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fifty-three

I registered the smell of cedar and rain and relief washed over me. Raf . He took me to the forest in several quick spurts and then he was hugging me, burying his face into the curve of my neck, like my scent was a comfort to him too.

“Marigold, I-I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you. I’ve been out of my mind with worry. I haven’t slept since I came back to my room and you weren’t there.” He pulled back to meet my gaze.

“What took you so long?” I asked, laying my head on his chest and squeezing him as hard as I could.

His chest was pounding wildly and after feeling the pull of the phantom heart, I found it hilarious that I’d ever thought Rafael capable of dark magic.

He radiated light, even if he produced shadows.

He was real. Solid. Safe. He was in my arms.

“Fucking Galen . He must’ve used your magic to make wards around his training den—stronger than any I’ve ever come across. I knew where you were—it wasn’t difficult to assume where he would’ve taken you, but I couldn’t get to you, no matter what I tried. He hid the entire castle from me.

“And then today, some of the wards lifted… like he’s just daring me to come to the festival.

I’ve been pacing the perimeter for a week in different forms, searching for a way in and then…

there you were. Here you are.” He kissed my forehead, making me go rigid as frost coated down my spine.

I didn’t know how to tell my body that he wasn’t the enemy. I pushed away from him, needing space .

“What did he do to you?” His eyes were feral as they looked me over. He was panting, nostrils flared. I began to shiver as I felt anger radiate from him.

Gods , I was not okay. He would never hurt me.

“I’m alright. I’ve been chained in jasper since he took me from the brothel…

He was trying to force me to blood-bond with him.

But Isla, of all people, rescued me.” I played with my necklace that finally felt warm again.

I didn’t want to discuss what I’d been through.

Not now, maybe not ever. Before he could respond I asked, “Louis, the prisoners—what happened? Did you save them? Where are they?”

He studied me with a pensive expression. “I have a lot to fill you in on, but it was a successful mission. I brought Meli and Odin with me in my dragon form. Louis and his team were waiting for us. Kaya and Leon were there as well—you’ll meet them soon. They’re my real family.”

“Meli mentioned them once,” I replied. I held back from asking why he hadn’t brought them up before now. What other secrets did he have? Maybe I wasn’t as important to him as I thought.

He gave me a tight smile. “Together, we infiltrated the prison and killed over forty guards. We kept a few of the workers alive to interrogate them. They… were healers.”

I gasped. The missing healers.

“ Corrupt healers,” he corrected himself.

“Most of them, anyway; some had been forced into it. They were experimenting on humans—” He paused, gazing at me with heavy, tired eyes.

“Removing their hearts. They used their healing abilities to pin-point the source of magic in the human body. They somehow spelled hearts to pump blood separate from the body, to continuously produce magic. The prison was a death sentence to all who entered. People had been mutilated, left to bleed out…” He cleared his throat. “It was awful, Goldie.”

I squeezed his hand, even though touching was hard for me right now. “They had one of the spelled hearts here, in the dungeon. Galen told me that the Elders plan to exterminate humans and monopolize magic.” We wore equally bleak expressions as we stared at each other.

“It’s not all bad news…” Raf said. “We saved over a hundred people. Thanks to Meli and Odin, all are healed and on their way to recovering from the horrors they experienced. The group was planning to cross into the Whispering Woods under the cover of darkness tonight, but I haven’t co nnected with them since I came back for you last week.

Now that I’ve found you, we need to make sure they’re on track to arrive by midnight.

If they are, we’ll need the Queen’s sentinels diverted to the castle.

It’ll take a big distraction to clear the watchtower.

I was planning on causing a scene at the festival.

You can stay with Louis and the others while I go—”

“You idiot,” I interrupted. I punched him in the shoulder—hard enough that he stumbled back.

“Did you learn nothing over the last week? We’re stronger together .

I’m not letting you face them alone. Plus, I want to pay Galen back for what he did to me.

I’m much more capable when I’m not chained in jasper. "

“I didn’t want to assume that you’d be willing to face Galen… after everything. But you’re right; we’re a good team. I won’t leave you behind—ever, if that’s your wish.”

“It is. I don’t want to be parted from you ever again,” I whispered. An electric current passed between us as I met his gaze. Once again, I’d put my foot in my mouth. And once again, Raf brushed it off.

“Looks like we’re crashing a party.”

I grinned back and asked, “Can we spike the punch?”

After we’d formed a plan, it was time to reunite with Louis and the others.

Raf flew us high above the clouds in his Pegasus form.

He dipped low when we were close to the designated meeting point.

I couldn’t see anything, but Rafael had said they’d be warded.

We bee-lined for the edge of the forest, shooting through the sky like an arrow.

I could feel the bite of magic as we passed through the wards and saw a crowd mingling below, waving and pointing.

I spotted Louis’s red-hair and then Meli’s black curls. Beyond them were hundreds of unfamiliar faces—survivors from the prison. They’d been through so much more than I had. If they could be strong, so could I.

We landed and were immediately swarmed. “We’ve been so worried!” Meli cried. “What took you so long? ”

“Galen,” I said through a blur of tears. She was safe. Something in my chest relaxed and I could breathe easier. “It’s a long story and I know we don’t have much time.”

She grabbed my hands and immediately absorbed the heaviest of my emotions, giving me a gentle hug, taking care not to touch my back. “Thank gods you’re safe now.” She smiled.

I gave her a tight smile back, not ready to talk about it. The night was far from over. I had to stay sharp, even if I felt dull, rusted, and broken.

“Long time no see,” Louis said. “Nice dress.” He looked me over with a smirk.

“I’m having deja vu from when we first met.

” His grin didn’t meet his eyes. “Thank you for killing her,” he murmured under his breath.

I hugged him, feeling the weight of how much we’d sacrificed to get to this point.

Soon we’d have time to discuss all of it.

“Marigold and I are going to the festival to make a scene, distract the sentinels, and rile up Sylvia… and kill Galen,” Raf growled, staring at Louis with a clenched jaw. They exchanged a look and my heart began to race.

“We’re coming along.” A petite, dark-haired woman pushed through the crowd. She looked me up and down with wary moss green eyes. “You’re the Marigold, I presume?”

She didn’t introduce herself, but the boisterous man that appeared behind her made up for her tepid greeting. “I’m Leon. The rude one is Kaya. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you. We’re Raf’s friends—his only friends,” he teased, jabbing Rafael in the ribs.

Raf shoved him back. “Hit me again and I’ll have one less friend.” Raf flashed his fangs.

“Rafael never told me about you two, but I’m not surprised. He likes his secrets… I'm sure it's a lot of work to keep up the tough guy persona,” I joked.

Leon gave me a warm grin back. “Definitely, but he’s a big ol’ softie, deep down. Aren’t you, sweetie?”

Raf shot him a glare that would shake most people, but Leon continued unfazed. “Don’t mind Kaya. She’s another tough nut to crack, so don’t take anything she says to heart.”

He was giant… with muscles stacked on top of muscles. His long, blonde hair was so thoroughly tangled, I couldn’t imagine anyone but Lusha being able to tame it .

“Wait until you hear what else he hasn’t told you…” Kaya pursed her lips at me and narrowed her upturned eyes, as if she was sucking on something sour.

“Enough, Kaya,” Raf said sharply. She lifted her hands in apology, rolling her eyes. I watched their dynamic in fascination, trying to figure it out. Was she a past lover? A current one? I felt an absurd twinge of jealousy, even knowing I had no claim over him.

“Can we shadow in tonight?” Kaya asked, crossing her arms.

“Yes,” Raf replied. “The wards over the Great Hall have been lifted. They’re going to set some type of trap for me, so I’ll need both of you staying vigilante, while Marigold and I create chaos.” They nodded in unison.

“Louis, do you have your plan in place? We’ll meet at the portal at midnight. Don’t hesitate to incapacitate anybody you come across, even if you’re familiar with them. We can’t take any risks tonight. Understood?”

Louis mumbled, “Yes,” in the same way any little brother might and it made me laugh.

We were all a little broken, but together we were fighting for a better world, for two better worlds.

As we combed over the plan one more time, I felt my chest swell with a glimmer of hope.

And if I was still capable of feeling hope, then perhaps Galen hadn’t taken everything from me, after all.

As we flew towards the castle, my magic sung, ecstatic to be under the night stars with Raf. If I died tonight, at least I got to experience flying with him one last time. After so much solitude, so much fear and pain, I had a better read on what was important to me, who was important to me.

Rafael was who I’d clung to when I was alone in the dark.

He’d been my light. I cared for him more than he knew, but I had no intention of telling him.

His friendship was something I wouldn’t risk.

I was shattered, beyond repair, and he deserved…

everything . He deserved someone who hadn’t chosen his brother over him.

I shifted my thoughts back to our mission as we drew near.

He was going to shadow us inside when the bells of Monrovia Castle's clock tower chimed eleven—the time slot we were originally scheduled for. We had no idea what we’d be walking into, but our main goal was simple; steal the show and stay alive.

"It’s time to dance again, Goldie." I heard my mother’s voice in my head, thick with pride.

The clock tower rang.

ding, dong, ding, dong.

ding, dong, ding, dong.

ding, dong, ding.

And on the eleventh chime, we turned to mist.