Chapter Twenty
Emory
In a split second, her world had crumbled around her. The girl who was worried about her first crush, bored of waiting for her future to begin—she was gone.
The metal collar constricted around her throat, and she choked, her breath coming out in labored wheezes. The monster was dragging her deeper into the dark enchantment of the winter forest, constantly looking behind, as if expecting to see the army born from darkness chasing at their heels. If she was being honest with herself, she did as well.
Dried blood coated her skin as she looked at her chained wrists. Was it only a few hours ago that her mother was reminding her to be on her best princess-like behavior in front of the King and Prince of the Isles? That they were honoring the teachers and students that had been killed in a celebration of life? Tears brimmed her eyes, and she felt the panic claw up her throat, thick and fast, as her world and mind spun.
They were gone. Gone.
Stripped away from her, baring her soul for all to see. She forced her feet to move as the sharp slashes of betrayal cut deeper and deeper into her heart when she replayed what had happened.
She had tried to escape with Marquis when the killing had begun. One moment, he was helping her up. The next, the screams shattered through her, and then with a sweep of darkness, the lights had gone out, and Bresslin Stratton had exploded into the room, commanding the army of demons that had rushed in behind her. She wielded the Curse, her sword, with such finite skill, the massacre had been a blur—but the Academy never had a chance.
***
She relived those final moments repeatedly. Emory was in so much shock that she couldn’t move as the screams rose around the dining hall. Marquis had grabbed her hand, dragging her, yelling at her, and all she heard was a sharp ringing slicing through her; all she could feel was the sensation of her body leaving the ground and Marquis’s comforting warmth radiating through her.
He was the only person Emory had ever encountered that she could touch without her ability draining a person’s life force. It was anchoring amongst the chaos. Almost comforting.
Tadeas had bellowed to Marquis, “This way, hurry!”
They had cut across the space, and her stomach churned repeatedly. The darkness closing in on her.
She was having a panic attack, the cold sweat clinging to her body, and she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t get away from the sounds of her friends and family being slaughtered around her, of forces that she didn’t understand playing against her. Of her parents’ best friends destroying the dream they had worked so hard to build, to achieve peace.
They had almost reached the King of the Shattered Isles when pain flared up her calf, and she was ripped away from Marquis.
“Emory, NO!!!” Marquis screamed.
Her head cracked against the ground, and she dug her nails into the cool floor, trying to stop. Her nails scraped against the concrete, but it wasn’t enough to stop her, and she was quickly ripped away as she screamed.
Her captor’s magic shivered through her, clouding her mind, clogging her senses. The creature’s power was ancient as it shivered through her veins. Twisting her body, Emory slammed her boots hard against its chest.
Lashing out, punching and clawing, screaming in frustration. Decayed flesh connected with her jaw, slapping her head back, and stars erupted in her vision. The cool snap of metal froze her as she felt the collar lock around her neck and wrists. A flame flickered in between Emory and the monster before her when she was wrenched to her feet.
“Well, look what I have here.”
This thing was born from the eternal depths of darkness. It had saggy grey flesh, a menacing silver gaze that bore into her soul. The creature loomed over her in a skeletal stance, tatters of rags clung over its lower abdomen. It smiled, and Emory cringed.
The rest played out before her in flickering moments as she fell into shock. The chains were spelled, neutralizing her ability, and she was dragged through the war of the Academy. Warm blood dripped down her leg, as they wove and wove until they raced through the tunnels and hallways, breaking through to the courtyard. It was chaos, the charging assault of the remaining students being torn through and ravaged.
This world was made from ice and blood, and she was ensnared.
The creature cut through the edges of the fight, growling to her, but she didn’t hear a word. It could have been minutes or centuries, but one voice brought her slamming down into reality.
“Well, it would seem we meet under unlikely circumstances.” Bresslin Stratton circled her with a hunger burning in her eyes.
Emory lunged, the chain snapping her back as her body was whiplashed.
“You will want to keep that fight for as long as you can. You will need it.” With that, she had turned back to killing everything and everyone Emory loved: her home and her future.
And all she could do was watch. For the first hour, she had fought, pulling and snapping at the chains. The second, she had stood there, as ice and ash floated through the air, clenching and unclenching her hands until she ripped into her palms. The third, the doors exploded, and her heart nearly burst out of her chest when she spotted Memphis and Brokk in the throng of the fight. She collapsed to her knees as student after student fell, the storm raging around her.
They are not dead, not dead.
Then the storm had stilled, and the creature tugged at her chain, growling in pleasure. He lumbered forward, and her body complied, the metal digging into her flesh. Jutting her
