Page 53

My hands were pulling him into my chest before I realized they were moving, clutching him against me as my arms wrapped around his neck.

Pain burned up my side and I flinched as Wren pulled me closer, but I didn’t care.

I just needed him to know that I loved him, that he was and always would be my brother.

“I love you, Wren,” I whispered into the crook of his neck, holding on for a moment longer before pulling away.

He gestured his head to the doors, pulling one open for me and stepping to the side. “Let’s get this over with shall we?” An honest, genuine smile spread across his lips and I couldn’t help the reflection of it that seeped into my features.

The air came to life as we walked through the doors, the conversation echoing off the walls of the small space as I retreated to the furthest corner.

I was only here to listen, to learn everything I had missed.

My back rested against the wall as I slid down it onto a flat stone and clutched my side.

The pain had dimmed, but in the moments when it flared, flashes of the memories came crashing back.

But I wouldn’t run from them, not this time.

“The prodigal daughter has returned to the flock,” Dukovich teased, as I flinched at his sudden appearance by my side.

“Please, don’t make me hit you when I am trying so hard to curb my violence.”

He chuckled at my response, pushing himself onto the stone beside me with no regard for my personal space, and casually leaned back against the wall.

“I am nothing if not your personal punching bag.” He deadpanned and I turned my face away from him to hide the smile that flickered there.

Unfortunately, he was growing on me. Which was not ideal knowing that I still had every intention of killing him. But for now, he’d helped me. I would be dead if it weren’t for him.

There was something in the way he’d held me, in the way he’d clung to me, begging for me to hold on, that made me think that maybe he actually cared for me in some way.

Stealing a glance, I watched as he studied the room, his arms crossed over his chest in that same unbothered way he did everything.

My stomach lurched as the mine shook around us. My eyes shot to the ceiling as rock and chunks of earth fell to the ground and everyone grabbed onto the wall to steady themselves.

“It’s only Nithra. She’s watching the area while we meet,” Cin said quickly before anyone could panic.

But it was too late for me.

A fist beat against my chest as static swam in my ears. My lungs were closing, not sucking in the oxygen they needed quick enough.

“Breathe,” I could hear Dukovich’s voice, feel his breath on my neck but it wasn’t breaking through the panic. “Look at me, Ataliia,” he demanded, though his words were soft enough not to draw attention.

He pulled my chin toward him and cupped my face, his eyes focusing into view as I panted through my shrinking airway. “You are safe, but you have to breathe.” He took in a deep breath, letting it out between rounded lips as I tried to match his movements. “Breathe for me, love.”

I took a few more breaths alongside him as my pulse began to slow, the panic retreating as my breathing became steady.

My fingers were curled around the fabric of his tunic, and as I moved to pull away his hand fell over mine. He intertwined our fingers, pulling my arm behind his back and away from view as he slid closer to me.

I stared at him, expecting a snide remark. Something along the lines of how he expected more from me, how he thought I was stronger than this, but it didn’t come. All that came were the gentle circles his thumb was tracing over my hand as he turned back to the room like nothing had happened.

My hand stayed in his, betraying every part of me that hated him and I left it.

“Let’s begin,” Landers called out, silencing the room as Asrai and Pri walked through the doors.

Pri strode to Wren, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning into his side as Cin pushed off the wall across from me, her fingers sliding over Landers’s shoulder as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“The Fallen Ones have woken. As of now, they have agreed to work with us but they will be staying in Ithia. There is too much sensitive information moving in this realm to open it up to them until they are fully trusted. When we woke them, they were not alone. My brother, Cain, was sealed into that tomb alongside them. We have not been able to find any information as to how he got there.”

My eyes darted around the room and I watched Pri’s back straighten at the sound of Cain’s name as Cin nervously pushed a clump of hair behind her ear. I had no idea Landers had any living blood relatives.

“Which leads us to why we are meeting here.” Landers paused, his jaw feathering as if he was preparing himself to speak the next words. “Cain is Hyacinth’s mate.”

You could have heard a snowflake fall from miles away with the silence that fell over the room. It was palpable, deafening.

It was not fucking good.

Landers cleared his throat. “With the connection that the mating bond creates, and the use of black magic, he is able to manipulate that bond to find and appear to her on any reflective surface even with the blood wards I have placed around Locdragoon to keep him out. Which means he can listen to anything said to Hyacinth if you are not careful.”

That explained the loss of our weapons.

“While Andrues and I were in Ithia, we were able to find a way to override this bond.” Landers glanced down at Cin as genuine joy filled his smile.

Her hand slid between the crook in his arm, her eyes glittering with so much love as she tilted her head up to look at him.

“There is an ancient soul tying ceremony the Yaldrin Elders can complete that will overpower this bond. This is a ceremony much like a wedding and I have asked Hyacinth to be my wife, our Queen —and she has accepted.”

A squeal erupted from Asrai and my eyes shot to her in horror. Never, in all my years, had I heard her make such a noise.

“What the fuck was that sound?” The words flew to my lips before I could stop them and I pulled my hand from Dukovich’s, slamming it over my mouth.

I truly could never keep my inside thoughts inside.

My eyes flickered to Wren and Cin, assessing the damage, looking for their annoyance or anger but found them staring at Asrai with the same bewildered look etched into their faces.

“Hush, child,” Asrai scolded, waving a hand in my direction. “I never thought I would live to see this day.”

A grin snapped onto Cin’s face at her words and I smiled to myself at the sentiment. She had probably never seen any of the students she’d raised since infancy make it to marriage.

Landers continued as he pulled his eyes from Cin. “The leaders of Ithia are preparing to complete the ceremony in five days. Once completed, there will be no rest until we see our way through this fight.”

“What information did Malik give you?” Dukovich asked Wren, pushing from his place beside me.

“It is not good,” Wren answered, his eyes flashing to Andrues. “Ammord has reopened Camp Bane. They are creating an army of the dead to fight alongside The Silliands.”

My eyes darted to Andrues to see all the color drain from his skin, his fists clenching at his sides.

“We need to free those children, and we need to do it now.” Andrues’s words were a growl as he turned to Landers. “Not only because of the horrors they will face, but if every one of them use their magic to raise the dead, Locdragoon and Ithia will be decimated in seconds.”

Landers took a step toward Andrues, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Then it seems, brother, you and I will be going back to where this all started.”

An overwhelming feeling of dread settled into the base of my spine as I watched them, the story Andrues told me of their beginnings playing back in my mind. That eerie feeling crept up higher and I knew in my bones that, soon, they would become the same men that had once tortured these realms.

Landers looked to the rest of the room, his fingers tightening around Andrues’s shoulder. “We have three days to plan, in four we leave for Ithia. Rest. Once we leave, the war for us has started.”

The room began to slowly disperse as Landers fell quiet, and my heart thundered in my chest as I watched Dukovich make his way toward Wren. I was so unprepared for what was coming. As my eyes locked with Cin from across the room, I knew I had to do something.

I was not going to be the weak link in this fight.

I stood, pushing from the stone and slipped out of the room as quickly as I could.

If I had magic that could help, if I was truly a seer, I needed to learn to control it.

I raced out of the mines, pulling my daggers from the chest and pushing them back into my belt as I tethered to Drathbain street.

My teeth clenched together as pain screamed against my ribs from the tether, but I had no time to waste if I was going to learn anything before we left Locdragoon.

My fist pounded on the door of Yenne’s shop, a sharp sting flaring up the side of my body each time my skin connected with the wood. A light glowed to life and I took a small step back to the door as it swung open.

“Ataliia,” Yenne hissed, pulling a robe tight around her body. “What’re ye doin’ ‘ere.”

“I’m sorry, I had to see you.”

She stayed silent for a long moment before opening the door a little wider and stepping to the side.

“Are ye ‘urt? I can sense pain on ye,” she said, closing the door at my back and locking it.

I turned to face her, my hands twisting together as I answered. “I’ll be okay. I-I’m sorry it’s late, I just—I didn’t know where else to go.”

Her face softened as her hands reached out for me, cupping my cheeks as she took a step closer. “Are ye ready ta learn, girl?”

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Zen I am ready ta teach ye,” she said, smiling down at me as a breath loosed itself from my lungs. “I will come ta ye ‘ome in ze mornin’ ta start. D’na make me regret zis.”

“Thank you. I won’t, I promise you.” I said, and I think it was the first promise I had made in months I actually wanted to keep.