Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
The trees part and figures emerge from the mist—fires, at least ten of them, their elementals blazing like beacons in the morning light. There are a few earths, airs, and waters, too. At their center, I see Raith, his eyes immediately finding mine across the clearing.
"Nessa," he breathes, eyes reflecting the slowly rising sun staining the sky a deep, bloody red. Above, clouds are thickening, too, growing darker as the air fills with the unmistakable scent of an approaching storm.
The fires spread out in a protective formation around us, their elementals making a perimeter that pulses with heat. I recognize Cade among them, his slight frame half-hidden behind two larger students. The other students fill in, eyes wary as they scan the distant trees.
"Raith's gathered an army," Ambrose murmurs, adjusting his glasses as he takes in the newcomers. "Impressive."
Raith strides toward me, radiating purpose. I feel his relief at finding me unharmed warring with the horror of what he's witnessed in the forest.
"Malakai's people—" I begin.
"I know," he cuts me off, his expression hardening. "They're executing people."
"We need a plan," Mireen says. "We can't just wander the forest hoping to evade them."
Raith nods. "The quarry. That's where the blade is. The legacies are guarding it."
"We're not seriously still trying to win this thing, are we?" Beck asks incredulously. "People are dying out there."
"That's exactly why we need to end it," I say slowly, understanding dawning on me. "He wants to get the blade because that will signal the end of the Crucible."
Raith's expression is approving. "Exactly. If we hide, the Crucible keeps playing out. They'll have all the time they want to hunt us to the last person. We either wait to be hunted, or we go on the offensive. Push through the legacies guarding the blade, take it, and win. We end this before more have to die."
I see the logic in his plan, though it means walking straight into what could be a trap. "Do you think Malakai will guess our plan?"
"Almost certainly," Raith says. "We'll likely have to fight our way to the quarry. But if we go soon, we may catch them before they've fully gathered. They might still be scattered and hunting for stragglers."
"So we fight our way to the quarry."
Raith's eyes meet mine, and I feel his fierce determination through our tether. "Together."
A dark shape cuts through the mist behind him—a fin, dark blue against the white. The shark. Malakai's shark.
"Look out!" I shout, but it's already too late.
The massive elemental erupts from the mist, jaws wide and coming straight for Raith's exposed back.
37
I scream a warning, already lunging forward though I know I won't make it in time. Typhon rockets past me, abandoning his flying fish disguise for something sleeker, faster—a blue-scaled serpent that slams into the shark's side, knocking it off course.
Pyrin is there a moment later, pouncing on the downed shark and biting viciously at its side. Water magic explodes from the wound like blue blood, steam hissing from between Pyrin’s fiery teeth.
Raith spins, sword drawn as the shark slips free of Typhon and Pyrin, already turning to attack again. This time, he's ready. His blade is a blur, catching the elemental across its flank. The shark shrieks, a sound no natural creature would make, as more blue energy spills from the wound.
"Everyone," Raith shouts, his fires immediately moving into defensive formation. "Get ready!"
I search the fading mist for threats, feeling magically drained and vulnerable. The rising sun and gathering clouds cast everything in eerie, deep red light, turning the forest into a scene straight out of a nightmare.
Without essence, I'm limited to my rapier and whatever Typhon can do while maintaining his cover. But I won't let fear paralyze me. Not now, not when we're all depending on each other.
They emerge from the trees like ghosts—Malakai and his elite guard, at least thirty students with grim faces and drawn weapons. Various colored affinity marks glow in the shadows. I even see Veeni among Malakai’s people, sleeve pinned up over her missing arm.
Serena walks slightly apart from the rest, her perfect features set in cold determination, her fire serpent slithering behind her. Elements of various forms drift behind the group, some flying, some crawling, others lumbering between the trees.
It's fucking terrifying, but my hand remains steady as I grip my rapier and watch them approach.
"Thorne," Malakai calls, his single eye gleaming with malice. "And Hollow. How convenient to find you both in one place."
His shark circles back to him, bleeding elemental energy but still somehow looking eager to attack again. It hovers beside him, teeth bared in a permanent snarl. Malakai pats its head like it’s a godsdamned dog, smiling and saying something so quiet I can’t hear.
Raith steps forward, placing himself at the front of our combined forces. "Call off your people, Malakai. Last chance."