Tale of the Heart Queen (Artefacts of Ouranos #4)

Chapter 18

C HAPTER 18

T he balcony gives out, cracking and shattering as Cyan’s grip falters, and we tumble to the earth in a shower of dust and wreckage. Pain digs into my body as time seems to slow before I strike the hard rock and even harder ground. My vision blurs as blood drips in my eyes and I’m pelted and crushed by debris. Covering my head, I try to stem the worst of the damage as chaos rains from above.

It takes a moment for my head to stop spinning. A haze of dust surrounds me, and I can’t see more than a few feet through it. Slowly, I sit up, wincing at the ache in my limbs. I touch my head, my fingers coming away red. Screams and the sound of everything splitting and breaking fill the air. I seek out Cyan, Anemone, or Linden, but they’re currently beyond my sight .

I almost killed myself, but it created the distraction I needed.

This is my chance.

I stumble to my feet, rocks sliding out from under me, and it’s then I notice the rain has finally let up. Thank Zerra for small miracles. I shake my head. Not Zerra. Fuck that bitch.

I need to find the Alluvion ark and then I’ll run as fast as my feet will take me.

Coughing up dust from my lungs, I stagger on a throbbing ankle. How long does it take for this Fae healing thing to kick in? It’s been so long I hardly remember how it works. I pass the bodies of guards and palace servants. Some are still breathing, only knocked out, but some are clearly never waking up.

Guilt twists in my chest, because I did this. Am I any better than my grandmother, taking what I want and failing to acknowledge the consequences?

I swore I’d raze the palace to the ground if I had to. If Cyan had just listened to me, I wouldn’t have had to resort to such drastic measures. But none of that quiets the nagging shame that burns at the back of my throat.

As a few begin to stir, I tear the cloak from a fallen guard and wrap it around my head, using a portion to cover my nose and keep the dust from clogging my lungs. I scan the ground, searching for the guard Cyan handed the ark to. He can’t have gone far. I just hope he isn’t buried under an immovable pile of rubble.

A body with pale skin and long indigo hair emerges in the fog. Cyan lies on his side, his limbs askew and his eyes closed. I stare at him and let out a breath of relief when I see his ribcage expand. Not dead. Just . . . momentarily impeded. I didn’t want to kill him. I didn’t want to kill anyone.

I stare in the direction of the city. I hear people shouting orders, along with more cracking and rumbling as they shift the debris. The haze continues to blind me, but it’s starting to clear. I need to get out of here before anyone finds me. What happened to Rion and his army? I hope I took a few more of them out.

Finally, I spot the guard I’m seeking and cry out. As I fall to my knees, my hands land on the sharp rock, scraping my palms. They’re still aching from my search in the tide pools, but I ignore it. I have more important things to do than worry about a bit of temporary discomfort. If I lose Nadir, I’ll never be able to breathe again.

I pat his pockets, finding a telltale hard spot, but the opening is trapped under his body. He’s enormous, and I try to shift him, but the angle is awkward and he’s half-buried under the rubble. A knife hangs at his belt, and I slide it out before sawing through the fabric of his tunic. Voices in the distance move closer while the sky clears and dawn arrives with a wash of pink and orange.

Finally, I free the ark and yank it out of the guard’s pocket, his eyes fluttering as he groans. I briefly consider knocking him out again, but I reason it’ll be at least another minute before he’s coherent enough to cause any problems. With the ark clutched to my chest, I stagger over the rubble and scoop up a fallen scarf to create a makeshift sling in which to carry it.

I’ve already decided to return to Aphelion. Once I get Nadir back, I need to find Tristan and Willow. Maybe they’re already looking for me. If I were in their shoes, I’d do the same. That means south is my destination.

I continue picking through the debris then trip, landing on my knees. I wince at the scrape as it tears away my skin. The sky is almost clear now, but no one pays me any attention as they tend to their wounds and dig up those caught under the wreckage. I take a moment to scan the horizon for Rion, knowing that wherever he is, he’s already looking for me.

Does he know Nadir is dead? Does he care?

Finally, I make my way to the edge of the palace and look up. My eyes widen at what I’ve done. I’ve torn off almost the entire front facade of the building, leaving the exposed guts underneath. Rubble is everywhere, nothing but chaos. I shake my head, tears filling my eyes. I wanted my magic back so badly, but I didn’t stop to think about what it would mean. I’m not a queen or a High Fae—I’m nothing but fucking destruction. Linden is right.

I swore I’d do anything to save Heart and save Nadir, but at what point do I have to consider the cost of what I want versus those I might hurt along the way? I was a child when my life was taken from me for the sins of a woman I never met. That wasn’t fair, but what I did here isn’t either. I’ve been so afraid of people judging me against the things my grandmother did, and here I am, at the first opportunity, doing the same. Is this who I want to be?

I scan the distance, seeing black uniforms moving through the mess. Rion’s guards are searching for me. I take another look at the destruction I’ve caused. It’s done now. I can’t undo this, but I need to think harder about how I use my magic again. Or at least find some way to fucking control it.

I also need to run, or all of this will have been for nothing.

I duck around a corner, keeping out of sight. No one lingers on this side of the building, and I continue around it until I come to the far side. Ahead of me is a stretch of endless beach, sand spreading in every direction, bordered by the ocean on one side and the rest of Ouranos on the other.

The Crystal Palace sits on an island with three bridges arching over the Sinen River. Either I head for one, which would mean entering the city, or I take my chances and swim across the channel.

I consider my options.

In the distance, I see the blue ribbon where the water splits the land. Heading into the city seems like a fool’s errand. I’m covered in blood, and it will be glaringly obvious I was part of the collapse. I’ll draw too much attention.

The beach is nothing but open sky and plain. Anyone looking this way will see me from miles away. Neither is a good choice, but I decide to take my chances with the sand.

Checking one last time that the coast is clear, I push away from the wall, and then I run.