I had anticipated some hesitation at the sight of the additional fighters, but there was none. What was left of this council had decided to end the North, and they apparently had no notion that they might lose.
Their first strike was swift and severe. Some unseen signal unleashed a hail of fire, exploding light, and countless bursts of energy. There would be no weapons here, the council members on the floor would be instructed to kill or die. They would have no second chance.
There was a thundering response from our line and nearly a third of the seventy went down. In a matter of minutes, the few who remained pushed back behind the columns where the twenty of the second line of attack waited. They worked together to bring the water. The resounding roar was accompanied by a vibration, which quickly grew to shake dust from the columns of the temple.
When the wave crashed onto the floor beneath the balcony, the Camber lines stepped back. They had called the river on us, and it was coming with no sign of restraint. A wall of water rolled toward us with the force of two dozen’s magic. I raised my hands, wondering if I could release enough power to stop it without harm to myself or my guard.
Chevelle called out an order to the lines beside me, but the sound was lost as a violent wind struck the wave with a growling boom that reverberated through the room. The water had not froze, was not still, but had stopped its advance mid-crash and hung before us. It had happened so fast, it took my mind a moment to catch up.
“Push back,” I yelled, releasing only a portion of the strike I had planned to unleash. As soon as the wave fell back into a flood, I searched the line for Camren, but it was too late. Her body lay crumpled on the ground. She’d given her last breath for this retaliation. Two villagers moved to kneel beside her and I looked back just in time to see the water wash back over the temple floor, flushing at least a handful of council members with it as it crossed between the columns and out of the structure.
We surged forward then, taking the last of those council members to leave only thirty remaining above. The leaders of Grand Council.
“Dratva Sprego Drangia Rema.”
The words fell from the balcony, heavy with a vow of devastation, and I looked up to find their source. It was Elden of Longarten, the man who’d set fire to the gates of the castle during the massacre. They’d not wanted anyone to escape. They’d wanted all of us to burn.
Like my mother.
As the spell took hold of the others, fury spread through my veins like that fire so long ago. Hot, burning anger devoured every part of me until it seemed to burst, snapping any connection I had to calm, rational thought. If the ground shook again, I did not feel it. If the spell attempted to harm me, I did not know. The only thing there was, was rage.
I stared into the eyes of my mother’s killers as the stone cracked and split.
I saw Nyle, who had drowned the young sentry in his own blood.
I saw Sandon, who had slowly choked the serving girls with bay vine while chaos reigned around them.
I saw Fawn, who had opened the chests of the watchmen, a smile playing at the corner of her honey-rose lips as their insides spilled onto the castle floor.
I watched as the balcony gave way.
I watched as they fell with the floor beneath them.
A cloud of dust rose as the heart of the temple crumbled onto the floor in front of us. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, the wind whipped as though a hurricane centered among the columns. Fire and screams tore through the air in a battle so reminiscent of the massacre, my chest hurt. But the knowledge of this final revenge didn’t ease the pain. Even as I watched those who were guilty take their dying breaths, the ache only grew.
Body after body fell. What remained of the fourth line advanced, and we surrounded the last of the council leaders. A flash of light shot out, so intense it brought me from the trance of anger that had destroyed the temple. I was moving but Rider was faster. He threw himself forward to let loose an explosion of power so violent it seemed to burn my skin.
Wincing against the flare, I turned back to see it strike its target and issued an attack of my own. They were few now, but they were strong. I felt twin blows punch my chest but pushed them back before they could tear me apart. Anvil stepped in front of me just in time to catch a third, and I felt a jolt as it collided with his shoulder.
Chevelle moved forward then, as we all advanced on them, and deflected two more before Rhys and Rider moved to the front. Their skill was incredible as they pooled their energy to defend and attack. I shifted to throw another strike, but faltered when Ruby fell beside me.