I was on fire, I had to be. My vision was blurry, and my whole body ached. I had to get out of here. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. I scratched hard at my arm, trying to get to the skin. I yanked the bandages free, not even remembering being bandaged. Where was Mason? I needed to find him.
I climbed off the bed and collapsed to the floor. I growled at myself, digging at my arm more. It was there beneath the skin. It had to be. My fingers became wet, drenched in my own blood, but I pushed through the pain. I couldn’t see the skin anymore. There was only blood. Red eyes flashed in front of me. He was coming. He was coming, and no one was ready for him. Using the bed, I hauled myself upright and staggered into the door.
It took a couple tries to get it open, and when I did, I stumbled out and proceeded to collapse again. I tore at my arm, biting back the pain as I scratched the skin from my forearm. The mark was draining me. It was draining all of us. I had to get it off me, get it off all of them.
Mason needed to know. Radnak was coming. He was coming, and we were out of time.
“Emry? What are you doing out of bed?” Everest exclaimed as she hoisted me up. “Your arm, my gods, what are you trying to do?”
“I have to get it out. You don’t understand.” Everest was taking me back to the room, but I let my knees buckle, and we both hit the floor. “I have to find Mason.”
Everest looked around, shaking her head. “He’s not here. I’m not sure where he went.”
“You have to find him.”
“We need to get you back in the room and take care of your arm.”
“No, there’s no time. Don’t touch it,” I yelled but it was too late.
Everest’s hand landed on my forearm, and we both gasped from the contact. Her eyes moved wildly and then she was looking down at my arm in horror. “Radnak,” she breathed. Her free hand pressed against her side. “No, it’s not possible.”
“I told you. He’s back. He’s there at the Fell Gates.”
She was still looking at my arm, shaking her head. “But the mark, I can’t see it.”
I covered her hand with mine, also covered in blood. “He hides them well, and it’s not just me.” My arm burned hotter, and I screamed as tore myself away from Everest. She yelled for help, struggling to get me back up. Another healer joined her. They got me on the bed and pinned me down as the burning increased until I couldn’t take it. I had to get rid of the mark.
“I need Mason,” I gasped, my one hand fighting to tear at the flesh on my arm.
“He’s not here. I’ll send someone to find him. Emry?”
Everest was still yelling my name, but I didn’t see her anymore. I was back in that cage. Red eyes glowed from the other side of bars. He came closer and closer, beckoning to me. His growl blocked out all other sound.
This could have been so much easier if you had just given in, my daughter.
I screamed, my back arching off the bed as I fought to get away. Cold liquid was poured down my throat, but it didn’t do anything to calm me down. Radnak was there, waiting to tear my soul into pieces. He reached a skeletal hand toward me, and I scrambled back as much as I could. I couldn’t see Everest anymore. Couldn’t see anyone.
We were dead. We were all dead. I was too late.
“Mason,” I heard myself whisper, but that hand reached out around my throat and then suddenly everything went dark.
I wasn’t sure how long I floated in that darkness, but images came to me. A vision of a mother fighting to keep me alive. I flinched away from the scene about to play out in front of me, remembering all at once what I’d been missing. Constantly being on the run to try and hide from Radnak. My mother wanting to keep me safe.
And she wasn’t a Black Diamond. She was a Shadowguard.
Radnak had killed her.
I sat up with a scream. Everest was beside me and called my name. I clutched at her hand, blinking furiously.
“I remember,” I whispered. “I remember it all. Everest, he’s coming. He’s coming here.”
“I know, don’t worry. I’m already working on a plan.”
“You don’t understand. He has an army and priests.”
She patted my hand, and the dark look she gave me said this was a day she’d been planning on for a long time. “I know. We’ll be ready for him, don’t worry. But right now, I need you to come with me. Can you do that?”
“I can’t fight. Not well,” I warned her.
“Not to fight. We need a way to trap Radnak and finish him off for good. I need your help to set a trap. Can you do that? Do you remember anything from those rituals?”
I wasn’t sure how it was going to help but told her I did. I remembered every detail. I almost confessed the truth right then, but fear made me swallow the words. I climbed off the table and hurried out of the clinic with Everest. The number of dragons flooding the streets made me stop in awe. She hadn’t been kidding when she said she was ready for him. She yelled for me, and I ran after her toward a large, brick building. We walked inside to find Selma and others already gathered around a large table. I hadn’t even been out that long, and already they were working on a strategy to bring Radnak down.
I’d been right to come here. I glanced around and wondered where the hell Mason was. If we were going to pull this off, if I was going to stop Radnak, I needed him.
Everest handed me a blade to sheathe at my hip, a serious glint in her glowing violet eyes.
I took it and told them everything I could recall about the ritual to bring Radnak back.