The Darkness

High Wall

It was only after my head started reeling and my body started responding again that I heard his soothing voice. Spots of sleep hung in my eyes as Paeris' face came into focus, a halo of light flowing behind his head. I realized the long hours, the traveling, the broken sleep had all crept into me.

I frowned at the heavy weight that filled me, but the cool sheets against my skin felt nice against my hot skin. Had I been running a fever?

"I wanted to wake you up, but I knew I had to wait a while so you could recover safely." He kissed my forehead. "Jonas is preparing to make the trip back once you're recovered enough to travel."

"What! How long has it been?"

"A few hours."

"Right." With the way I felt, I could have slept for days without waking.

"How are you feeling?" Paeris invaded my personal space, his intoxicating scent enveloped me and my heart sped. Even though he didn't touch me, it was like he was everywhere. I had to force myself to lift my face to look at him. His eyes softened and there is a playful aura to him, accompanied by a devious tilt of his mouth.

"Like I was nearly drowned and had my life force sucked out by a gorgeous dark gremlin. You?" I grumbled.

"Like my soul was ripped out by a maniac. Though, I think Cage would agree you are easier to carry with all the weight you've lost since I've seen you last." He retorted, a small smile playing across his face though it didn't touch his eyes.

"I just saved your life and you're commenting on my weight?"

"I will have to complain to my father about your dietary habits. You're really too skinny, darling."

He sat next to me, reaching for my hand. I couldn't find it within myself to stop touching him because he was next to me for the first time in ages. I felt if I closed my eyes, maybe he would disappear again.

"Are you in pain?"

"No, but you're a pain in my ass. Does that count?"

He must have seen the defeat in my eyes. Or maybe the sheer exhaustion. I saw a ghost of a smile on his handsome lips as he draped one of our thinner blankets across my shoulders and helped me to my feet.

It didn't take long for Jonas to look me over and agree that I would be strong enough to make the travel back with some assistance. We left the majority of our gear at the watch tower, knowing we could send a team out to come and pick it all up when we returned home. Jonas made it very clear I would need to go to the Essos wing as soon as we returned and that he would send out a request for Delphine to visit and aid my recovery.

We all knew it would take time for me to work up enough strength to try and save Allie, but at least now we knew it could be done.

I had never seen Jonas show so much affection to Paeris as they chatted while we walked. They discussed in detail our visits to each Region and the smile that lit up their faces told me they saw hope for the future.

After a while, I noticed the way Paeris looked at Leena. While there didn't seem to be malice in his state, it was as if he wasn't understanding her addition to our traveling party.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to stare? What is your problem?" I asked softly, snapping Paeris' attention away from Leena and Cage.

He took my hand and held it tight, like a life line as he noticed how difficult it was becoming to walk so far. Despite the fact that I told Jonas again and again that I was fine to make the journey back, my vision felt hazy and my bones felt brittle.

"Do you think there's more to her than meets the eye?" Paeris teased, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I feel like she's running from something."

"No shit." I said in a whisper, adding an eye roll for good measure.

"Probably a guy. It's almost always a guy in some way."

"Actually, it's my mother. Not everyone has issues with their daddy." Leena butted in, causing a small blush to cross Paeris' cheeks.

Cage laughed a little too loudly at Paeris' discomfort, but I had missed the banter too much to care.

Leena and Paeris chattered animatedly as we walked, his hand never leaving mine. The warmth that flowed through his hand to mine reminded me of the few times I had to be healed by someone of Essos. For the first time, but definitely not the last, I noticed the way Paeris' moods and power somehow reflected my own. It was as Delphine had said: we shared more than just a lover's bond now.

Cage joined the conversation as the Walls came into vision before us, though the laughter and chatter like old friends felt great - it was also exhausting. The group seemed more relaxed now than I had ever witnessed. If Paeris noticed my struggle to stay moving, he said nothing, though Jonas changed his form and the group slowed to a stop.

"We need to rest for a short while."

"Something feels wrong." Cage said softly, his skin vibrating as his wolf seemed to fight him. I wondered if he noticed how difficult it was for me to travel, though I had no one to blame but myself and our deadline to return to the High Wall had come.

"Come on, Ray. You need to ride the rest of the way."

"No way. I can walk." I argued, trying to steady myself. "Jonas can't carry me all that way."

"Oh, yes. The big, tough girl afraid of little ride home." Paeris urged, wiggling his eyebrows. "Come on."

"I don't know. It doesn't seem right to ride on a person."

He dipped his head before making his voice deeper. "I promise I'll be gentle."

"Will you hold me tight?"

"With my rippling muscles. You know how strong I am, your Highness."

"You're an idiot."

"And you're a coward." Paeris taunted, tapping Jonas on the back gently. "Come here and ride my beast."

Jonas made a low growling noise, as if to tell us both to stop talking so we could get back to the castle. I silently agreed with him, as dark spots began to flicker in my vision.

"You are insufferable."

"Yet, you love me all the same."

"Guys, there's seriously something wrong up there." Cage vocalized again, pointing at the smoke that was swirling into the air above the Walls. "Is that smoke?"

It felt like we all were traveling in high speed as Jonas took off running, jostling me more than I would ever admit out loud. It was a shock to me, seeing all of my traveling companions shifted into wolves and chasing after a bear and a girl.

"I should have expected this. It's an ambush." Leena whispered as we stopped outside the entrance to the wall, shifting back and sliding their clothes back on. "They have always been separated from the rest of the world, whether it was royal blood, traditions, revenge or High Walls. Now they want to control the rest of the world."

"If you say 'we're in this together,' I'm going to lose everything in my stomach." Cage said, shaking his head.

"I'm guessing it's going to go horribly wrong. If we get out of here with limbs intact, we're going to call it a win." Paeris added, squeezing me gently.

The ground shook beneath me and lightning flashed behind the walls. Cries of pain and sounds of battle thundered through the stone. Something burned inside of me as I realized that Braun had beaten us back to the High Wall.

They were here to take advantage of the weakness we had shown. Or maybe this was retaliation for Leena joining our forces.

Demi's words echoed in my head, her threat to make me regret bringing Paeris back was not an empty one.

The numbers were overwhelming against us as Guardians fought against their own kind, the Peacekeepers fighting fire with fire, though Braun knew the ancient ways of their element and easily overtook our strongest fighters. Paeris helped me to my feet and pulled me tightly against him as he focused a protective boundary around us.

Everything moved in slow motion as Jonas charged into the crowd to attack a Guardian who was relentlessly chasing after a small child.

The horror of the view before us made my vision swim.

Agonizing pain and pressure exploded in my chest. I couldn't see anything else, think of anything else as Paeris picked me up and ran with the rest of the group, away from the entrance.

Someone was shouting, a distant sound that may have been underwater as it made no sense in my foggy mind. My arms wrapped tightly around Paeris' neck as he ran with me, the pain fading slightly as he settled me to the ground at the outer edge of an old entranceway.

I coughed air into my lungs as Leena and Cage began to shove one another, their skin rippling as they threatened to shift at any moment.

"Stop it! Stop fighting!" I yelled at them, tears springing to my eyes at the pain I felt.

"I told you she was dangerous, Ray! She distracted us so her mother could attack us!"

"I would never help her like this! I had no idea she would be capable of something like this!"

Stone crackled around us as the heat of fire filled the inside of my home. Screams exploded around us as Paeris cradled my head to his chest, rocking me slowly.

"We have to stop fighting! She's destroying everything! We have to get inside - maybe they haven't made it in yet. We have to get out as many people as possible." Paeris thundered to the Guardians then. They both nodded in agreement as they looked at me, huddled against the wall.

"We need to cover as much ground as possible. Leena and I will go to the throne room. I would assume that's where they would hold everyone from the Council." I sighed, raking my hands through my damp curls. "Paeris and Cage, you two do a parameter check and get as many people out as possible."

Nobody liked my plan.

"You want us to split up?" Paeris asked, his brow wrinkling in obvious bewilderment.

Leena snorted with disagreement, her voice flat. "Why would we split up? There's a ton of us and one of her. She's proud. She will want to take over the castle on her own while everyone else does her dirty work." After a brief moment's pause, she sighed. "Well... three and a half of us, one of her."

Three and a half, as in three with elven blood, one Guardian. I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm going to pretend that Ray is the half." Cage said then, huffing as I leaned against him for support against my dizziness.

"Darling, you're too weak. This isn't safe. We can't afford to put you in any more danger while you're this way."

"Paeris, we're doing this." He nodded slowly, knowing that I was much too stubborn to back down.

It only took moments for Paeris to locate the entrance to a steep swirling staircase.

"Stairs." Leena said, disappointed. "And darkness."

"Not just ordinary stairs," Paeris told her as he led the way up the steep staircase. "They're magic stairs."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. They have been around since the beginning of the High Wall."

We followed him into the darkness, a tension crackling through the group. "How are they magic?"

"They just are."

"In what way?"

"In a... magical way."

She glared at the back of his head. "They aren't actually magic, are they?"

"Nope."

My hand flew to my head, gripping it as a pain began to pound through it. While the world around me stopped spinning as Paeris lead me to an opening at the edge of the wall, the sound of shouting made my head spin.

My feet moved quietly over the steps, my eyes darting to make sure we were undetected while Paeris' form lead me to the top of the stairs. Crystal scones that reminded me of the lights in Spiris cast a dull glow over the stone stairs as we passed them, the only sound around us was the echo of our footsteps and our ragged breathing.

I silently thanked the fact that Paeris had been raised roaming this castle as he found the latch for a small hidden opening for us to enter through. I had never noticed any secret passage ways before, but I assumed they were used for quiet escapes and possibly even hired help in the castle.

The sound of soft footsteps made us all freeze and without hesitation, Cage covered me. The stones behind my back were cold against my skin and for the second time, I wondered if I were running a fever. My head pounded as we waited for the person to be a safe enough distance away for us to enter the castle safely.

"Stay quiet, stay low." Leena whispered, motioning for Paeris to lead her into the hallway first. We all nodded in understanding, knowing our plan.

"Ray, throne room. Leena will go with you." Paeris reiterated, nodding me forward. "Cage and I will make a quick circle and head back. We have to be quick and get you out of here, your Highness."

Something about the picture didn't belong. Just as I had suspected, the majority of the Council members were huddled in a small group at the entrance to the throne room, fear oozing from their pores. I took a tally, noticing that many of the members weren't included in the group - all that would have fought back. I wondered if they had been harmed in the take over or if Demi had been kind enough to take them to the dungeons as prisoners of war. I hoped that since Merith and Lilliana were nowhere to be found, perhaps Demi had taken pity on them.

A face stood out to me as strange though. Chel stood huddled against the Atmos leader, her face covered in soot, though relief washed over her as she saw Leena usher me into the room. I held a finger to my lips to keep them all quiet and motioned for Leena to check them over and try to lead them to the steps to get them out.

It was all too easy.

It wasn't until I entered into the throne room completely that I understood why it all had been too easy.

"Allie?"