Wilde's Army by Krystal Wade Read Free Book Online Page B

Help us. Cut these bindings and free Arland and Brit
.
    Flames break off me then burn through the daemon’s bands; they writhe and slink away.
    Arland slumps to the cave floor.
    Brit falls to her hands and knees.
    Neither speaks.
    Blood covers their bodies. Their top layer of skin is dissolved.
    They’re dying
.
    My hands fill with painful nerves; my heart can’t decide if it wants to stop or beat at a million miles per hour. “Arland? Brit? Please … say something.”
    Neither responds.
    I cannot touch them, cannot move from where I stand.
    The battle between the serpent and sprites continues behind me. It needs to end.
I
need all the help with my love and my sister I can get. Anger boils in the pit of my stomach. Turning from them, I march toward the serpent. He lunges, but magic forms a blue wall in front of me.
    Kill him
! I command.
    Flames stretch from my body and engulf the hissing creature. My strength grows weak, but I do not back down. He bares his fangs; poison drips from them, landing near my feet. Taking two steps back to avoid the deadly fluid, I push even more fire from my soul. Blue flames swirl around then drive inside the serpent. He wails and sways but remains standing.
    The daemon lowers his head and hisses right in front of my face, blowing my hair from my shoulders. His hot, rank breath moistens my skin, fuels my anger. I’m certain death would come rapidly if any of the yellow substance leaking from his fangs touches me. I take two more steps away; I’m standing between two motionless bodies. Arland and Brit.
    Throwing my head back, I look up toward the heavens—even though all I see is our stone tomb.
Griandor, please help me
.
    I raise my hands over my head. “Fill me. Use me. Kill him.”
    From every direction, bright, yellow light rushes into the cavernous space and into my upraised arms. A power flows in my veins and nearly knocks me off my feet, but I push through it and stand my ground. The serpent spits then lashes out toward me. I jump forward and thrust my hands and magic in front of my body. Light pours out of me and directly into his open mouth.
    The creature collapses to the ground, but he continues to spit, hiss, and snap. Putting my hand on his neck, I focus all the Light into it. The magic severs his head from his body.
    His black, beady eyes go blank.
    I look up into the vast openness of the cave and at all the sprites flying around. The stone walls reflect the color of the sun in the sky from the Light on my body. I return to Arland and Brit.
    “Now heal them!” I lay my hands on their shoulders, transferring power from my body into theirs.
    In an instant, old magic covers their skin. I watch and wait as their wounds close, their skin regains color, and their arms and legs wiggle.
    The sprites disappear, but Griandor’s Light still shines through me.
    Arland and Brit stand and appear to be in perfect condition.
    My legs weaken, and my head spins. “Arland? Brit?”
    Their forms twist and fade before my eyes.
    Arland manages to get his arms around me just as I lose control and black out.

Chapter Six
    “Kate?” Arland’s voice bounces inside my head like a broken record.
    Splitting pain radiates from the base of my neck to my temples. What happened to me? My body aches like I’ve been hit by a tractor trailer, but I don’t remember being touched by anything.
    I moan.
    “Brit, I think she is coming around.” Relief floods his soft words.
    “Kate? Oh God, Kate, are you okay?” Brit’s voice is piercing and cuts through me like a knife.
    My brain hurts so badly. I wish she would just be quiet, but hearing her speak calms the tension inside me—
she’s alive
.
    Fabric rips. “Take this. Get it wet with water from one of the pools,” Arland says.
    “I’ll be right back.” Brit might as well be speaking into a microphone. Her fast-paced footsteps echo around the cavernous room.
    Arland puts one hand under my head, and the other caresses my cheek. “I know you are