The docks burned, and smoke rose in a heavy black cloud. High above it all, Emirald rose up into the air, and as the sun set, Miro could see the Emir's great palace clearly outlined.
He thought he saw a figure there, a proud silhouette looking out over the harbour and the mighty ships leaving for a far away land.
They would return one day.
"Commodore," Miro said. "Watch."
The walls had fallen and the men of Veldria were dead. The revenant horde now rushed through the city, searching out any still living, rounding up the bodies and throwing them onto piles.
The city would be filled with the enemy. Necromancers would be directing their draugar, and perhaps even Sentar Scythran himself would be standing at the wrong place when it came.
The figure at the palace stood motionless, drinking in the sight of his city's death throes, and the final hope under full sail, leaving these lands behind.
It was impossible, but Miro imagined he could meet the Emir's eyes. The people of Emirald would never be slaves.
A rumble came from the city, a huge, all-encompassing sound greater than the eruption of any volcano.
The city lifted off the ground as the hillside underneath it exploded. Kegs of black powder ignited tunnels filled with countless barrels of oil. A cloud of dirt, stone, timber and blood rose into the air in a detonation that grew ever greater.
The noise was deafening. Dust and smoke became so thick that the destruction could no longer be seen. Emirald was gone.
"Stars alive," Commodore Deniz breathed. "He did it."
Miro breathed slowly in and then out, releasing the air in a steady stream. He sensed Amber beside him.
"Will they still come?" she asked.
"Yes, they'll still come," he said. "Emir Volkan would have destroyed a good portion of the army, but there are many towns on this continent yet to be enslaved. Sentar will build more ships, and he will come."
Miro, Amber, and Commodore Deniz watched Emirald until the smoke of the harbour and dust of the city combined to form a distant haze.
Finally, even the plume of smoke was gone.
55
THE WRAITHS regrouped, and once more swooped down to the attack. Ella glanced over at the remains of Lord Aidan. Killian's father was now a smoking pile on the ground.
Ella took another step backwards, bringing herself closer to the shimmering portal. She couldn't enter the portal without Killian by her side, nor could she turn her back on the creatures; to let them take her from behind would be to die.
Suddenly twisted bolts of lightning arced through the sky, scattering four of the creatures. Killian's voice could be heard above the shrieks of the black shadows, calling forth the powers that only he possessed.
Ella sent a yellow beam from her wand to strike another. She saw Killian then launch a flurry of fireballs from his hands, the wraiths screaming in rage each time they were hit.
Ella sensed Killian by her side, gasping and wheezing. The fight against the berserk revenant had taken its toll.
She chanted continuously, sending yellow bolts shooting through the air, striking wraiths, sending them tumbling and shrieking. As three of them dodged the beams of energy and came screaming at Killian's head, he sent a concussive blast of air into their midst.
Ella could see the wand's energy was nearly exhausted. She called forth three more bolts, seeing two of them strike home, and then the prism at the wand's tip went dark.
The wraiths rose into the air, some fleeing but most regrouping.
Killian turned to Ella. "Are you hurt?"
Ella grimaced and put her hand to her shoulder. Her fingers came away dripping red. "One of them got through. I'll be all right."
"This is our chance. Are you ready?"
Ella looked again at the burnt remains of Lord Aidan. "I'm sorry."
Killian nodded, his expression unreadable.
"Ella!" Shani's voice came from the other side. "The portal's closing and it won't open again. If you can hear me, you need to come through now!"
The reddened gold of the curtain started to fade back to silver. When it turned dark, the way home would be closed.
Killian took Ella's hand, and they turned.
Sensing their prey escaping, the wraiths swooped forward in one last attack.
Killian spoke the words and together, they took a step through the shimmering portal. Ella once more felt the texture of the air change, as she left the nightmare world of Shar behind.
As the portal closed behind them, Ella and Killian crossed the threshold, and stepped through to the other side.
The wraiths screamed in frustration as the curtain went dark.
The way through was barred.
56
ACROSS the harbour from the Sentinel, in the city of Seranthia, the mood of the mob turned ugly.
"Lord Regent," the Tingaran captain said. "They're about to tear down the gates. I'm ordering the call to arms."
Rogan stayed silent, staring down from the palace at the heaving crowd below. When he didn't countermand the order, the captain left the room.