Chapter 59 Escape from Dust
Serafina
I could feel the Warden’s pulse beneath my boot. Her body quivered, but not from fear alone—she was angry, furious, and I let it fuel me. Every memory I had bottled inside me for eleven long years surged forward.
How dare she try to manipulate me? How dare she threaten Lio, my brother, the only family left to me?
The Empire had taken my parents when I was seven. Not one, not the other—both. They didn’t leave someone to watch over us, to guide us, to keep us safe. They didn’t care if Lio and I survived. We were just left in Dust, two small children with no home, no coins, nothing but rags and our wits.
I remembered our first night—the cold rain cutting through the makeshift beds we had built from crates near the market stalls. Lio shivered beside me, hugging himself tightly. We had nothing to cover us. No blankets, no cloaks, no gloves. The wet wood pressed into our skin, and the wind whispered that no one would come for us. When Lio finally drifted off, I stayed awake, weeping, begging the gods for a miracle. There was no answer. The only sound was the laughter of the crazy man rocking nearby. “No one’s going to help you,” he said, his voice wild and feral.
It was the first time I had ever truly feared sleep.
The next morning, I met Mira, a girl my age. Her family guided me through Dust’s streets and taught me how to survive. They found odd jobs I could do for coins and showed me where to get more. Back then, life was different—orphans weren’t taxed, allowing me to slowly, painfully save enough to claim the small patch of land where we would build our shack. Lio and I scavenged wood, metal scraps, bricks—anything that could form a roof over our heads. We worked tirelessly, piece by piece, building our new home.
Then Elara Voss became Warden. Taxes were no longer optional. The Collectors took everything we had saved for food, for blankets, for firewood. We weren’t even in the ledgers, so she considered us debtors from the start. After we paid our first set of taxes, we were left with nothing.
From that day on, every day became a fight to survive. I dug through refuse, scrounging for scraps, for anything we could eat. And I swore, over every meal of moldy bread, over every night spent shivering in the dark, that one day, we would rise above this. That one day, no one would ever have power over me or Lio again.
And now, eleven years later, she had the audacity to stand there and tell me I would never see Lio again. That I was powerless. That I would bow to her whims.
I pressed my boot harder against her throat. I wanted to see the life drain from her eyes. I wanted her to understand the rage she had awakened.
The insignia on the Enforcers suddenly glowed. I froze, noticing one stir. “The Imperial Advisor summons us,” he said. “He is here.”
Distracted by the Enforcer, I lifted my boot slightly. The Warden gasped, coughing between words.
“Magnus is here,” she squeaked, her voice ragged. “If he gets you… he will do worse than I ever could. You’ll beg for death, Serafina Valen. Mark my words."
Despite her condition, she managed a small, venomous smile.
My eyes narrowed. The ember in my palm flared, golden and alive. I wanted to erase that smile from her face.
But Azerath’s hand closed over my wrist, firm yet steady, making me pause. “We must leave. The people will cover our escape.”
I nodded, still trembling with rage, but before we moved, I released the Lumenflare at the Enforcer instead. The sphere of light struck with precision, and he collapsed instantly, unconscious. Azerath swished his hand in a fluid motion I recognized immediately.
“Silencio,” he whispered. The Warden and Collectors’ mouths moved, but no sound came.
Good.
Azerath called to Blink. “Meet us at the gates.” Blink exhaled sharply and shifted into owl form, wings folding and eyes glinting in the dim light.
We didn’t waste another second. I felt the golden heat on my skin as Azerath pulled me along through the doors of the factory. Every alley we crossed was swarming with residents, drawn out by the horn, giving us cover.
Finally, we reached the gates. They were held shut by the guards, who shouted and threatened the crowd.
“Back, all of you!” one barked. “Or I’ll start killing you, one by one!”
I pulled rocks from my bag, handing them to Azerath without hesitation. His eyes glinted with approval. He hurled them with deadly precision at the guards, hitting them at their helms. Their spears crackled with electricity, responding to their fury. They aimed at the crowd, and the people scattered taking cover, leaving us alone in the gatehouse.
Perfect.
I began hurling Lumenflare spheres at the remaining guards, forcing them to stagger and falter. Azerath moved like lightning, his flaming sword slicing through the iron lock on the gate. Sparks flew as it gave way, and the gates swung open.
“‘It’s open!" a voice yelled from somewhere nearby.
The crowd surged forward.
More guards appeared at the gates, trying to block our escape. But the people were ready. They grabbed sticks, bricks, anything they could throw. Shouts and screams filled the air.
“Rebellion!” one voice rang out. “It’s time we pushed back!”
Others joined, their fury forming a shield around us. The guards staggered, shielding themselves from the projectiles hurled by the crowd. Chaos erupted around us, a storm of sound and movement that gave us cover.
Blink waited just beyond the gates, a massive black horse, muscles coiled, hooves pawing at the cobblestones. Azerath conjured a saddle in an instant, swinging me onto her back. He followed, landing beside me with ease.
She surged forward, weaving through the crowd. The gates and the lantern-lit streets blurred around us as Blink picked up speed, faster than I thought possible. Behind us, the horn had stopped, leaving only the yells and shouts of Dustborn echoing in the night.
Her hooves drummed against the cobblestones. I gripped the reins, feeling the pulse of the district around us, the energy of every life pushing us forward. For the first time in years, hope surged through me. I had survived Dust as a child. I had survived the Warden. I had Azerath, Blink, and fire on my side. Soon, Lio would be with me too.
I glanced back at the gates, still flickering with lantern light and the glow of small fires. For a fleeting moment, I saw myself and Lio as children, shivering in the rain, scavenging scraps. I almost heard Mira’s voice, urging me to survive, to endure. And I knew, with certainty, that no Warden, no Empire, no threat would ever force me back into that helplessness.
As we raced toward the outskirts, I caught sight of a young rebel with sky-blue eyes—the one who had given me the map to the forest. Our gazes met, a quick acknowledgment passing between us before we vanished into the night.
Blink’s hooves pounded with relentless speed. Azerath kept his sword ready, scanning the streets ahead. I held tight to the reins, steady, sure, as if I had always known how to ride like this.
Every heartbeat, every motion reminded me of why I fought: for Lio, for the children, for every life shackled under the Empire’s rule.
We were not safe yet. But for the first time, freedom felt close, tangible. And I was ready to fight for it.
“Blink, back to the Cursed Forest,” Azerath ordered from behind me, his voice low but sharp. “Hurry. Rebels are on our tail.”
My back pressed against his chest, and I felt the steady warmth radiating off him. The rhythm of his heartbeat seemed to sync with the pounding of Blink’s hooves. For a moment, I let myself notice it—the calm in the storm, the certainty in his movements, the way he didn’t flinch, didn’t hesitate.
My thoughts drifted. He had faced the Warden like a wall of iron—unmoved, mocking her without a shred of fear. Her fury had radiated off her like heat, but he had stood there, unwavering, and turned her rage into his advantage.
I allowed myself a small, incredulous smile.
Watching the Warden, so accustomed to wielding power, being put in her place—it was… satisfying.
No, more than satisfying.
Then my mind wandered to that kiss we’d shared on the steps of the Dusty Hills. That… that had been incredible. A rush that made the fire of the moment with the Warden feel almost tame in comparison.
A sharp jolt from Blink brought me back to the present. My head snapped forward, back against Azerath, but the warmth lingered. I let out a quiet sigh, almost embarrassed by my own thought.
I had a terrible crush on my husband.