Page 197

Familiar dark eyes, black smoke licking at the edges, met mine — and one of my bonds pulsed.

No. It couldn't be!

But those shadows …

And the way it devoured corruption…

Closing my eyes, I reached out a hand and touched that monstrous face.

"Jaiel …"

Chapter 60

Kaiya

Fury burned in my chest as I awoke in the dream — fury and an overwhelming sense of betrayal.

The man in the hood held out his hand.

I slapped it away. "Take off your hood," I demanded.

"I have slowed time for you. But I can't hold it long. You must —"

"Take. Off. Your. Hood."

The stranger shook his head. "I cannot."

Rain drops splattered around me as I glared at the figure with his hand outstretched. He was taller than Jaiel, with broader shoulders — and he felt different.

But I'd seen what Frexin had captured. Shadow smoke had poured from its wounds.

The same gods-damned smoke that poured from Jaiel!

The SAME thing that raged at the center of the storm!

I'd refused to think about it — hiding from that terrifying dark hurricane and the truth that it held. But it was alwayscalling to me — drawing near whenever I thought about my Fae prince …

How could I have been so blind?!

"Take off your FUCKING hood," I snapped, stepping closer.

He took a step back. "Wait. You must see the last memory."

A gust of wind tore at my shirt and hair, whipping them around me.

I dove for him, hand reaching for the hood. If he wouldn't fucking show me, then I'd just have to —

He disappeared, then reappeared behind me. "Stop! You're drawing the storm. We need to get to the last dream before it comes."

My eyes burned as I regained my balance and turned to face him.

"ENOUGH, Jaiel!" I snapped. "I know it's you. Gods, if you truly cared about me … why the fuck didn't you tell me what was happening? Why didn't you tell me how you FELT sometime in the last two years?"

"He should have."

The winds rose to a howl and rain pelted my face, but even without it, I felt cold to my bones.

"HEshould have?! You mean YOU should have! You've changed your appearance to throw me off, but I know you're Jaiel. Who else could you be?"