Even if Alena died to save him, he couldn’t beat the queen.
He slid under one of her attacks. The gate was thirty paces away, too far away for him to reach before the queen killed him.
But Alena’s understandings held the clue. What did distance matter, here, in a place ruled by the mind and the will? Brandt lifted his sword high.
He knew the queen’s attack was coming. He twisted, causing the queen’s sword to cut across his torso. Burning pain almost blinded him, but it didn’t matter now.
His sword, held high above him, grew. Soon it reached fifty paces into the air, balanced precariously above him.
Brandt swung. The enormous sword moved slowly at first, but as it fell it gained speed. He put all his strength, all Alena’s strength, into the cut.
“No!” the queen screamed.
He felt two dozen spears impale him, but it was too late. He finished the swing, and the impossibly huge sword cut into the gate.
His sword cut clean through, the stone shattering with an earth-rending crack.
A cry of despair tore from the queen’s throat as Brandt’s blade gouged a vicious wound into the ground.
Alena’s strength flowing into him vanished, and he feared the worst. Then a blinding light emanated from the broken gate, and everything went white.
68
When Alena opened her eyes, she saw nothing. Eyes opened or closed, all was dark.
She brought her hand to her torso, feeling for the spears she was convinced still impaled her. She felt them rending her flesh, but the feeling was like an echo of memory. Her hand found nothing except for her clothing. It caught slightly on the gatestone embedded near her navel, just as it always did.
Alena heard movement beside her.
“I’m here.”
Brandt.
A hand reached out to join hers.
As her eyes adjusted, she noticed that the room wasn’t perfectly dark. Faint light from far away penetrated the gloom. It wasn’t much, but she could just make out Brandt’s figure. He sat cross-legged beside her.
“What happened?”
“I’m not sure. But I think we closed the gate.”
Memories assaulted her. But she remembered Brandt struggling to even reach the gate. “Are you—” She couldn’t finish the question.
“Healed?” She heard a hint of bitterness in his voice. “Yes. She didn’t lie about that.”
“I don’t understand.”
He chuckled, a low sound that barely carried even in the small chamber. “I’m not sure I do, either. I think she truly believed I would serve her.” He paused. “I might have, too. Thank you.”
She shook her head. “You wouldn’t have, and I should be thanking you.”
“She’ll try again.” Resignation dulled his voice.
“And hopefully, we’ll be better prepared.”
They sat there in silence for a while, each of them wrapped up in their own thoughts and memories.
Alena broke first. “Brandt?”
“Yes?”
“Can we leave now?”
“Absolutely.”
Brandt pulled some fire from far away, lighting their way as they stepped around the Lolani corpses and into the chamber where Brandt and Kye had fought. Brandt moved well, proof enough the Lolani queen possessed a healing skill the empire didn’t. Alena was in much the same shape she had been when she stumbled into the gate chamber. Her right arm barely functioned, and she was certain Jace had cracked some of her ribs. But the damage the queen had done lasted only in her soul.
Alena couldn’t help but glance at Kye’s frozen form as they passed. “How many of his actions, do you think, were compelled by the queen?”
Brandt shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Some part of him wanted to obey. He’s responsible for all the pain he’s caused.”
Alena laughed.
“What?”
“You should meet my Etari family. I think they would like you.”
It didn’t take long for them to reach Jace. He was still sitting, his arms wrapped around his knees, rocking gently. Alena held out her left hand. “Come on, Jace. Let’s get out of here.”
He followed her like an eager puppy.
Brandt gave her a questioning look, but Alena simply shook her head. She already felt terrible enough as it was. She’d compelled Jace, and she wasn’t sure there would be forgiveness. But that matter could be dealt with after they left these caverns.
They crossed the first bridge and climbed the stairs back to the chamber where the Lolani had first ambushed them.
Ana still lived. Her breathing was ragged, but she lived.
When Brandt saw her, he rushed to her, taking her in his arms.
Though Alena had known how close they were, she had to turn away from the scene. Her own tears blurred her vision.
As Ana and Brandt reunited, Alena turned to Azaleth’s corpse. His eyes were wide, staring at nothing. Somehow, they seemed even softer than when he was alive.
He shouldn’t have followed her here.
She kneeled down next to him and let herself cry.
Eventually, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Brandt. “We need to bring him with us. I need to bury him.”
Their going was slow. They bandaged up Ana as well as they were able, and Brandt gave her Kye’s gatestone as a source of energy. Then he put Alena’s arm back in place.
Alena couldn’t stand having Jace help her, so he supported Ana while Alena and Brandt struggled with Azaleth’s body.
They stopped in a chamber about halfway up. The day had taken an enormous toll on all of them, and they needed rest. They took turns on watch, as none of them completely trusted the compulsion on Jace.
But when they had all slept their fill, they stood and continued the arduous journey out of the caves. Alena lost track of time. There was no sun in this place, and she didn’t see natural daylight until they found the crack they had entered through. If not for Azaleth’s stones, Alena wasn’t sure they would have found their way back. Even in death, he saved her. The thought brought even more tears to her eyes.
Ana and Jace were the first to step out into the open sky. Brandt, carrying Azaleth, followed. The last stretch was the most difficult, the shape of the crack
