‘Go,’ I nodded. ‘It’s fine.'
Fae galloped away on Shadow’s back, leaving me and Hawthorne with Jack. We were standing almost completely alone on the battleground, amidst injured people, and various stragglers. All other guards had gone inside to defend their headquarters.
‘What was that thing?’ Jack said once Fae had vanished inside.
‘What? Oh … Shadow?’
‘That … that other Vulmessian!’ He pointed over his shoulder.
I sighed. ‘Look, I’ll explain later, okay? I don’t have time for this right now.’
Jack looked at me, confused. ‘Aren’t … aren’t you glad to see me?’
It took me a long time to answer. ‘Yes … I missed you.’
It was the truth. Jack leaned forward and tried to kiss me, but I looked away.
‘What’s the matter?’ he asked, placing a hand on my waist.
‘I knew it!’ shouted a voice behind Jack.
I looked around him to see the shield-Mage getting to her feet, and pointing a shaking hand at Jack.
‘Ethel,’ said Jack, pulling away from me. ‘I can explain-’
‘You’re a traitor!’ she gasped. ‘I thought you were different!’
‘Who is this woman?’ I asked, my jealousy flaring immediately.
‘She’s no one,’ Jack muttered to me. ‘Just another guard who …’ he trailed off.
‘What?’ I pressed.
‘Another guard I made friends with,’ he finished lamely. ‘Please, don’t jump to conclusions.’
Suddenly, a strange pressure began to swell inside my body, as though a balloon were inflating. At first I thought it was anger flaring within me, but this was no emotion.
I held my stomach, gasping in pain.
‘What is it?’ asked Jack. ‘Where does it hurt?’
The swelling continued, to the point where it felt like my insides were being crushed.
I fell to my knees, gasping in pain. ‘Argh! Jack!’
Confused, Jack looked around, his eyes falling on the shield-Mage called Ethel.
She was staring at me, a hand outstretched.
‘What are you doing to her?’ Jack demanded.
‘I’ve created a force field inside her body,’ said Ethel, panting with effort. ‘It’s expanding, crushing her from the inside.’
Black spots exploded in my vision. The pain was too much. I collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.
‘Stop it!’ Jack demanded at once. ‘You’ll kill her!’
Ethel did not stop. She continued to grow the shield inside me.
Everything was becoming blurry.
Fire destroyed her shields. I knew what I had to do, but the pain was too great.
Through my eyelids, I saw Jack charge at Ethel, who was distracted by my impending doom. Jack tackled her to the ground, breaking her contact with me. The shield stopped expanding, but the pain didn’t end.
With all the strength I could muster, I allowed the fire to consume me. My very flesh rippled, and the grass near me wilted and turned brown from the heat wave emanating from my body. Even Jack and Ethel looked up to see why the temperature around them had changed so dramatically within seconds.
I exploded; fire seeping from every pore. The force was so incredible that I felt my feet slowly lift from the ground. I was nothing but flame at that moment. The sheer intensity of the heat broke Ethel’s shield, but something was still not right.
Something inside me was damaged.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The Cure
CECILIA PINSCHMIDT
Cecilia was far too old for this. According to Xara, the human registration department was on the third floor. Lucky for the infiltration squad, it was deserted. Most of the fighting took place in the entrance hall, or on the staircase.
The Realm swam with intruders, H.W.L being a majority of them.
Beside Cecilia was Kenneth Redding, R?ven Blacklock, and Xara Swanson.
They raced up the stairs together, R?ven in the lead in her flight form, with Xara following closely behind. Cecilia and Kenneth were rather out of breath, being far older than the two teenagers.
There had been more members of the infiltration squad, but they had already fallen before entering the Realm.
As she ran, Cecilia thought about Helena and Anya Redding, who were currently staying in a small Inn near Cecilia’s home. She hadn’t even told Kenneth that they’d arrived in Concord City. Anya had asked to keep it a secret.
‘This way,’ said Xara as they reached the third floor. She took them down a corridor, her red cloak billowing behind her. ‘The human registration department is along here,’ she said.
Cecilia felt her chest burning with anticipation. If they found the cure, they could revive the memories of every single human taken by the Realm.
Xara slowed to a jog and pointed at the corridor ahead, which had many doors. ‘In there are offices, and the laboratory,’ she said. ‘I do not know where to find the cure, exactly.’
‘That’s okay, we’ll spread out,’ said Kenneth, running forward and opening the first door.