Page 104 of The Awakening of Essensia

“We have to go!” Elijah shouted. “The whole place is coming down!”

As if in confirmation, the stone shuddered once more. Cracks spidered along the walls.

She had done this. She’d killed them.

They deserved it.

There was a flicker of movement, a figure crouching behind the shattered altar, clutching a relic to his chest. They locked eyes, but he didn’t flee.

Vaelira ran, slamming into him so hard that the relic clattered away and out of reach. His hood fell back to reveal green eyes rimmed in dark shadow and a smile so pure it was as if he was seeing the sun for the first time.

“You are more than we hoped,” he whispered. He coughed, thick black liquid leaking from his mouth. Then he went still, his face fixed in a smile.

A crack came from above.

Elijah yanked her back.

A chunk of ceiling broke loose and shattered to the ground, crushing the summoner beneath it.

“Vaelira!” Elijah shouted, shaking her. “Now!”

They ran, stone raining down around them, heart banging wildly against her ribs. She hit the door as Elijah crashed into her, wrapping his arms around her and twisting mid-air to take the brunt of the fall. They landed hard on the steps outside, rolling apart. Her head struck stone, and she landed on her back, coughing and blinking up at the stars.

Axel and Willem hauled her to her feet. They ran, ducking into a side street as the chapel let out one final, echoing boom. The roof gave way in a thunderous crash, collapsing inward, rubble skittering across the courtyard.

Screams wailed somewhere in the distance. Vaelira’s vision blurred. She sucked in a ragged breath, squeezing her eyes shut against the sting of tears. When she opened them again, Axel and Willem were lowering her to the ground, propping her against a wall. Erryn appeared moments later, dragging Elijah by the arm.

Vaelira looked between them all. Their clothes were torn, their skin streaked with cuts. Axel’s sleeve was soaked with blood. Willem sat opposite her, peeling off his boot to inspect the damage to his ankle. One side of Elijah’s face was blackened, and a chunk of Erryn’s hair had been scorched clean away.

Vaelira looked down at her hands. Her palms were unblemished, only dust coating the skin. She had done this. It was her fault.

“We need to move,” Axel said, glancing towards Elijah.

Elijah nodded, rolling his shoulder with a wince.

Axel turned to Willem. “Can you walk?”

“I don’t think so,” Willem said. “I was running on pure adrenaline before, but now…” He trailed off, grimacing as he eased the boot back on. Axel bent and hoisted him up, looping an arm beneath Willem’s shoulders. They started down the street together, Willem limping awkwardly with Axel’s support.

Erryn gave Vaelira a long, hard look before following the others. Elijah stepped forward and offered a hand. The world slanted as she got to her feet. “Come on,” he muttered, lifting her into his arms like an infant. She tried to push him away, but her limbs were too heavy, and her eyes drifted shut before she could utter a word of protest.

Back at the townhouse, Vaelira slumped forward on the kitchen table, her head resting against her outstretched arm. Her skull pounded, her stomach churned and her vision faded in and out of focus.

Axel had managed to pull out some bread before Erryn forced him to sit. The food lay untouched. Willem sat with his ankle propped on a stool. Orphi paced the room, sniffing each of them in turn, searching for hidden injuries.

Elijah entered, his arms full of fresh strips of cloth and a small medical box. “Who’s first?” he asked, his gaze lingering on Vaelira.

Willem pointed at Axel. “Patch up the old man first.”

Axel grunted but didn’t argue. He unbuttoned his shirt and peeled off one sleeve. A long gash sliced from shoulder to elbow, crusted with dried blood.

Elijah pulled up a chair and began removing items from the box: a hooked needle, black thread, a shallow metal bowl, and a bottle of clear alcohol. He poured the alcohol over Axel’s arm. The man let out a low grunt, his jaw tight with pain as Elijah began cleaning out the wound. He cleaned the needle the same way, before threading it and beginning to stitch the skin.

Willem caught Vaelira’s gaze. “You okay?”

Vaelira nodded and immediately regretted it as pain seared through her skull. Erryn came over, a candle held in one hand. Vaelira tensed, expecting the deserved hostility. Instead, Erryn spoke quietly. “Look at me.” She moved the candle back and forth, studying Vaelira’s eyes. “Have you vomited?”

“No, but I might.”