The Way We Fall

Chapter 192 (Roche)

"Ocwelan!" she incanted. Her inkblood pooled in her throat, strengthening the command. Her words surged, cresting over the sounds of battle. Finn turned, his brow wrinkling with confusion. His eyes met hers, and sudden understanding dawned over him as an inkblood arrow of death hurtled for his head.

The prince tucked and dodged, the arrow slamming into the ground he'd been standing on. An explosion rocked the entire battlefield, sending plumes of dust shooting into the sky, so high that it nearly reached the portal.

Roche narrowed her eyes, trying to peer through the flying debris as the battle halted for a moment, the dead and undead turning to stare at the site of the explosion and then at the inkblood who had caused it. Roche felt the press of their gazes and was very glad that she was twenty feet in the air and far away from the stab happy knights.

She glanced around, forcing the dust to settle with a wave of her hand. Finn was no longer standing there.

Where was he?

She was ready to try locating him again when a sound caught her attention. It was barely audible above the din of battle, one scream out of many. But another joined it, a quick burst before going silent. Roche watched in horror as the cloaked librarians began to crumple under the attacks of the diving uska.

She didn't hesitate. "Fyra!"

Rings of fire appeared around the remaining librarians. It lasted for a moment before another enchantment pressed against her in a choking rush, beating out the flames. Roche gritted her teeth. She turned to the librarians nearest to Tigris, filling her throat with inkblood. Her voice carried over the entire battlefield, so deafening that she barely made out the word she roared.

"MORD!"

The uska went still. Those at the furthest reaches of the battle paused for a moment before continuing their attacks. Most, however, stiffened and snarled. The knights pulled back warily, their blades lifted. They glanced between Roche's distant figure and the uskoi they fought, confused.

Then the uska began to crumble to ashes, dead and returned to the portal.

"No!" another voice bellowed. Finn had hidden himself in the thickest of the fight, his blade of inkblood slicing into the knights nearest to him. Blood tinged his chocolate curls pink. His face was contorted with dangerous fury. He glared at Roche, lifting his hand. "Antwel!"

"Skuedo!" Roche countered, a glowing dome appearing around the towering to ward off the torrential wind Finn shot her way. She grinned back triumphantly, but her victory was short lived. A shrill, earsplitting shriek dragged her attention away from Finn's fury and towards the portal. The air stilled, as if the earth itself was drawing in a steadying breath.

Then all of the uska Roche had commanded to die rushed out of the portal in a flood.

Roche snarled in frustration, waving a hand towards the knights and librarians, springing up as many fires as she could without burning anyone. But it was no use. There were simply too many uska.

The creatures lunged for the librarians, mowing them down with ease.

The inkblood in the air began to thin.

The knights at the edge of the battle went rigid. Even from afar, Roche could see their eyes glazing over, a cunning smile flashing across their features that was reminiscent of Finn. They turned towards the queen, who gazed back at them in horror.

Shit. Roche needed something bigger to take them off guard. She slammed her hands into the crumbling rock of the castle, forcing her inkblood through the cracks, It seeped in, flooding towards the mulchy earth. She fed the enchantment with as much inkblood as she could reasonably spare. Lightning flashed across the sky as Roche sucked in a breath and stomped.