as he stood there, and he dove down into the darkness and didn’t shy away from it. It swept through his heart, his mind, his body. It suffocated him.
They broke away breathlessly, and Brokk looked up. Tears were streaming down Emory’s face as she whispered, “Don’t go. Please.”
Brokk could see Memphis’s resolve cracking and he whirled away brusquely, and with one last look at Emory, followed him. His words were lodged in his throat, thickly, drowning him with their weight.
They walked in silence, feeling Emory’s stare burning into their backs the entire way. Memories of laughter and hope swirled all around him, as they left the Academy, their childhood, behind. He could feel the balance of their world shifting back into their bloodied past, back into the unrelenting darkness. The doors swung open and sunlight beat down on them, making him blink fiercely. The students and teachers were leading horses, making sure everyone from the Shattered Isles had a mount from what was left. It took him less than ten seconds to find Tadeas, to find the king smiling devilishly at him already. Deep breaths.
He couldn’t afford to lose himself when the king from across the sea had already seen him lose control. Rolling his shoulders, he took the steps two at a time. There was no turning back now. His gaze drifted to the forest, to the canopy of trees and the wildness in his heart. He could run away from all of this. The chatter of birds and echoes of ancient magic stirred his heart, and he could practically taste it.
Averting his gaze, he followed as Memphis broke away from the throng and toward dappled mounts. The horses pawed the ground nervously as they approached, and he internally cringed. Animals had an acute sense when it came to seeing people for who they truly were. He made them nervous. The powerful creature before him knew he was more beast than man.
With a pounding heart, he gripped Memphis’s arm tightly. “We look after each other. If things go south, we escape.”
Memphis nodded, his smooth voice echoing in his mind. “Agreed.”
Gripping the pommel of the saddle, he lifted himself up with ease, sliding his boots into the stirrups. Easing the reins into his grip, he gave the mount a reassuring brush of his hand, begging him not to throw him off. He glanced over his shoulder at the Academy and the courtyard, nestled amongst the rolling hills and the ancient forest behind them.
Saying a mental goodbye to his friends who lingered behind it’s walls, he snapped forward as Tadeas’s voice roared over them. “Let’s visit this city under the stars, shall we?” Cheers and catcalls sounded, and lurching forward, the horses’ hooves pounded against the ground, the group moving forward in a gallop.
He leaned forward and gripped with his legs as his mount shot forward, the powerful hooves pushing them faster. His heart was in his throat as he settled into the speed, leaving everything behind. Memphis’s mount pulled close to him, the two galloping together, their two spirits unleashed.
“To your left.” Memphis’s voice was clipped as it bounced around his consciousness.
He shot him a glance as Memphis nodded sharply where Professor Iasan was galloping, his black stallion frothing at his bit. The Professor looked sideways at them, his lips turning upward in a sickly sweet smile as if to say that out here, in the wild, they weren’t protected. Out here, they would be at his mercy. Baring his teeth in answer, he dared Iasan to try. If it came down to it, he wouldn’t falter. Not again.
9
Adair
The excited voices around him felt dull and far away. Everyone was talking about the group of students that went to assist and bring Cesan back. Everyone was talking about what his father had done. Whispers chased at his heels, one word standing out from all the others. King. King. King. He rubbed his eyes, the heaviness of them making everything seem too bright, too fast. The world was charging forward,
