Killian put out his hand and shook hands first with Miro, then with Bartolo. He left the copse of trees and stepped out into the open ground. With the two Alturans watching, Killian took a deep breath and spread his arms. Chanting a series of activation sequences, Killian rose into the air.
Wind buffeted his face as Killian climbed high in the sky, for the first time gaining a full appreciation of the struggle being fought for the city. Even now, glowing orbs rained down on the revenants below, pouring like hail from the Wall and dirigibles alike. The warriors of the enemy horde leaned incredibly long ladders against the Wall and swarmed up as soon as they were placed. The ladders were too long to be pushed back by pole-arms, and the defenders could only wait until the enemy reached the top before the struggle could begin.
On the thin ramparts, Tingaran legionnaires fought side by side with avengers and black-clad Hazarans to cut down the enemy.
Killian’s people were dying. Every land of the Empire was his to protect. They needed him.
He tilted forward now and moved his arms slightly to propel his body through the air. He sped over the surging revenant army and heard the crack of muskets as some of the enemy took shots at him. He felt a small sting, barely noticeable, as a ball hit his chest, bouncing off without harm.
Killian thought about the other man who had these powers. Where was Sentar Scythran? It was too much to hope that the injuries Sentar sustained at the free cities had removed the Lord of the Night from the struggle.
Killian passed over the Wall and saw eyes staring up at him in astonishment and fear. With his fiery-red hair and black clothing Killian could have been the enemy they’d all been dreading, but he’d made sure to wear his purple cloak, and the nine-pointed star on his chest covered his torso, boldly proclaiming who he was.
The cries turned to cheers, and Killian slowed his motion to hover fifty feet over the narrow ramparts, barely wide enough for two men to pass each other and dizzyingly high. Looking down, he saw Hazarans standing side by side with Tingaran legionnaires. Avengers scanned for enemies with red glares, and common citizens fought with trained warriors. More than any other color, purple filled the length of the Wall.
“I have returned!” Killian roared.
“Emperor!” the shouts followed in his wake.
Killian traveled over the city, and the call was soon taken up in the streets of Fortune and the alleys of the Tenamet. The slums and market districts roared up at him as he passed overhead.
“Emperor!”
The news of the emperor’s arrival traveled like wildfire throughout the city. The defenders on the ramparts took heart and threw back the latest charge with renewed vigor. The cowering citizens left their barricaded homes to share the news.
The jubilant voices carried to the Imperial Palace, but Shani shrugged them off; she had bigger things on her mind.
Shani sat on the side of a bed, and once again she pulled back the covers to reveal the body of the young woman with pale golden hair.
Ella lay comatose.
Shani wiped tears from her eyes as her gaze took in what had happened to her friend.
When the morning tide had brought Ella’s body in to the docks, some people recognized her enchantress’s dress and pulled her out of the water. Then others arrived and said they’d seen her at the harbor the previous night, miraculously walking on water.
They’d told Shani the story with wide eyes. Everyone not fighting on the Wall had witnessed the destruction of the huge cargo ship, though none had realized its significance. Even so, the people at the docks knew Ella had done something to make a blow against the enemy, and they decided to take her body to the palace. Shani had met them and carried her limp form back to her rooms.
Ella was near death.
Under the covers, Ella wore just a sleeveless white shift. Shani once more ran her eyes over her friend’s skin. It was uniformly tinged a sickly blue color. Even Ella’s face was blue, and Shani kept touching Ella’s cheeks to see if she was frozen. But the blue wasn’t from the cold.
Shani and Rogan had pieced it together, and as an elementalist, Shani knew what it was.
Shani set the covers back down and resumed stroking Ella’s cheek. She didn’t know what else to do. She knew she should be back at the ramparts, fighting alongside Ilathor, Jehral, and her fellow elementalists, but she couldn’t leave Ella. Not like this.
Shani heard running footsteps, and suddenly the door crashed open. Her eyes shot up as she saw the last person she expected to see.
Killian, emperor of Merralya, stared at her with frightened eyes.
“What happened?” Killian cried. He rushed to Ella’s side. “I heard. How is she? What’s wrong with her?”
Shani considered her words before turning to Killian, who nearly quivered with pent-up emotion. “Killian, you need to listen to me. When we were with the Akari, she was affected by poison an Akari traitor put in her essence. I had my suspicions, but I didn’t know for sure until Rogan told me this morning.” Shani met Killian’s pain-filled eyes. “No one affected survived. No one.”