XXXII

Kara burst onto the rooftop, her expression of relief curdling into fear at Aden’s shout. "What? What happened to Anya? What’s going on?"

Haelia enveloped the shocked Kara in a crushing bear hug. "You're safe! Thank the spirits! Where are Lyra, Kiro, and Haken?"

Kara gently pushed Haelia back, shaking her head. Her voice was tight as she offered a deliberate lie. "No clue. I don't know where any of them are…" Unseen by the others, the Umbra symbol on her amulet pulsed with a faint, shadowy light just as Elisia stepped forward to press her. Before she could, Reya raised a hand, her eyebrow arched.

Brushing soot from Aden’s coat, Reya placed a soft kiss on his nose and then took command. "Anya is the Phoenix. She transformed and left with Kael, who was piloting one of Arak's new mechs. He was behind the attack, but it seems all he wanted was her. Before we charge after them, we need to find our people and assess the damage to the base. Then, we formulate a plan. Understood?"

For a moment, the others just stared at her. It was Haelia who broke the silence with a shrug and a grin. "That's our Reya!"

With a collective, determined smile, they split into two groups to search for their missing friends. Elisia and Haelia rode the Kitsune’s gale magic, floating like embers down to the darkened grounds below, while Aden, Reya, and Kara headed back inside. Eager to send them on a specific path, Kara suggested they search for Lyra by the lake. Night had fully descended, and with the fires of the battle now smoldering into thick smoke, visibility was nearly nonexistent.

Kara was relieved to be with Aden and Reya, yet she held a part of herself back. She recoiled from the thought of telling them about the strange barrier in her mind—her inability to connect with Lyra, and more critically, with Haken. If they were unaware of her telepathic link to him, it was safer to feign ignorance. She could pretend she didn't know his location, which was, for the most part, true. All she had was a terrible suspicion—

"KARA!" Reya’s voice, sharp and close, sliced through her thoughts.

Kara flinched, taking a moment to reorient herself before offering a mumbled apology.

"What's wrong?" Reya asked, her tone softening to the maternal warmth she reserved for her closest friends. "Something's bothering you. I can tell."

Kara rubbed her temples with a low groan. The raw emotions radiating from Reya and Aden were overwhelming, supercharging her Aether senses. "I can't connect with Lyra. It's… strange. I can feel her presence, her energy, but I can't speak to her. It’s like a wall is there, completely cutting me off."

Reya’s brow furrowed. She turned to Aden, who only shrugged.

"I don't know much about Aether Mages," he admitted. "Could it be the work of the Arakians?"

Both women shrugged in response, the idea plausible but unprovable.

Reya nudged a pile of rubble with her boot. "What about Haken? When did you last see him?"

Kara swallowed, steeling herself for the lie. She couldn't tell them what she suspected, not until she could verify the vision she’d had of the Princess. "Uh, right before I went to bed," she said, her tone flat. "I have no idea where he could be."

Reya looked up from her survey of the wrecked dormitories, her gaze sharp enough to feel. Kara quickly turned away, feigning a careful scan of the hallway as Aden moved to Reya’s side.

"I wonder what happened," Reya sighed, her voice low.

Aden’s expression was thoughtful. "Maybe Kiro was right about him," he mused. "Maybe Haken was working with Arak the whole time. He could have coordinated this attack with Kael and then vanished to maintain his cover."

Meanwhile, Elisia and Haelia emerged onto the starlit shore. With the Terra Mage on her back, Haelia bounded down the dunes, her nose twitching as she followed Lyra’s lingering scent.

"Ya think she's all right, foxy?" Elisia murmured into one of Haelia's large, furred ears.

"I hope so," Haelia called back, her voice laced with worry. "I smell blood!" She dug her claws into the ground, skidding to a halt on the wet sand. Elisia hopped off and rushed toward a dark, wet patch shimmering in the moonlight.

The pale-haired magician knelt, studying the stain. "Is that… blood?" she whispered.

Haelia dipped her head, sniffed the puddle, and then leaped back with a sharp cry. "Yes! It's blood!"

Elisia’s head snapped toward her. "Lyra's?"

Haelia shook her head, her expression grim. "No. Kiro's."

A flicker of surprise crossed Elisia’s face as she returned her attention to the ground. "Judging by these prints and the spatter pattern, there was a struggle. Kiro fought someone here."

Haelia sniffed the air again and nodded. As she crouched to examine the footprints, she asked, "Didn't Kara say Lyra was here?"

"Yeah," Elisia confirmed, her eyes following a set of faltering, bloody footprints that led toward the woods. "She said this is the last place she sensed Lyra's energy."

After a moment of silence, the Kitsune spoke again, her voice strained. "Lyra WAS here! And Kael!"

Elisia ran back to where Haelia stood pointing at the ground. A massive circle was seared into the sand, its surface transmuted into flawless, shimmering aerystal. The Terra Mage knelt to touch it, her breath catching in her throat. "Whoa…" she gasped. "It's still hot!"

Haelia nodded, but her ears drooped in disappointment.

"What is it?" Elisia asked, rising to her feet.

"I lost their scents," Haelia lamented. "Kael and Lyra are gone. Kiro… he reeks of blood. He's in the woods."

The Kitsune's dejection was so palpable it almost made Elisia chuckle. "Come on, foxy! We have to help the Commander! He's hurt! I'm sure Lyra is fine; she can handle Kael."

With a renewed sense of purpose, Haelia gestured for her friend to climb aboard. Elisia did, and they plunged into the forest, following the potent scent of Kiro's blood. They found him shortly after, unconscious in a small clearing.

"Kiro!" Elisia cried, leaping from Haelia's back to kneel beside him. Haelia, still troubled by what happened on the beach, crossed her arms with a huff.

Elisia placed Kiro's head in her lap and checked his pulse, sighing in relief. "He doesn't seem too badly hurt," she reported, earning a stern glance from her companion. "A few cuts, some burns, but nothing serious."

A low groan escaped Kiro's lips. His eyes flew open, wide with panic. "LYRA! DON'T GO!" he yelled, his voice rasping through the silent forest.

Haelia nearly jumped out of her fur. Elisia moved in front of the disoriented Sentinel. "Hey! Kiro! It's okay! You're fine, and I'm sure Lyra's—"

"No!" he interrupted, stumbling to his feet.

"Kiro, you should probably sit back down," Elisia urged gently.

He stared at her blankly for a long moment before recognition seemed to dawn. "What? How did I get here? Where's Kael? Did he take Lyra? That bastard! He'll—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Elisia cut in, holding up her hands. "Back it up, bucko. Let's start from the beginning. What happened on the beach?"

Kiro took several deep, shuddering breaths to steady himself before sinking back to the ground. Haelia hopped off her boulder and drew closer, her curiosity piqued.

"Lyra and I went down to the beach for a moonlit stroll," he began, his voice low. "We were talking, and then… Kael appeared. He just started attacking me!"

EARLIER THAT NIGHT — THE SHORE OF LAKE VERNA

Kiro staggered up the hill toward Ravenhold, a frantic, inexplicable urgency pulling him forward. He remembered being on the beach with Lyra, and then, in a blur, he was running. The base was under attack. The imposing silhouette of one of Arak’s notorious mechs blotted out the stars. He was no match for that mechanical monster, but he knew someone who was.

Whirling around, Kiro sprinted back toward the shore. His heart leaped into his throat at the sight of a fiery beacon against the darkness. Someone was fighting with Lyra. Pushing himself into overdrive, he raced until the altercation came into view.

The scene was one of haunting, violent beauty. Lyra was on her knees in the sand, which was rapidly transmuting into shimmering aerystal as her Pyre power swirled around her. Her face was obscured by the flickering flames and her own disheveled hair. Standing a few feet away was the last person Kiro ever wanted to see: Kael.

"Kael!" Kiro bellowed, igniting his energy sword as he charged. "What are you doing to her? Back off, you traitor!"

Kael turned, and the icy glare he fixed on Kiro stopped him in his tracks. A venomous animosity bled from his eyes. "Do not speak to me of betrayal, fearless leader," Kael snarled. "You, of all people, have no right. You crushed my hopes and stabbed me in the back. But what you did to this beautiful creature… that is unforgivable."

Kiro let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh. "What the hell are you talking about? Your mind games won't work on me, traitor! Let's settle this!"