Night Spinner (Night Spinner #1) - Addie Thorley Page 0,112

one.

Before the starfire slams into her chest, I pivot and throw my hand to the side. The abrupt shift nearly tears my arm from my body, and I shriek as pain pops through my joints. The starfire whizzes past Ghoa’s cheek and explodes against the Sky Palace. A thunderous boom rocks the Grand Courtyard. Windows shatter, one after the next. The only thing louder than my scream is the scream of the spectators and guards running for cover.

Flames scale the palace walls like ruthless invaders, racing and rampant. Deadly and devouring. I’m so stunned, I can’t move. Can’t tear my eyes away.

“You actually burned it to hell,” Chanar whispers.

My mouth is so dry, my tongue flops uselessly. And while I stand there, trying to string together a coherent response, the terrace overlooking the courtyard collapses. Melted filigree falls like burning rain, and we drag Temujin out of the way, realizing too late that we should have helped Inkar, too. She’s only just come to and is slow on her feet, blundering toward us with her hand clamped to her head.

She doesn’t even see the mutilated hunk of metal hurtling toward her until it slashes across her lower back.

“No, no, no!” Chanar yells as she falls. The bone-chilling dread on his face cracks my breastbone down the center. He sets Temujin down and dodges through the sparks to help her up.

Inkar’s skin is chalky and sweat-slicked and a stain as dark as wine is already soaking her tunic, but somehow she manages to stagger to where I wait with Temujin. She even tries to take up her position at his feet but quickly collapses with a groan.

“Just trying to do my part.” Inkar attempts to smile, but her breath catches.

I take her place, holding Temujin’s legs awkwardly with my good arm. Inkar will be fine. Everything will be fine, I chant as we run. But my confidence leaks like water from a cracked pot as I look into the mortified faces all around me, as I hear the painful howls.

The only good to come from the fire is that everyone is running in the same direction. We easily fall in with the masses and ride the current out of the square. But the faster we run, the more Inkar lags. Her steps are slow and bungling, her breath is liquid and labored.

“Just a little farther!” Chanar shouts, even though we both know she’ll have to make it much farther than the rendezvous point. Her only hope is Loridium.

We slip down a street with cinder-block apartment buildings and sagging clotheslines. The crowd thins as we go, which should allow us to move quicker, but Inkar can hardly keep her feet. Every time I glance back, she teeters more.

Guilt rakes through my heart like claws. “We’ll get you to the temple,” I grind out, but Inkar topples over with a wail.

“I’ll get him. You get her,” Chanar orders. “Help is only a block away.” He hefts Temujin over his back and I lean down and slip my arm beneath Inkar’s arms, but my bad leg gives out when I try to lift her. My darkness flickers like a lamp, threatening to reveal us.

“I can’t,” I cry.

“You have to!” Chanar bellows.

I glance down at Inkar shuddering on the ground, at Temujin hanging like a limp sack over Chanar’s shoulder, and take off running.

If we can’t make it to Kartok and Oyunna, I will bring them to us.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

KARTOK AND OYUNNA WAIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE darkened street. They squint into the blackness from beneath their cowls, and their horses whinny and sidestep at the sound of my off-kilter gait.

“Who’s there?” Kartok demands.

I loosen my grip on the night so they can see me. “Come quickly,” I say, bracing myself on my knees.

“What happened? Where are the others?” Oyunna looks behind me with panicked eyes, and my tongue refuses to say the rest. That I couldn’t summon my Kalima power, which is the only reason Inkar and Chanar saved me. Then, when I finally could, I set the Sky Palace ablaze, hurting Inkar—and so many others.

It takes all of my strength just to point. “Around the corner. Inkar and Temujin are gravely injured.”

Kartok gallops past me, spitting curse after curse. Oyunna follows, leaving me to limp behind them, even though they brought an extra mount.

By the time I round the corner, they’re already off their horses. Chanar is lashing Temujin to the extra horse while Kartok scoops Inkar up like a child. Within seconds