“Any signs of the rebels?” Ryker addressed the fae beside him as he crossed his arms and shifted his stance, rubble crunching beneath his feet.
Charred seats, tumbled columns, a burned stage, and snowflakes made of ash were all that remained of Jade Academy’s concert hall.
Ryker had arrived in Sandhaven four hours ago. As soon as he’d stepped out of the Void, he’d started digging through the remnants of the building with dozens of other soldiers. The hours had gone by quickly. Ash and dirt clung to him like a second skin, but they were no closer to uncovering any answers.
“No, sir.” First Lieutenant Felicity Cross, an earth fae who’d been on Ryker’s squad for years, shook her head. The movement dislodged a few strands of dark brown hair from her braid, her olive skin dusted with as much ash as Ryker’s. “We’re still sweeping the area for them.”
“Good,” he grunted.
The rebels had vanished like a morning mist, but they couldn’t hide forever.
Ryker had sent three of his best fae trackers to look for them on the ground, and several winged elves were searching the skies.
They would find them. It was just a matter of time.
Until then, Ryker would remain in Sandhaven. In many ways, he was grateful to be here. He wasn’t one to sit back and let others get their hands dirty without participating. Not joining the investigation after the explosion at the Masked Ball had nearly killed him.
However, he’d be lying if he said his mind was entirely devoted to the task. Between his father’s illness, River’s training that he was woefully neglecting, and everything with Brynleigh, Ryker’s mind was split and running in a thousand different directions.
The sooner they got a lead on the rebels, the better.
At least Brynleigh made it to his apartment. The tracking device in the bracelet had notified Ryker of her movements half an hour ago, and a short while after that, she’d messaged him. Relief had been a cool river coursing through his veins when he’d read the message. Thank all the gods, she was safe. That was one less thing to worry about.
“Have the injured been taken care of?”
“Yes, sir. They’ve been transported to the nearest hospital for treatment, and extra medical teams have been shadowed in,” Felicity said.
Ryker ran the back of his hand over his sweaty brow. The desert heat wasn’t his favorite, and his lack of sleep was catching up with him.
“Keep me updated.” Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any other casualties.
By the time he had arrived, the death toll had risen to twenty-five. Three Representatives, fifteen humans who worked at the school, five elves, and three shifters had all died at the hands of the Black Night.
The only consolation was that none of the youth had lost their lives. A few were injured, but the production had been running behind, so most of them hadn’t been in the building when it blew up.
So many deaths, and to what end?
The rebels hadn’t made any demands, and no one could figure out the game they were playing.
“Do you need anything else?” Ryker asked, hoping the answer would be no.
Between the dirt, ash, sweat, and the fact that he’d been awake for over twenty-four hours, he only wanted to shower and sleep.
Unfortunately, with a single nod, Felicity dashed his hopes. “Representative Challard asked to speak with you, sir. She’s outside.”
Ryker’s stomach twisted in a knot. He wasn’t sure what the Representative wanted, but considering he had her to thank for Brynleigh’s limited freedom, he couldn’t ask her to reschedule.
Knowing it was never wise to keep a powerful witch waiting, Ryker thanked Felicity and went in search of Myrrah Challard.
Ryker foundthe witch Representative fifteen minutes later. It wasn’t that difficult. Not only had the blast destroyed the concert hall, but it had wrecked much of the massive park outside as well. Charred trees were bent in half, benches were in shambles, and the once-green grass was black.
The night was fading, darkness giving way to dawn. Pastels streaked along the sky, the perfect backdrop to the sky-blue ribbons swirling in the air several hundred feet away.
A witch was here. The magical ribbons were as good as a calling card. All magic that didn’t come from elemental fae was colored.
Green for Earth Elves, purple for Light Elves, red for Death Elves, silver for Fortune Elves, and blue for witches. Ryker had heard stories of golden, godly magic before, but it hadn’t been seen since the time of the High Ladies of Life and Death.
Ryker strode past several groups of soldiers and Representatives, following the magic until he saw Myrrah.