Micah slipped from the wall but managed to catch himself before he hit the ground and grappled with his footing as he lowered himself down the stones to stand.
Garren was too consumed by the echo of Tadraem's revelation in his ears to respond.
'My Lord?'
Garren forced himself to look up but still couldn't speak.
'Forgive me, I thought it was the only way.' Micah's eyes grew wide in sudden doubt of his actions.
'No, no, I owe you my life. I…'
'I came to find you because Aiden is on his way to the Laionai. I saw him entering the temple.'
'Then I don't have long before they release the Moriors.' After a moment's pause, Garren shook himself from his disbelief and grabbed his own sword from its holster on the Dragee. He fastened the sheath over his shoulder. 'I'm taking her to Michael. I don't know if I'll return.' He turned to face the boy. 'I doubt that I'll be received well by the Adorians when I arrive. If I live, I will return for you. Keep yourself in the shadows until you either hear of my death or you see me again.'
Micah looked at him, eyes wide. 'Can I come with you? Michael won't kill you if you're with me, I know it.'
Garren shook his head. 'I can't risk it, Micah. I need to focus all of my attention on her right now. If I am to watch out for both of you, I may put all of us in harm's way. Do you understand?' Micah seemed to take his word for it, though it didn't please him. 'You have to trust me on this. If it's within my power, I will come back for you, I swear it.'
Ariana knew she was dreaming, but even in her sleep she couldn't escape the blinding pain that started at her ankles and radiated to a sharp, hot point in her chest.
'Ssh, ssh, sweet one, I'm here.'
Strong arms came beneath her and she was hoisted against something warm and solid — something soft. It smelled good. It reminded her of someone.
'Michael is coming for you, he's almost here. Just hold on a little longer.'
'Father?' The sound of her own voice sounded strange, far away. So far away.
'Ssh, ssh, stay still, Ari. It's alright.' His voice, while soothing to her ears, brought a new kind of terror into her heart because she'd never heard him sound so afraid, so unsure.
'Am I dying?'
For a long moment, the only response she received was a choked sob. She felt his chest tighten and for a moment she thought she heard someone else, someone speaking nearby in a language she didn't understand. It was a beautiful sound, ethereal. But the second voice soon silenced and she could no longer tell if she'd heard it at all.
He kissed her on the cheek and whispered in her ear, 'I love you.' And everything faded away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Never had Michael been so frustrated by the slow pace of those who accompanied them. This time it was two thousand elite Adorian knights on horseback. He kept his mind quieted, focusing only on the sound of hooves galloping over earth and mire. Only once did he let his mind consider that he might find her already dead, and it seized his chest so that he couldn't breathe. He pushed it from his head; he couldn't consider that as a possibility. It would congest his thoughts and create vulnerability that they couldn't afford.
The scouts had returned with Ariana's horse only a half-hour earlier, bow still in the case attached to the saddle. This only served to heighten Michael's concern for his sister's welfare. Not only was she ignorant of the ways of Eidolon but she was without the weapons he had once condemned.
They were barely at the edges of the woods near Eidolon when he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye. They'd lost her tracks somewhere around Fools Marsh but had picked them up shortly after. He slowed his horse and turned around. Trotting back to where he'd seen it, he then dismounted and began to scour the ground. As soon as he saw it, he fell to his knees. Several of the men around him stopped.
Roahn was the first to speak. 'What?'
Michael reached for a pile of brown cloth on the ground, covered in a dark red stain. It was torn in several places. His hand shook as he brought it closer to him. He put the cloak close to his face and breathed in. It was hers. He held out the fabric, stretching it to the light to see where she'd been hit.
'It's Ariana's,' Jareth said, coming to a stop. He dismounted and stood next to Michael. 'If she's been injured, then we're wasting time.' He leaned into Michael, whispering. 'Michael, this isn't proof of death. If she were killed, she would've been left here. Don't let this cloud your reason.'
'Then let us be quick.' Michael burst into the air with a quick movement of his wings and was in the saddle of his horse, digging in his heels as they tore off back toward Eidolon.
They'd already discussed positions prior to leaving Adoria. Michael's sole objective, aided immediately by Roahn and two other Braeden, was to find Ariana. Jareth, Caedmon and Kendall led two separate groups of Adorians who were to surround him, clearing the way. Duncan led yet another group of Braeden whose sole purpose was to check all the cells they knew of, entering the tunnels beneath Eidolon from a secret door that Duncan had used in the past. They were all counting on their enemy's lack of preparation. By the time the other Ereubinians were alerted, they'd be well within the city walls.
Duncan and his thirty Braeden headed for the tunnels as Michael gave the order to attack. The Adorian knights took to the skies, leaving their horses in the shelter of the Netherwoods, and crossed the barren field on silent wings. They flew over the high walls of Eidolon with a select group of Adorians assigned to open the southern gate.
Passing through into the human portion of the city, they were met with no opposition as they took to the ground to begin the search for Ariana. They raced through thick crowds of aimless faces. It wasn't until they were past the center wall that they had any use for their drawn swords.
Ereubinian soldiers flooded from the castle. Most were unarmed and scrambled to find weapons. The element of surprise was working well in their favor. Michael's greatest fear though, was not the flesh and blood of Ereubinian lineage, but the Moriors. They would sense Adorian presence before long. The sting of an arrow grazing Michael's forearm caught his attention. He whipped around to see an Ereubinian crossbow aimed at him. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and readied his bow. The reason Adorians had never even considered crossbows were because they were slow and clumsy. Michael had deftly fired two shots, mortally wounding the soldier, before he'd even loaded his second bolt.
Drake and Meridian, the other two Braeden who were with Michael, were pulled away separately by fending off groups of soldiers, leaving only Roahn and Michael together by the time they'd crossed the dividing wall.
Riding as close as they could to one another, Michael looked to Roahn for instruction. The Braeden obviously knew far more about the layout. Roahn pointed toward the castle and yelled something Michael couldn't hear over the sounds of battle. He nodded and followed him.
As soon as they reached the castle steps, Michael pulled his sword from its sheath and dismounted. He spotted Garren.
Garren had blood on his pants and Michael knew whose blood it had to be. Having wounded his sister, Garren must have prepared for this. Rage overcame any rational thoughts and Michael flew at him, sword bared. Garren barely had time to react, raising his own sword in defense.
The loud roar of battle could be heard from all sides, but the fierceness and speed with which Michael wielded his sword was unmatched. Garren wasn't putting up a fight, or so it seemed, but merely deflecting the blows. Michael caught him several times in the arms and torso.
Roahn had his hands full staving off those who tried to come to Garren's aid at the base of the steps.
Garren shook his fist in the air. 'Michael! Listen to me.'
Michael didn't care to hear a word from his mouth. He swung harder, his blade glancing off of Garren's,
