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He has the godsdamn audacity to look at me with tears, as if this hurts him more than it does me. I burst out of his room, but he’s hot on my heels.

Carlisle strides up to Cole. “Captain, you really need to hear this.”

“Holdon,” Cole grits.

“It’s urgent and can’t wait. It’s from the King.”

Cole grunts, and his footsteps behind me cease. I race straight back toward my room, my blood rushing in my ears.

“Daeja? We are leaving.”

“What?”

“Yes, tonight. Now. Meet me near camp, and we’ll go.”

Every doubt creeping into my mind of taking Daeja to the Dragon Lands on my own is snuffed out by the anger raging inside me. I burst into my room, shoving my belongings into my satchel and scrawling a note for Marge and Archie. They’re essentially the same—thank you for everything, I’ll always consider you a friend. I hope to see you again.

I can already imagine Archie crying, and Marge pissed I didn’t take her with me. I hesitate in the heat of the moment but push through it before I can think for too long. Before I change my mind. Maybe I’ll come back,and if not, maybe they’re better off without me, anyway. I don’t have the emotional capacity to consider the outcomes nor the ability to handle anything other than the boiling rage threatening to implode inside of me.

“On my way.”

I grab my sword and slip out of my room. As I close my door, I catch a glimpse of the drooping flowers on the desk Cole had given me all those weeks ago before I slam it shut. I glance toward the north when my attention snags on Darian’s room. The silvery sheen of the moon peaks above his angled roof.

“The map. I have to get the map.”

I slink over to his room, glancing over my shoulder as I go. Once I’m at his door, I knock and wait. Nothing. Checking my surroundings once more, I attempt to open the door.

Locked.

Fuck the map. We’ll just have to get there on our own.I round the corner of Darian’s room and spot Daeja’s silhouette off in the woods beyond.

My toe catches on the side of a crate tucked in the shadows against Darian’s room. I stumble to my knees and whip my gaze at the wooden thing. A liquid sloshes inside of it, and in the moonlight, I can make out red letters plastered across the side:FRAGILE.

Not sure what a crate of wine is doing out here.

Daeja’s silhouette ripples in the shadowed trees up ahead as she begins to approach camp. As I walk toward her, a fist grabs the back of my cloak. I’m ripped back and thrown face first into a wall. An aching pain splits my cheek as I connect with the cold stone.

“What the fuck are you doing out here?” someone growls.

My heart races as I dig for an explanation. When I don’t answer, I’m spun around and shoved with my back against the wall. My shoulders groan in pain with the violent contact. A hand wraps tightly around my throat. Another hand presses a dagger to my chest. Darian’s glare burns into me, his teeth bared in a silent warning. I struggle against his grip, wriggling like a worm under his pin. When I don’t answer his question, he tightens his grip around my throat.

I gasp. “You’re choking me—”

“I asked you afuckingquestion.”

“Daeja, get out of here, get to the lake before he sees you.”My rage melts into fear, and I panic, trying to keep him from looking over his shoulder at her. All he would have to do is turn.

“Whatdo you want?” he hisses again. The tip of his blade burrows into my chest. I’m trying to think of something. Anything. The fear of Darian finding Daeja overrides all of my lingering rage, betrayal, and hurt. Black bleeds into the edges of my vision from the lack of oxygen.

Daeja stalks toward us, her wings flaring.“I’ll sear every inch of his flesh for putting his hands on you.”

“No—go!”My impulsive gaze flickers over to her shadowy silhouette for a split second.

Darian’s eyes narrow before he turns his head to follow my gaze. There’s only one thing I know might distract him enough so Daeja can slip away. The only thing I can think of to save us.

“You.” I breathe.

He freezes. Something in his gaze falters. His stare bounces back and forth between my eyes. His grip softens around my throat, but there’s still a bite to his words.“What did you say?”