Hello reader darling!
Thank you for continuing to read Broken Dreams. I'm planning to have two more chapters after this (and maybe an epilogue), so I wanted to take a moment to thank you for continuing to read this story of mine. For a number of personal reasons, I had lost my confidence about my ability to write anything. The fact that over 10,000 of you wonderful people have taken the time to read and support this has meant the world to me. Seriously.
Because Broken Dreams is coming to an end, I decided to begin publishing another ACOTAR story that I've been writing on the side for a while in conjunction with another amazing writer and I am SO EXCITED about it. Please take a moment and check out The Thief and the Soldier and let me know what you think!
Love,
Avoiding Average
I reappeared outside of the guard tower on the far edge of the wall, past the gaping wounds in the city's defenses. Only a few guards were stationed here on the off chance that Hybern's soldiers made it this far into the city, but it was clear that it was suicide if it reached that point. Panic and anxious impatience could be seen written in their white knuckled grips on weapons and their wide eyes, but I couldn't summon enough energy to reassure them.
Instinctively, my eyes went to the battle to the east and I found myself looking for him even though I knew I shouldn't. Even though I knew the sight of him fighting would be torture knowing I could do nothing to help.
To my relief, the lines of Summer and Night soldiers were remaining strong against the double sided onslaught though I doubted they could remain that way for much longer. If we could get more soldiers in the city, we could hem in Hybern's reinforcement the same way they'd done to Tarquin's forces.
It seemed that even the land around us was struggling to come to its' High Lord's aid as the oceans surged and swelled to unnatural proportions. I caught a glimmer of Tarquin's bright armor in the midst of his battered forces, hands raised and face twisted in concentration. The ocean rolled and pitched, drawing back from the shoreline to expose the dark sands and algae covered rocks that it sheltered.
There was a moment of breathless anticipation and my breath stuttered in my chest.
Then the water was crashing forward in a wall of inescapable force and fury, smashing into the flank of Hybern's army and dragging them back to the unforgiving depths off the coast. I wondered if the water wraiths that had saved me so long ago would eat their fill tonight.
Even with an entire squadron lost to a High Lord's fury, Hybern's army continued to push the advantage of their numbers and within seconds they filled the gap he'd created. The soldiers on the wall beside me cursed and murmured prayers beneath their breath for the miracle it would take to win this ambush. For their city to remain standing.
I prayed too. Prayed that my mate would somehow be able to save these people without sacrificing himself.
A bright light suddenly burst like a captured sun above the walls and the world seemed to stop to watch the cascade rain over the armies below. I took a step forward, heart in my throat at the thought that another enemy was making themselves known. The orb seemed to hover for a long moment above the stunned crowds before blazing forward in a burst of speed and smashing into the reinforcements that were blocking the Summer and Night soldiers from Adriata.
A cheer rang out from the wall and I felt hope burst painfully in my chest as a figure emerged from that brilliant light. At first I wondered if Helion had returned to help in the battle until my eyes finally adjusted to the glare. A short female, the ghost of massive wings fading behind her, stood like a beacon against the blood red uniforms on the field and I felt a grin of relief split my face.
Amren.
She tossed her dark hair away from her face and I could just see her quicksilver eyes narrowing on the fools who thought to attack her family and friends. Without giving the scattered survivors a chance to regroup, Amren streaked forward like a goddess of death and destruction. She was violence and war and the darkest desires of all living things.
She was magnificent.
Seeing her fight and wipe away the advantages of Hybern's army took away my last excuse to hesitate. My fingers tightened around the painting that was still clutched to my chest, the red paint staining my dress and sinking into my skin. I let myself watch the tide of the battle shift with Amren's advance and was surprised when I realized I could no longer feel the endless expanse of the Cauldron's magic.
Frowning, I concentrated my own magic and sent it out in a pulse, seeking the skeins of power that were laced across the plains. Searching for the root of every fae's magic like a child to its' mother.
But it was gone.
For the first time, I felt the brush of Rhysand's attention through our link and I forced my walls to slam back into place. He couldn't know what I planned, no matter what the outcome was. It still stung to block him when the broken part of my soul wanted to cling to his cool darkness and revel in each breath he took.
If he knew what I was doing, he would try to stop me and I couldn't let that happen. Not yet.
So I turned to the soldier nearest me and held out the painting with the message hidden. "Where is this?" I asked quickly.
He eyed the picture and frowned, clearly confused as to why I wanted to know where a fountain was when there was a battle going on but he dutifully pointed to a park just visible through the city streets and buildings. "It's in the city center, on the eastern side."
I nodded my thanks and walked away, gathering my power like trails of inky darkness that swirled and consumed me, pulling me away from the wall and into the streets below.
Every step away from Mor and the wall rang like nails sealing my coffin, sealing my doom. All around me, the sounds of death and battle dimmed to a muffled roar against the beat of my heart. A few terrified citizens huddled in their homes and the alleyways of buildings, hoping to go unnoticed in the wave of violence that threatened to drown Adriata.
I wished I had it in me to comfort them, but my world had narrowed to the greenery I could make out at the end of the street.
Everything was leading to this moment. Every decision, every heartbreak over the last months would end today. I could feel the pull of fate dragging me forward like the bells that rang in our little village at each funeral.
My mental shields were built of adamantine steel and the ice that thrummed in my soul. As I walked, I checked and rechecked that my weapons were with me and my magic was pulsing through my veins. My water wolves paced at my side, keeping me company, while inky darkness flowed around me like a cape of smoke and midnight.
I ran my fingers over my stomach, wishing I could feel the life inside me and be able to promise its' safety. Closing my eyes, I whispered, "I'm sorry, little one. I can't let someone else fight this fight."
It was always mine.
If I had any chance of moving on, of healing the fractured pieces of my soul, I had to see the end of Brannagh and Dagdan. I had to take back the power and choice they'd stripped from me on the rack in Hybern's camp.
The street and it's neat little houses emptied onto the green lawns and manicured flower beds of the park. In contrast to the chaos at the wall, it was silent here. I looked around nervously as I realized that no birds or wildlife stirred in the trees around us. It sat silent as a tomb, backlit by the smoke of a burning city.
Water burbled somewhere nearby and I moved closer to the sound, my fingers closing reflexively around the hilt of my sword. It seemed strange to notice how beautiful my surroundings were against the ugliness of the upcoming confrontation. There was no doubt that this day would end in death-theirs or mine I couldn't tell.
The fountain stood cheerfully in the center of the decorative paths, surrounded by bright pink and white flowers that showered the air with scent and delicate petals. Some dedicated artisan had carved intricate designs that mimicked the flowering trees that ran along the path and the iconic waves of the Summer coastline. Long limbed willow trees created curtains of pale green leaves and natural dividers that blocked my line of sight on the path. Heart thundering, I stopped at the fountain and turned, eyes darting around the clearing for a hint of my enemy.
"Good to see our training is still in effect-" a cold, haughty female voice called from my left and I spun to face it, "-you still come when we call." Brannagh was leaning against the pale trunk of one of the largest willow trees with a cruel smirk on her face. "I was worried you'd forget your place after being away for so long."
