“And your relatives, you say?”
Mera ran her hands through her already rumpled bun. “Yes. Please, please allow us in. Our friend is bleeding badly. He’s going to die, and you’re just–just standing there asking us questions.”
The man turned and talked to another man, taking the stench of smoke and sweat with him. Mera buried her face in her hands. Carissa glanced back at the clustered line of people behind them. Thankfully, they had been able to cut to the front of the line, given that Tian’s life was in danger.
The men nodded to each other and waved them through. Carissa caught one last glimpse of the gates as they passed through. They glistened and glittered like they’d been coated in black snow. Or finely ground shards of obsidian. She could easily believe such walls could rip one’s skin off.
They entered the city, and the buildings seemed to swallow up the sky. Carissa had to tilt her head back to see the clouds. Mera pulled on Carissa’s hand so hard that she nearly wrenched her arm out of socket.
“Hurry! I know of a healer who lives this way.”