Scorched (Phoenix Chronicles Book 2)

Chapter 48: Dead Woman Falling

"Do you know where we are?" Gwen hissed, staring around at the obsidian walls. 

"No idea." Maverick whirled about, brow knit in confusion. "Maybe we should go back."

"Or out. I mean, I know the fighting is out there, but this castle is a maze." 

"Here." Maverick opened a door and ushered her in. The empty room was one of the outer rooms of the castle, with a balcony through a pair of double doors. "We can watch from out here and see if we can spot anyone."

Gwen leaned over the edge, glancing down. They were only on the second story. "That's a lot of dead bodies," she whispered. 

Maverick shouted as a body fell from up above, dropping from the tallest balcony.

#

"Here, rest here." Abigail and Bainon stopped by a large window on the ground floor, allowing Eric to rest against it. The hallway had pieces of pottery, statue, and stone strewn about - an obvious sign of a recent struggle.

"There will be more soon," Eric said, putting his hand to the hilt of his blade. "We haven't much time."

"Rest, my boy." Bainon squeezed his shoulder. "Just a moment. We'll take the next wave when it comes." 

  Abigail screamed as a body fell past the window they stood at, and Eric pressed his face against it to see as it hit the ground just beyond the glass.  

#

Phoenix, Samson, and Youlden rushed along the halls, climbing lower through the castle. 

"I get who we're looking for," Youlden said, "but where are we going to look?"

"Eric is probably with Narissa and Bainon," Samson said. "I'm going - "

"He's not." Phoenix stopped them. "They're upstairs. I left them with a few guards up at the tallest tower." 

Samson opened his mouth to reply. Something fell past the window behind him, startling a shout out of Phoenix. 

#

Aundreya screamed as Narissa and the older woman hit the ground, causing an explosion of light. The young man who'd come in was hit by the blast and went down, unconscious. Aundreya, however, was only knocked to the ground. She pulled herself up in time to see the two women roll apart, both panting. The old woman had cuts up her face, her silver hair in disarray, but there was a fierce glint in her eye.

"Give it up, Helena," Narissa growled. "That was just a taste."

Helena spat blood onto the ground, pushing herself to her feet. "I will see you die. When I do, I will put a new king on the throne."

"What king? Your pathetic excuse for an heir? Clarice's son?"

"Maverick would be a better king than Bainon," Helena said in a low growl. "And I'll see to that."

Maverick? King? Aundreya's heart skipped a beat, and she turned her hungry gaze on Helena. This woman planned to put Maverick Knight on the throne - and Aundreya didn't plan on being far behind. 

"You won't stand a chance." Narissa's hands flared with her violet energy. "Not against my magic."

"But you don't have magic, Narissa." Aundreya felt her adrenaline spike as she told the lie. She loved it, the thrill of the game - making others believe her without trouble. But it was more than that now, now she could control their very thoughts. 

"What?" Narissa turned her head, confusion knitting her brow.

"You don't have magic. You lost it." Aundreya kept her eyes wide, innocent; a naive expression meant to fool. "You haven't had magic since Bainon died."