Chapter 384 (1/2)

Chapter 384

ELEANOR LEYWIN

My heart gave a painful squeeze as I sawFeyrith’s body Pressure built uncomfortably behind my eyes, but I didn’t have any tears left

Albold, Feyrith, Rinia…and how many others, people whose names I don’t even know?

The shock of some feel raw, brittle From certainty of my own death to wordless a realization of how much had been taken fro my discomfort, Mom wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close

We stayed back and watched as Durden hurried forward to conjure an earthen bier for Feyrith’s body I felt a pang of guilt thinking of all the bodies we’d left down in that weird cha were ht now

The dead had tiain Arthur and the Glayders walked ahead, and I foundhis soft, strong steps and the effortless way he see It was like his mere presence settled our minds and spirits…orhi between little frowns and half-hidden smiles

Just a couple minutes farther down the tunnel, Curtis and Kathyln broke away, heading to get all the people who had been traveling in Curtis’s group He confirees who had been hidden with Feyrith—at least fifty people—were dead After that, we found the rest of the surviving groups one by one

Hornfels and Skarn Earthborn had each led separate groups, but in similar directions, and had sealed the tunnels behind the the conjured barriers fall ahen they sensed our group approach and Curtis confirh the walls that the asura was dead

By the ti river of tired, frightened, surprised-to-be-alive people The tunnel mouth had collapsed, but the Earthborns easily uards who had been at the rear

Arthur went through first, along with a group of our strongesteveryone else to stay in the tunnels

It was so coht back into the role of protector as if he’d never left, but I couldn’t help but also be a little sad Seeing how the others looked at him, how even the members of the council seemed to walk just a step behind him at all times, it felt like he was there but still so us all at arth…orhi hi hi him back with open arms

I shook my head to snap myself out of it We would have time to do all the lovey-family stuff ere safe

From the mouth of the tunnel, I could see Arthur and the others fan out, carefully scanning the wreckage of the sanctuary, which had been our hoashes had been carved in the ceiling and walls, giant boulders had fallen down on the village, crushi+ng entire houses, and everything was blasted with ice and lightning

There was her shelf of rock to look down at everyone else

I slipped free of rip and took a few quick steps out into the cavern, stepping over fa

“Lance Bairon!” Curtis shouted, his voice echoing eerily in the otherwise deathly quiet “You—you’re okay!”

Despite standing straight and tall, it looked for all the world like the Lance had been chewed up by soiant mana beast and spit back out “I was lucky that the—” He cut off suddenly, staring down at the group of es “Who…?”

“Bairon,” ht not have sensed it, but I could hear the undercurrent of tension in his voice “I’lad to know I’m not the last of the Lances—”

“Arthur!” Bairon burst out, sputtering

The wounded Lance half-slid, half-jumped down a section of crue, rushed toward rabbed him by the shoulders The usually stoic Lance had tears in his eyes and he stared at Arthur in disbelief, then he leaned forward, resting his forehead against Arthur’s in a sign of respect and care

Two e, and I felt my jaw fall slack

Lances Varay and Mica looked a lot different from the last time I’d seen them—in the castle, before Elder Rinia had rescued us from the Alacryans

Lance Varay followed Bairon down Her long, snohite hair had been cut short, and instead of her uniform, she wore battered and ruined silver armor As Bairon finally released my brother and took a step aside, Varay stepped into his place, her ar around my brother’s waist in a soft embrace One of her arlass

I was surprised by how small she see on the ledge above, Mica snorted “You’re late”

The dwarven Lance was badly injured An ugly wound linted in the socket where her eye should have been She was leaning on a huge stone ha Arthur and Varay with a look I couldn’t read

I realized with a spike of alarnatures Even though it must have been hours since their battle with Taci ended, they still seee of backlash

Varay pulled back froood to have you back, and apparently in the final moments before disaster You ?”

Arthur cleared his throat, looking uncoh I had no idea what I would be walking into” He paused and looked around “Where is Aya—”

“Brother!” I said, the word slipping out al to

Everyone turned to look at me, brows raised in surprise or lowered in clear irritation, like I should know better than to interrupt when the adults were speaking

Boo stepped aroundin the direction I had felt it

“There are ,” I said past the luht were piercing the cavern ceiling Sand was raining down through the light, and as we all watched it see a steady stream “A whole lot of them”

I realized then that people had been slowly trickling out of the tunnel e back toward the tunnel entrance, pushi+ng at the people just trying to co jostled frorowl as he stepped in to shi+eldbodies

“Everyone, back to the tunnel!” Bairon barked, his voice still heavy with authority despite his injured state

Despite his oords, he and the other Lances hesitated Varay said so, her expression strained Arthur’s reply was short and met with clear frustration froainstout to Boo for support By the ti in our direction, though not without throwing resigned glances back at rew s away as he walked toward the onconatures Alone

“You can’t just let hio by himself!” I said as Kathyln hurried past etic san pulling ave

“Boo thinks we should fight too,” I y that le and yearn for a bow to hold, since ain, been destroyed

“Boo is brave,” Curtis said froer for battle as well, but to be honest, I think he’s enjoying his current duty”

I looked into the dark mouth of the tunnel, but it was packed with people, and Graas too far back for iant world lion to guard thetreated like a little kid

When I turned back to the cavern, Arthur had crossed over a pile of rubble that had fallen across the once-beautiful little streaht, almost relaxed, as he approached where the sand pooled over the s sand shi+fted, taking on an undulating pattern of waves, then condensing into several s pillars Up above, I could just h the pillars like they were elevators, followed immediately by several more At the bottoan pouring out of the sand