Crown of Embers

by Meg Anne

  They were both panting, but there was no time for them to catch their breath. As one, they stood and raced for the general, who was already struggling back to his feet. Ronan grabbed his ax as he ran toward the man, using his momentum to swing it into the general’s neck. The slice was so clean, it almost appeared as if the blow did not land. The general was still blinking when his head began to slide off of his neck and fall to the floor.

  Rowena screamed in outrage as her general fell, and with a swirl of her black cloak she fled the battle. Darrin grinned, knowing that her retreat meant the battle would be theirs. Focusing back on the chaos around him, he began to work his way toward Effie. If he hadn’t been looking for her, he never would have seen the swirling ball of purple fire as it left the Fire general’s hand heading straight toward her.

  “No!” Darrin screamed, rushing toward Effie, intent on pushing her out of harm’s way. Darrin ran faster than he’d ever moved before, feeling his power give him an inhuman burst of speed. Effie’s eyes went wide and he could see them fill with fear as she watched the fireball race toward her.

  It was over in a heartbeat, but it felt as though time had slowed completely. He was aware of each frame as it occurred. The blink of her beautiful blue eyes and the way her lashes tangled together when they closed. The petal pink of her lips as her mouth opened on a scream. The heavy thud of her body as it made contact with the ground.

  But more than anything, Darrin was aware of the burst of pain as the fireball hit his back and then consumed him. The corrupted flames made quick work of his shield and armor until nothing stood between them and his skin. The pain was absolute.

  Darrin stared into Effie’s eyes, wanting the image of the woman he’d fallen in love with be the last thing he ever saw as his knees buckled and hit the ground.

  A look of confusion, and then horror, crossed Effie’s face as she realized what had happened. “Darrin!” she screamed, scrambling on her hands and knees toward him.

  He could see the purple flames licking up his chest and arms. It would not be long before they covered him completely. It was impossible to think, let alone form words, but somehow he did. With what he wanted to say, it was too important not to.

  “Effie,” he gasped.

  “Nonononono!” Effie screamed over and over, tears streaming down her face. She searched for something to extinguish the flames but found nothing except the skirt of her travel dress. Even as she tore the fabric using it to beat at the fire, Darrin knew it was futile. The shadow flames had melted armor on impact, there was little that a piece of cloth could do against it. As predicted, the flimsy fabric easily caught fire, forcing Effie to drop it with a strangled cry.

  “I love you.” The words were barely audible as they left his mouth. Darrin only knew she’d heard him because her face twisted in pain and she repeated them brokenly as she sobbed.

  It was all he needed to let go. As his eyes fell closed, Effie’s face blurred and faded away. With it went the pain. In his last coherent moment, Darrin was overcome with peace as he saw the familiar face of his best friend take shape within his mind.

  Helena, he thought with a mix of relief and surprise. At least I am not dying alone.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  It was Effie’s scream that pulled Ronan’s attention away from the still twitching body of Rowena’s general. As he turned toward the sound, he saw the pyre of purple flames she was kneeling beside.

  “What the hell does she think she’s doing?” he muttered darkly, wondering why she was letting her hand hover so close to the deadly flames. That was when he realized Darrin was missing.

  Since the battle had started, hell, since they’d left Tigaera a few weeks ago, he’d barely strayed from her side. He may have been Helena’s Shield in name and by vow, but he’d clearly extended that duty to Effie. So why wasn’t he the one pulling her out of harm’s way now?

  The answer came to him as he watched the small woman’s body begin to shake with the force of her sobs. It wasn’t the flames she was trying to touch; it was what was concealed within them.

  “Mother be merciful,” he said, taking off at a dead run.

  “Where do you think—” Reyna started to shout as she efficiently beheaded another of the Shadows, but he didn’t have time to explain.

  He covered the distance easily, despite the protesting ache of his body from hours of endless fighting.

  “Effie,” he said softly, watching her begin to rock back and forth.

  She didn’t hear him.

  Ronan glanced around, ensuring that they would remain safe for the moment, before squatting down beside her. “Come on, Mira. Let’s get you somewhere safe.” The Chosen’s term of endearment also had no effect. It wasn’t until he touched her shoulder that she looked up, hissing at him like a feral cat. Her eyes were crazed and unseeing.

  “Shhh, Effie. It’s me.”

  Effie blinked, her eyes returning to normal as she recognized the man in front of her.

  “R-Ronan,” she sobbed, launching herself at him.

  She may have been small, but her momentum almost knocked him on his ass. He caught and held her with a muffled oomph.

  “Da-Darrin,” she started.

  “Shhh,” he whispered, tucking her head into his chest so that she could not look back at the body, or what was left of it.

  “We can’t leave him here,” she hiccupped.

  Ronan frowned. Darrin wasn’t going anywhere. There was nothing he knew of that would extinguish the flames. The Water the others had summoned to try just that didn’t even slow the purple blaze down. Perhaps Helena would have been able to do something, but she wasn’t here. And by the time she got here… well, there’d be nothing left to bury.

  “I’ll take care of it,” he promised.

  Effie looked up at him from where she was cradled in his arms. She looked like a broken doll, her face smeared with dirt and streaked with tears. The sadness in her big blue eyes made his heart ache. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  They were the last words Effie said for quite some time. It was as if, with that last task assured, she could retreat into the safety of her thoughts to mourn the future she’d never have. Ronan easily picked her up and carried her through the fray. It would have been a comical sight, the way he had to duck and weave around those that were engaged in battle, if so much wasn’t on the line.

  He carried her to her grandmother, knowing that Miranda would be able to take over from there. He opened his mouth to explain, but by the look in those ancient midnight eyes, he saw he didn’t have to. She already knew. The Keeper had probably known it was going to happen days, or maybe even years, before it did. What a burden that must have been.

  As he set Effie down, Ronan pressed a swift kiss to her forehead. “Stay strong, little bird. He would not want to see this break you.”

  The words breathed new life into her, and Effie looked up nodding her understanding.

  It wasn’t until he turned to run back to the others that he realized what Darrin’s death truly meant. The Circle was broken.

  Helena had made him promise he would protect them, and he’d let her down. She was never going to forgive him.

  Even with the appearance of the Night Stalkers, and the rest of the Chosen who’d shown up shortly thereafter once the runners had been able to reestablish their relay, they fought for several more hours. Eventually though, either due to the Mother’s grace or sheer dumb luck, they were able to dispatch the remaining Shadows.

  Still, it was by no means quick or easy. They were already exhausted and still very much outnumbered. But by the time the sun began to rise, the body count was high but the Chosen were the last ones standing.

  No one saw what happened to Rowena or her four remaining generals. Ronan assumed that they must have fled once they saw Darrin fall. He had a feeling that had been what she was after. Ronan wouldn’t rest until they he watched the woman breathe her last. Just because she was out of sight, did not mean she was gone.


  The battle might be over, but his work here wasn’t finished. He tried not to groan as he forced himself forward. He had a promise to keep.

  Around him, others worked through what was left of the bodies checking to make sure there were no survivors. They were also carrying off their dead so that they could be given a proper burial. It was grim work, but important.

  Reyna caught his eye and gave him a smile so brief he half-thought he imagined it. He still wasn’t sure what to make of the Night Stalker, but he did owe her a heartfelt thank you at some point. If it hadn’t been for her, none of them would be alive right now.

  He walked deliberately, stepping carefully around the shadowy purple flames and dead bodies. As the fight had continued through the night, the purple glow had illuminated the battlefield with its eerie light. Now that the sun was beginning to shine, the glow was almost black.

  The fire had a sentience he couldn’t explain. It burned through whatever it touched, moving on in search of a new target once its fuel had been consumed. Judging by the fact that the entire landscape was not a blazing purple inferno, it would seem that if the flames did not find a new fuel source they died out on their own. Nothing else they tried had been able to, but to be fair, they’d also had their hands full with the mindless corpses that were trying to kill them.

  Ronan sighed as he returned to the spot he’d found Effie and Darrin. He’d lost men before, good men, but this was different. In the months they’d spent searching for Von, the younger man had become part of his family. This loss cut deep. He could only imagine how much worse it would be for Helena. Especially when Darrin had been the last link to her past. A wave of sadness and guilt washed over him at the thought of having to tell her what had happened.

  Kneeling, he took a deep breath. There was nothing left except ash. It would have to be enough. He began to scoop the still-smoking pile into one of his travel sacks and was proud when his hands only trembled slightly as they came into contact of what remained of his friend.

  Before he stood, Ronan closed his eyes and offered a prayer to the Mother, asking her to welcome her son home. He was not a devout man by any stretch of the imagination. He’d seen entirely too much death and hatefulness in the world to believe that there was really a deity out there watching over them. If the Mother did exist, how could she allow such tragedies to occur? But as he gently lifted the now full bag in his hands, he desperately needed to believe.

  Ronan turned back toward the hill where they’d set up a sort of camp and his breath left him with a whoosh. The lone figure standing sentinel was unexpected. He blinked quickly to ensure she was not some kind of mirage. She wasn’t. When his eyes reopened, Helena was still there.

  The weight of the bag grew heavier with each step as Ronan closed the distance between them, his eyes never once leaving hers. As he neared her, he could see that Von was standing just to the side of her, ready if she needed him. In his own way, Ronan wanted to lend her his strength as well. So he did it in the only way he could, by bearing witness to the full weight of her pain. He let it wash over him, hoping that by sharing it he could ease some of the burden. Ronan had thought Effie had been grief-stricken, but it was nothing compared to the tortured expression in Helena’s aqua eyes.

  She stood stiffly, holding herself so tightly that her knuckles were white. It looked like she was physically trying to hold herself together, probably to keep herself from completely falling apart. Ronan swallowed down a wave of emotion as he finally reached her. It wasn’t until he was standing just in front of her that she looked down at what he was offering her.

  Her face and eyes were dry, but Ronan knew that she was dying inside. He could feel it as surely as if he was standing next to her. Her nostrils flared as her eyes flew back up to his. He watched her struggle to catch her breath as she reached out to accept the bag. A part of him wanted to keep it in hopes that it would spare her, but he knew it was far too late for that. There was no escaping this pain.

  Helena took the bag from him and curled herself protectively around it, resting her cheek against the top. She stayed there a long time, just holding what was left of her friend close to her. All the while her lips were moving silently, almost like she was praying, or perhaps whispering words meant for him alone. It wasn’t until she was done that he saw the first of her tears or took notice of the rain.

  Helena didn’t need anyone to tell her what had happened. She’d felt it the instant they’d arrived in the Broken Vale. The pain that exploded through her Jaka was enough to have her fall to her knees and clutch at her side. Its intensity was overwhelming; she could hardly focus enough to make sense of what the pain meant. As she struggled to breathe through the waves of fiery pain, she was finally able to gather herself enough to follow the pain to its source. The emptiness that greeted her there rendered her completely numb. The loss was too much for her brain to process.

  Ever since Ronan had given her the Jaka, she’d felt the connection to each of the men that comprised her Circle. She’d grown used to the unique feeling of each individual strand, recognizing the nuances that separated each of them without having to try. It was how she knew with utter certainty that one was missing, and who it was.

  “Helena, what is it?” Von shouted, the frantic cast of his voice alerting her to the fact that this wasn’t the first time he’d asked.

  She looked up at him from where she’d curled up on the ground. “Darrin.”

  The hollow tone of her voice told him everything. His eyes went dark, and he let out a long breath. “What do you need?”

  Helena pushed herself to her feet. “We need to find the others. They might still need our help.”

  A conflicted look crossed his face. Von knew that she was barely holding on, she knew he could feel it through their bond. He’d also witnessed her rage and grief over losing the man who raised her only weeks ago. There was no way he would believe that she was unaffected by the loss of the man she’d grown up with, no matter what sort of brave face she tried to present. But there was a time and a place to grieve, and this was not it. She knew Von reached the same conclusion when he held out a hand to help her stand up.

  There was a soft cough. The runner was staring awkwardly at the ground, waiting for them to take notice of him and the Etillions that had travelled with them.

  “Do you know where they are?” she asked in the same hollowed out voice.

  The man nodded.

  “Take me there.”

  There was no indication that a battle still raged. The sun was just starting to light up the sky, and the world around them was quiet. They did not have to walk far, just over the crest of a sand dune. Helena’s stomach rolled at the sight that greeted her, but she did not let herself look away. This was her fault. She should never have left them to face this alone. Her presence could have made all the difference. It could have been what kept Darrin alive.

  “You cannot take on that burden, Mira. This is not your fault.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I do,” Von countered firmly. “Rowena was always going to strike, and there cannot be a battle without casualties. We always knew this would end in bloodshed, in death.”

  “But not his.” The admission was too much. Her psychic voice broke and she shook her head, indicating that she did not want to speak further. Not even to him.

  The chaos before them was hard to make sense of. There were bodies everywhere, randomly interspersed with dark purple flames. Helena did not have to try hard to feel the corruption wafting up from them. Her eyes flew over the scene, looking for someone she recognized. A familiar red head snagged her attention, pulling all of her focus. She watched as Ronan walked through the bodies, looking as though he was searching for something. After a few more steps, he stopped and dropped to the ground. His hands seemed to fumble as they pulled open a travel-worn bag.

  Helena’s heart squeezed painfully and it hurt to breathe as she watched him carefully begin to scoop what could only
be ash into the bag. The seconds dragged as she watched him fill it before slowly standing back up. He saw her instantly, his eyes focused intently on her face. The protective way he carried the bag made her want to sob, but she knew if she started, she wouldn’t be able to stop. So instead, she made herself take a breath in time with each of his steps. Right foot, in. Left foot, out. Right foot, in. Left foot, out. There was room for nothing else.

  When he reached her he didn’t speak, but his thoughts were written across his face. She watched as he debated handing the bag over and could tell he wanted to spare her. Her heart thanked him for that kindness, even though she couldn’t say so.

  His eyes bore into hers, begging her to forgive him for causing her more pain with this action. She wished she could comfort him, but as soon as the bag made contact with her hands, there wasn’t room to worry about any life except the extinguished one she now carried.

  It was lighter than she would have thought, knowing that it contained the man who’d towered over her when he hugged her. She’d always felt so safe in his arms. She wanted, needed, him to feel that now. She clutched the bag close to her chest, holding onto him with all the strength she still possessed.

  Resting her cheek on the top of the bag, the way he used to do with her head, she whispered, “Goodbye dearest friend. I am so sorry that I wasn’t here to save you. I never thought there would be a day I would have to face without you. I know that we didn’t always see eye to eye on, well, hardly anything. But I know that you always wanted what was best for me. I will always love you, Darrin. I am so sorry that you will never have the life that you deserved. I will make sure Effie wants for nothing. You do not need to worry about her, or any of us. Rest now. We will handle it from here.”