Nyx breathed down his neck. “We have others with us. A rebel group led by someone named Morgan on the eastern border.”
“Shut up, Nyx,” Memphis said. He didn’t have the patience to deal with her, her betrayal cutting into him just as fresh.
Alby shushed them as they climbed. “They can still hear us even if they can’t see us.”
Soldiers rushed past them frantically, the group catching snippets as they passed.
“No sign of them yet.”
“Adair is secure.”
“Fifty casualties.”
They pushed on, and soon, the stairs flattened out to join the mouth of hallway caves, and the sound of rushing water greeted them. Alby constantly searched every face, cursing under his breath. My brother is waiting for us.
Memphis didn’t even know Alby had a brother. What else didn’t he know about the people that had sacrificed everything for him? How far he had led them astray for the hope that she would be the key to their own freedom?
He felt as if he was being pressed into a tube, each passing second getting harder to go on, to breathe.
“Come on, Memphis. Hold on.” Her voice brushed up against his consciousness, and he felt her free palm gently press against his lower back.
The world spun, a cold sweat slithering down his spine. Pieces of his heart had been laid out, embedded into the wrong people.
“Don’t give her the satisfaction.”
Brushing Nyx off, he concentrated on Alby, leading them through this maze, sweat breaking out above his brow. “Alby, do you know the way out of here?”
“We have to find Azarius. He came in here with Emory. He will wait for us and get us out.”
Scanning the crowds, people dressed in black collaged together into one mass. A figure stood in the corner, jacket pulled tight around him, fiery hair a beacon in the grey of the grotto.
“There, Alby,” Nyx whispered behind him.
Alby’s gaze snapped to attention, taking in his brother, shock flickering across his features before he composed himself. He quickly said, “I have to be fast. Everyone stays together. Adair’s men will see us. “
Alby didn’t give anyone a chance to think about what this would mean. Letting go, he sprinted across the hallway, shoving soldiers out of the way, yelling, “Azarius!”
Azarius turned, taking in Alby rigidly, like he was seeing a ghost. Pushing soldiers out of the way, Alby continued to his brother. Azarius shook his head, sprinting across the room, but every soldier within the grotto had sprung into action, weapons unsheathing.
“Rebels! Restrain them!” Adair’s men shouted.
Azarius grabbed the front of Alby’s shirt, looking like he wanted to punch him but not before Alby grabbed his forearms, wrenching him out of the way of a soaring knife. The blade hit the stone wall where Azarius had just been standing.
Shouting desperately, every guard in the vicinity locked in on them. “Prisoners! Restrain them!”
No, Memphis thought, watching the chaos unfold.
Turning to run back to the group, the guards followed swiftly. In front of them, a guard locked eyes with Memphis, a grin spreading across his face as he recognized him.
“Might as well finish what Adair wanted done.”
Memphis heard the knife leave the man's hand, and it cut through the air. He couldn’t do anything more than look into the guard’s dead eyes. He felt her throw her weight into him, shoving him out of the way. Purple hair whisked around her face - the knife landed with a thud into flesh.
Alby, in that same instant, grabbed Memphis’s hand and screamed, “Everyone get in line!”
Memphis grabbed Nyx’s hand, the blood pooling around her. Where is she hit?! The panic choked him. The hilt of the blade protruded out of her left shoulder; the steel dug in deep.
“Memphis, grab her. We have to get out of here now!” Alby yelled.
Lurching forward as if every limb was disconnected from his body, Memphis scooped up her light body, and the coolness of Alby’s ability washed over them all. Her color had turned ashen; blood was spattered along her jawline. Memphis was soon covered in her fresh blood.
They moved as fast as they could around livid guards who had, in an instant, lost an entire group of fugitives.
Adair’s grottos were a maze of stone walls, and they wove around and around different staircases until they came to a small waterfall and cave mouth. Azarius talked quickly and briskly to Alby.
Nyx was like a flickering candle in his arms, her pulse racing against every second that she lost more blood.
“You idiot,” Memphis said to her.
A whisper of a smirk crossed her lips, and she was fixated on him for one burning moment. “Memphis...I never thought...” Her words died on her breath as she lost consciousness once again.
She never thought it would lead to this. But all the lives lost...what did Nyx think would happen if she went to Adair? He was ruthless. He wasn’t human.
And Emory...
No, Memphis. Let her go. Let them both go.
Azarius barked back at them, “We move as one. If we make it to the Ruined City, we have a chance.” He spoke firmly and with authority, his eyes never leaving Memphis’s. Azarius had a glare of accusation burning in his gaze. Memphis’s blood ran cold.
Then ducking into the waterfall, they left the buried kingdom behind and, in doing so, leaving every hope Memphis had as well.
***
The wind was warm against their faces when the group collapsed, and Alby allowed them to be uncovered once more. The walls of the house they were in had been smashed, concrete dust floating in the air. Alby rushed over to him and Nyx at once, inspecting her wound.
“She’s lost too much blood. We have to get the blade out now and try to cauterize the wound,” Alby said and bit his lip as they gently lowered her to the ground.
Azarius stood in the shadows behind them.
Memphis quickly, and with sure hands, ripped a strip off the bottom of his tattered shirt and bent down beside
