Kiril opened his eyes to see nothing but wreckage around him. He was lying on his stomach, stones pinning his legs and back. By the pain shooting from his back, he knew it was crushed. The fact he couldn’t feel his legs meant that he had to get the stones off quickly so he could heal and look for Shara.
He pushed against the ground with his arms to try and dislodge the stone from his back, but it wouldn’t budge. Kiril tried again, but managed only to rock the large stone, sending more pain along his spine.
“Wait,” came a faint voice Kiril recognized.
“Rhys?”
“Aye,” his friend replied. Rocks began to move around him as Rhys’s face came into view. Rhys was covered in dust and blood, but his smile was bright.
“About damn time,” Kiril said.
Rhys grunted. “Never satisfied, jerk. Just like a woman.”
Kiril smiled at his teasing. It was a moment later that Rhys moved the stones from his back and legs. He held up his arms to see the chains dangling from them, but no longer attached to the wall. Only one leg was still chained to the wall.
Rhys quickly smashed the rock, breaking Kiril free completely. Kiril didn’t want to wait for the healing as he pulled himself into a sitting position and searched for a glimpse of Shara.
“I’ll look,” Rhys said grimly. “I doona know what caused the collapse, but I doona think it was Balladyn.”
As soon as Kiril could move his legs, he began to shove aside stones while calling Shara’s name. The longer they went without finding her, the more worried he became.
“She was here,” Kiril said as he stood against the left wall and pulled the dangling chains close so they wouldn’t get caught beneath any of the stones. “Balladyn had sent something to torture her. She was here. I saw her. She was right here when the walls began to come down.”
“It must’ve been Rhi who blew up everything,” Rhys said as he straightened from rolling away a large stone.
“What about her? And Con?”
Rhys cursed and rushed away, only to return a moment later, his face bleak. “They’re both gone.”
“Maybe Con got her out,” Kiril said, though his mind was on Shara.
“There’s a chance Shara got out as well.”
“Nay,” Kiril said. He began to move the stones quicker.
Rhys grabbed his arm. “We need to get out before the Dark come.”
Kiril glared at him. “I’m no’ leaving without her. Or Phelan.”
“Shit. Phelan,” Rhys mumbled.
“Someone call my name?” Phelan asked as he walked into what remained of the cell.
Kiril saw him holding his arm. The Warriors healed, just not as quickly as a Dragon King. The fact Phelan was part Fae meant he mended almost as quickly as a King.
“I gather this was caused by Rhi?” Phelan asked as he looked around grimly.
Rhys nodded. “Where is Usaeil?”
“I doona know. She leveled a group of Dark Fae with some magic after talking to Balladyn. She told me to find the bastard, and I’ve been searching ever since.”
“Did you see Shara?” Kiril asked.
Phelan exchanged a look with Rhys before he nodded. “Aye. She led Balladyn away to give us time to get to you and Rhi.”
“Balladyn brought her here,” Rhys said.
Kiril inhaled deeply before slowly releasing it. “He tortured her in front of me, knowing I couldn’t help her.”
“I’m so ready for that asshole to die,” Phelan stated.
Rhys nodded. “I second that.”
Con stalked into the cell then, his face a mask of fury unlike anything Kiril had seen since Ulrik attacked the humans.
“What is it?” Rhys asked.
Con’s nostrils flared. “Ulrik.”
Kiril grimaced. “I didna get a chance to tell you. Everything happened so quickly.”
“He was with you?” Con asked incredulously.
“Aye. He didna have much to say, and he refused to help me.”
Con dusted the dirt from his shoulders. “He took Rhi.”
“What?” Phelan bellowed.
Rhys ran a hand down his face. “Ah, damn.”
“Where do you think he took her?” Kiril asked.
Con glanced around. “Something I plan on asking Usaeil. Where is she?”
“No one knows,” Rhys said. “She sent Phelan after Balladyn before she disappeared.”
Con turned on his heel. “It’s time for us to leave.”
“Nay,” Kiril said. “I’m no’ leaving without Shara.”
Con paused and slowly turned to look at him. “You’ve no’ found her?”
Rhys kicked a small rock. “Nay.”
“There is a lot of rubble,” Kiril said. “She could be beneath any of it.”
“Is there a chance she got away?” Con asked.
Kiril put his hands on his hips and dropped his chin to his chest. “You saw what Balladyn was doing to her. There was no time for her to get away.”
“Let’s hurry and look then,” Phelan said.
Con gave a nod. “First, Phelan, you’re Fae, so see if you can get those chains off Kiril while Rhys and I start looking.”
Kiril waited impatiently for Phelan to remove the shackles from his wrists and ankles. Then the four began to quickly and efficiently look through the piles of rock. With every piece of rubble they moved, Kiril held out hope that he would find Shara, and yet there was nothing.
“There’s no’ a trace of her anywhere,” Rhys said gloomily.