“EM, WAKE UP!”
“Emelina! Wake up!”
“They’re attacking! We have to go!” Damian’s voice echoed in Em’s ears as she struggled to escape from sleep’s grasp. Damian. Why was Damian in her room?
She gasped, sitting straight up. August stood next to her bed, his panicked face illuminated by the lantern in his hand.
“Olivia’s here,” he said. “We need you to talk to her. Quickly, before she kills anyone else.”
“I told you,” Em said, glaring at him as she threw her blankets off.
“Would you just hurry? She won’t listen to anyone.”
She grabbed her pants and pulled them up her hips. August walked to the door, leaving her in darkness as she tore her nightshirt off and pulled on the shirt and jacket Lucio had provided her. She laced up her boots and ran into the hallway to meet August.
Screams greeted her. They drifted up from below and outside. She could smell smoke.
Damian reached for her hand. “Stay with me. Don’t drop my hand, no matter what.”
Em took in a shaky breath and closed her eyes until the image of Damian standing in front of her dissipated.
August grabbed her wrist, roughly tugging her to the stairs. They ran down them and through the hallway, to the people standing in the smoky main entryway. Lucio and his family. Three kids were huddled together in a clump, one of them clinging to George’s leg.
“Where is she?” Em asked Lucio.
“Outside. I’ll come with you,” Lucio said.
“That’s not a good idea.”
He shot her a look that clearly said he didn’t care. He ran to the door, warriors appearing from all sides to accompany them. Em wondered if they actually thought they could keep their king safe.
The cold air stung her face as the doors swung open. She gasped at the scene in front of her.
Well over a hundred Ruined were making their way to the castle. The drawbridge was still up, so many were swimming across the moat, bodies of warriors floating around them. The torches lining the castle gate were lit, casting a yellow glow over the water.
A good number of Ruined were already on land, holding torches and using their magic to fan the flames already licking up the side of the castle.
Olivia stood near the edge of the moat, her clothes dripping and plastered to her body. She must have been freezing.
“Olivia!” Em screamed, running toward her.
Olivia whirled around. Her face was pale, her lips blue, but her eyes were clear and furious.
“I’m fine,” Em said, grabbing her sister’s hand. “Please stop.”
Olivia looked Em up and down, as if confirming she was really fine. “Why?” she asked.
Em didn’t have a good response to that. Not one that would convince Olivia, anyway. “Let’s just go,” she said, holding Olivia’s hand tighter.
“Olivia.” Lucio’s voice was cautious as he approached them. “I’m King Lucio. I—”
“Oh, good.” Olivia dropped Em’s hand and narrowed her eyes at Lucio’s chest. She caught the king’s heart as it flew out of his chest. She tossed it over her shoulder. “I thought it was going to be harder to find him.”
Em pressed a hand to her mouth. Lucio’s body hit the ground with a thud. No one could say she hadn’t warned him.
Panic ignited around her as the warriors realized Lucio was dead. The yells from his brothers rose above the rest of the noise, and Em wanted to press her hands to her ears.
Olivia stepped forward, making a beeline for the rest of the royal family. Em grabbed her arm.
“Don’t,” she pleaded. The family scattered in all directions.
Olivia shook her off with a glare. “Are you serious? They kidnapped you. They betrayed us. Just like I told you they would.”
“We’re not going to accomplish anything this way.” Em’s heart pounded in her chest, the smoke starting to burn her nostrils. She didn’t want to do this again. She’d already escaped this once.
“I tried it your way,” Olivia said. “I’m done trying to reason with these people. This is the only thing they understand.” She raised her arm, pointing at something. Em followed her finger. George stopped in his tracks, his head separating from his body.
Then, everything exploded. One moment she was standing next to Olivia, and the next she was sprawled out on the grass near the castle. She tried to lift her head, but the world seemed to have tilted. Her ears were ringing.
Why was it so warm suddenly?
Why did her arm burn?
She blinked. Something dripped into her eyes.
Nearby, someone gasped. It was August. He was in front of her, tearing his jacket off. He launched his body on top of hers.
The world suddenly shifted back into focus. The left side of her body was on fire.
August had the fire out as soon as she realized what was happening, and he scrambled to his feet, wincing as he scanned her body. She followed his gaze to her left arm, where the jacket had burned away, along with a good portion of her flesh.
She could barely feel the pain radiating up her arm. Panic and shock reverberated through her body instead.
August was still staring at her, and she wiped her good arm across her forehead. Blood.
“I warned you,” she said. The words came out sadder than she’d intended.
August’s face crumpled. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
She jerked her head, indicating for him to run. He took off immediately, disappearing around the side of the castle.
Em stumbled to her feet, squinting in the smoke around her. What had caused that explosion?
“Em?” Olivia’s panicked voice broke through the screams around her. Olivia came to a stop in front of her, her eyes wide as she surveyed her sister. She was covered in dirt but appeared mostly unharmed.
“I’ll fix it.” Olivia jumped in front of her, carefully lifting Em’s injured arm up. She leaned over, trying to see the damage to Em’s back.
Em jerked her arm away. The pain was so severe suddenly that her vision turned black. “You’ll fix it?” Her voice sounded shrill.
“Calm down,” Olivia snapped. “I’ll heal you and find a Ruined to protect you until we’re done.”
“I wouldn’t need protection if you hadn’t marched in here and murdered their king!” She tried to focus on the bodies on the ground. The man dead on the ground near them had Ruined marks snaking up his arm. Em wasn’t the only one who needed protection.
“He had it coming.” Olivia waved her arm at something behind Em. Screams followed. Em didn’t turn to look at the dead bodies.
A hysterical laugh bubbled up in her chest. “Our mother used to say that, didn’t she? Everyone always had it coming. I guess she had it coming too.”
“Em!” Olivia gasped.
Her arm suddenly burned so intensely it was hard to stay upright. The edges of her vision went black again. “I knew you would come. I warned them that you would destroy everything in your path. And do you want to know the worst part? Part of me hoped you wouldn’t come at all.” The words flowed out of her mouth almost against her will. Olivia looked like Em had slapped her. “Part of me couldn’t bear the thought of you killing even more people. You killed children in there, Liv. Is that what a queen does?”
Olivia glared at her. “Who are you to lecture me about what a queen does? You’re only queen because I let you—”
Another blast rocked the ground, drowning out the words. Olivia was gone again. Em was no longer standing. Grass tickled her face. She tried to roll over onto her back, but it was too much work. Darkness was closing in on her, and it was much easier to let it sweep her away.
She closed her eyes.