Page 39 of Fractured (Royal Sins #3)

“I don’t care about the prophecy—Rune didn’t do it.

He was six years old—but more than that.

He saved my life, Vair. He came after the same guy who was planning to kill me before he took me to heal the prince, and he saved me.

Took care of me. He’s the reason why I’m still here.

Can you explain that with your prophecy? ”

“Then…who?” the lynx said, still as confused as he looked at the ground. “Who killed her?”

“The Seer of Shadows,” I whispered. “That’s what the Chronicler said—the Seer of Shadows knows who killed the queen, and once we know that…” My voice trailed off.

A battle raged in my head—my own self against me.

“We will be one step closer to the truth,” Vair finished for me, and goose bumps rose on my arms.

I looked around, so lost so suddenly it felt like I was seeing the darkness for the first time. That tree— how is it possible?! —and that thick cloud, the dead woods behind us…

Yes, lost was the accurate word.

“What is it, Nilah?” Vair asked, coming closer until I felt the heat of his body radiating against my arm. “Tell me—what is it?”

“ This ,” I said, waving my hands around, though I wasn’t even sure which parts of this I meant.

Just this whole thing—Lyall and Verenthia, Rune and the queen—it was too much.

“I was just told by a… creature who switched a million faces right in front of my eyes that I am a vessel . Just a vessel for half the soul of a fae queen—which is really just hilarious, but do I want to know more ?” I didn’t.

I really didn’t want to know anymore. My curiosity could go fuck itself—I didn’t want to know.

“But you must ,” said Vair—exactly what I feared he would say. “You must know why she did this. I feel…” Again, he looked at me but didn’t actually see me, lost in his own head. “I feel it is important, Nilah. It is very important to know why.”

“But I know enough,” I said, my voice breaking.

“I know enough—I can live with being told that I am a vessel. Not mortal. Not a human being, as I was born—that’s fine.

” Though it wasn’t fine at all because I had no idea what being a vessel actually meant, but for now, I was okay.

I was chockful of new information and I didn’t want any more.

“You don’t know the most important thing—the reason ,” Vair said, and I found I could actually stand up now.

Must have been this crazy need to get the hell away, to try to run—from the truth, too.

As if it was just going to find me sitting here in this dead land.

As if I wouldn’t have to do all the work to get to it instead.

But I was standing. My legs were weak, but they held me. I was breathing. I could see clearly.

I could go back.

So, I did.

Vair didn’t stop me. When I slipped between the trees and into the forest through which we’d come, he followed me and said, “Think about it, Nilah,” and I wasn’t going to.

“Think about it—if it wasn’t Rune and you are certain, maybe…

maybe when we know who it was, Rune could be free.

His banishment revoked. His traitor’s mark erased completely. ”

And that is how the asshole basically won.

Stopping in my tracks, I closed my eyes and fisted my hands, and I was so frustrated so suddenly I was this close to screaming my guts out to the world.

“That is not fair,” I said through gritted teeth instead.

“I didn’t say it was.” Vair stopped in front of me, sat on his hind legs and moved his fluffy tail to the sides as he looked up at me. So damn innocent looking—and he was glowing, too. He fucking glowed in the dark, yet that tongue of his…

And with my own voice. Go figure.

“You need the truth. Without it, you will not be free. Whatever you choose to do, whatever it is that you think matters—it won’t when you get to it. You will have no choice but to go back.”

His every word rang true.

I said I could live with it now because I was scared and I was pissed off.

I said I didn’t want to know the truth—but I’d been here before, hadn’t I?

I’d thought I didn’t need to know anything, that all that mattered was to get to Rune and get out of Verenthia, go back home—but here I was, kidnapped by a talking lynx and held hostage by a fucking building.

Absurd.

And what if I made it? What if I actually somehow developed wings and flew right out of Verenthia together with Rune—did I really think this place would let me go, just like that? Did I really think that Lyall wouldn’t come after me if he really wanted?

It would be easy when the Aetherway practically led to my backyard.

“You’ve never been closer,” Vair told me as I fought with myself in my head. “The Seer of Shadows will give us a name. You’ve never been closer to the truth. ”

Except it seemed to me like he was saying this more for his own benefit than mine.

Still, I couldn’t deny the logic. I could go over this whole thing in my mind for hours, and it still wouldn’t change the outcome.

“And where is the Seer of Shadows?” I asked, only because I needed to hear it being said out loud, even if with my own voice.

“The Midnight Court,” Vair said. “We’ll find her in the Midnight Court.”

The Midnight Court, most of which was under a permanently dark sky, full of fae who could do shadow magic just like Rune.

His home.

“And who says the seer will even agree to speak to us? The Chronicler didn’t exactly give me a vial full of liquid, did he? She ? It? ” I had no clue how to even refer to the creature.

“You have the mirror,” Vair said instead, and my stomach turned. My hand moved over the cloak on my left side, over the inside pocket where I’d put the mirror.

Still there. I could touch it—it was still there.

“You have the Chronicler’s blessing. She will speak to us,” Vair said, and there was not a hint of doubt anywhere on him.

“And Rune?” I dared to ask.

Vair paused. “Do you think it is smart to change route now, Nilah?”

Goddamn him. I closed my eyes and held back the tears that suddenly pricked the backs of my eyes again.

“Lead the way, oh wise silver lynx.”

He did.