Stars May Fall (Stars May Burn #2)

34. Sophie

SOPHIE

W e peered at the chaos in the throne room while keeping plenty of distance between us and the door. Tilly was right. There were dozens of soldiers between me and Prince Clarence, we would never reach him. I gasped, helpless, as Gregane dragged the prince kicking and screaming to the halfsoul. The halfsoul bit.

I put my hand in my pouch for Callum’s chain bracelet. If I got it on the prince quickly enough, he wouldn’t have much of his vitality stolen, or too much violence injected. I hoped. It was the only way I could save him. His vitality already had to be low from his injury.

Bolts rained down causing bright explosion after explosion that made me look away. I was wasting time. I opened my pouch and added powders to distilled water, working methodically with shaking fingers while Meena kept watch at the door. Kasten would clear a path to Clarence, Lyrason, and Gregane. That was his job. I had to focus on mine.

I held up the mixture: bigsweed to prevent infection, pigsmoss and birdsfoot for the pain and inflammation as well as being a mild sedative to keep him calm, and arnica, ephedra, and tensworth to stabilize his blood pressure and stop him from going into shock. Once again, I internally thanked Kasten for giving me that swamp.

The door behind me crashed open. We had no time to hide. Gregane and Lyrason stumbled into the corridor. Lyrason was bleeding profusely from a stomach wound and had his arm around Gregane who supported him. He seemed to be in strangely little pain but swayed from weakness.

They froze when they saw me and Meena, and for a strange couple of heartbeats, we only stared at one another. Gregane frowned at the mixture I had in my hands. Then Lyrason shook his head as if in decision, and they hurried to a tapestry, shoving it aside to reveal a door.

My heartbeat didn’t let up. Nobody was following them from the throne room. They were going to get away unless I did something. No, no, no. If we didn’t stop them, the fighting wouldn’t end. I couldn’t let them make anyone else into a halfsoul.

I pointed to the men. “Meena, stop them!”

My guard didn’t hesitate but launched into a sprint, reaching them within seconds. Her blade was raised and aimed at Lyrason.

She collided with a blinding white shield of kryalcomy. This time there was no explosion of power like when Kasten’s arcs hit them. Instead, it was like Meena hit an invisible wall that flashed with energy. She staggered backward, dazed and unsteady. Gregane stepped forward and plunged a needle into her arm, before she regained her balance.

Meena crumpled.

I screamed and started to run forward, though it felt like my limbs were moving through honey.

No, no, no!

Lyrason hit Gregane’s shoulder. “You fool, that was our only other one. I told you to save it!”

Gregane merely shrugged. “You needed the vitality, and she was a good choice. She was strong and healthy.” He helped Lyrason through the hidden door, though Lyrason shook him off, still clutching his wound. I didn’t give them another glance, my attention all on my friend. The most loyal friend I’d ever had.

Meena convulsed. Her skin became pale and her cheeks hollow as all her vitality was sucked out at a terrible speed.

I pulled out my bracelet and dived to her side, sliding it over her wrist. But I was too late. Meena was no longer breathing. I held my ear to her chest. Silence.

She was dead. Her vitality drained.

Panic and grief seized me as my whole body trembled with sobs. There was nothing I could do for her now.

Meena. Not Meena. Why had I told her to attack? Why…why…why?

Her beautiful, strong face was taut and withered and the roots of her glossy black hair had turned grey. She was almost unrecognizable.

The sobs came so hard, it was a struggle to breathe.

I staggered to my feet to glance through the door into the throne room, needing Kasten. I needed him so badly. But I had just gotten one of his best guards killed.

My husband was kneeling at Prince Clarence’s side and pushing his own bracelet over the prince’s wrist. At least, he had reached him in time. Kasten had saved him.

I bit my lip, fighting to concentrate through the tears. Now Kasten wouldn’t have anything to protect him from the halfsouls other than some untested theory about the starstone giving him more vitality. But I was immune. My time with the Originals proved it.

I removed my bracelet from Meena and waited by the door as I fought to bring my breathing under control, my deep, rapid breaths only making me feel dizzier. I was panicking. The tears weren’t stopping.

Calm. I needed calm. I tried to clear my mind.

In. Out. In. Out.

I stared at Kasten, longing for him to notice me and fight his way here. I wanted him to come and make everything all right again. But chaos surrounded Kasten, soldiers and halfsouls and crossbow bolts making an impossible wall of mayhem between us. He didn’t look through the door and spot me.

I was alone. I needed to be stronger than this. I couldn’t be so dependent on Kasten that I couldn’t do what needed to be done.

I wiped my eyes on my sleeve. I wouldn’t let Meena die in vain. I refused to look at her body. Refused to think past my single goal; I couldn’t let Lyrason and Gregane escape.

And I wasn’t alone. Not yet.

I shoved the tonic to Tilly along with my bracelet. “Give these to Kasten to use on Prince Clarence. Wait a few minutes for them to clear Lyrason’s soldiers, then get to him as soon as it’s safe. It may save the prince’s life. Tell Kasten I’ve gone after Lyrason and to follow me using the detector. If I don’t go now, we’ll lose him forever.”

Tilly looked terrified as I shoved the things in her hands, but she gave me a slight nod.

I brushed her arm, my tears threatening to overwhelm me again. “Thank you for doing this. Tell him to catch up with me soon.”

I unhooked Meena’s freisk knife and curved steel dagger and pushed them through my belt. It gave me strength thinking that part of her was still with me.

I brushed fresh tears angrily from my face and ran to the door behind the tapestry. My heart was a riot in my chest. This was dangerous, but I owed it to Meena to end this. I owed it to everyone who had been made a halfsoul.

I remembered to sound the alarm signal on my detector as I ran down the stairs, turning it for two cycles before I focused all my concentration on running.

I trusted Kasten. He would catch up with me. Then he could stop Lyrason once and for all.