Page 40 of In The Dark

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I spent no morethan an hour with Ivy and Rydian in his room, strategizing what lies ahead. They didn’t have to voice their tension in order to feel how high it was over the anxiousness of Ezra and Ren discovering my absence.

Thankfully, when I returned to the inn, I discovered Ren’s door was locked and Ezra was sleeping with an arm over his face. Both seemed unaware of where I was the rest of the evening, especially if they didn’t come looking for me. Ren must have filled Ezra in on the turn of events.

But our plan is simple. I’ll travel with Ezra and Ren, behaving like I normally would with the two of them. Friendly with Ezra, continue to hate Ren—easy.

Rydian will follow us to Dryborn through the Veil, ready to assist me if needed, while shifting his form between stops to remain hidden. Though he was adamant about coming, it’s clear he’s anxious about the journey.

His abilities have limitations, as he can’t remain in the Veil for long without consequences. Any extended time in the Veil drains his power at a much faster rate and could even cause himto emerge in an entirely different location, leaving him stranded until he recovers. Shifting is similar, only he can’t hold it as long, which is why they choose to use the Veil more.

So, to manage their reserves, Rydian and Ivy will take turns following us. Ivy left immediately after our conversation to meet Rydian in Dryborn, which is our halfway point, but I’m going to push to keep our stops consistent. If we coordinate around their abilities, they should remain undetected in the Veil.

We then turned our attention to what awaits at the castle regarding my mother. We suspect Elynor, if she’s alive, might be hidden below. My task is to gather information on her whereabouts and to find the Siphon—if there is one—and relay everything back to Rydian.

We agreed to meet at the Painted Bird to avoid raising suspicion, though Rydian wasn’t thrilled with the choice, given its reputation, but I convinced him that it was the only location that I could go without tipping anyone off. My thoughts whirl as I revisit our conversation earlier, hours before dawn.

“Why can’t you just walk right into the castle from the Veil?” I questioned.

“Because in the Veil, I can only appear at a location that I’ve previously been in. Plus I have to be invited inside King Elion’s castle. He has wards protecting against Shadovar. I need to be invited in by a resident, as I’ve never been invited into the castle of Elderheim,” he said. “I would only be able to appear right outside the castle walls, so if you can invite me in when we arrive, we’ll be able to search together when given the chance.”

Now, I’m sitting by the fire, too anxious to sleep and ready for the day as my thoughts have been racing all morning. Ezra stirs in the bed across from me, lightly rustling the sheets. I watch him by the window, stretched out as he becomes aware of his surroundings.

“Isa?” His voice is husky from sleep.

“Yes, I’m here.” I stand, grabbing his shirt off the floor.

He yawns. “Did you sleep?”

“Some. You stole the bed though. I couldn’t get comfortable,” I say, trying not to look directly at him as I toss him his tunic. “We need to get going. We have a long journey today.”

He catches it effortlessly and uses his hands to sit up, slightly leaning back on them. He blinks a few times, as if doing so will wake him up faster.

“You’re in a rush,” he quips, his tone playful as he pulls on the tunic.

“I’m just ready to be back.” My words are sharper than I intended, but I can’t help but find myself hyperaware of everything now that Iknowwhat the king’s doing.

“Are you sure that’s all it is?” He tilts his head, his tone teasing, but it’s enough to make me glance at him with a small grin, hoping it’s enough to convince him. He’s really good at reading me.

“Yes,” I say, walking to the wall that separates ours from Ren’s and pounding on it. A loud grumble sounds from the other side, letting me know I successfully woke the brute.

“I heard about last night,” Ezra says.

“What about it?” I ask, pouring water into two glasses from the porcelain vase off the table, then stretching my arm out to hand him one.

“How did it go?”

“I’m pretty sure Ren slept through it when he should have been with me. He appeared at the last minute and held him down for me,” I say.

“Well, he left that out from what he told me last night. The bastard was sleeping?”

“I heard that!” Ren calls from the other side of the wall, leaving me to share a grin and a small chuckle with Ezra.

“I’m sure he did, and yes, but it’s taken care of,” I say. Though my smile falters slightly when I remember that someone is inthe castle siphoning memories. It pulls at me to know that I don’t recall any of my own from Aurelia, having had to relive them through Rydian.

Which I found out was my own ability to Vision Walk, something that I’ve had since childhood, apparently. It was a brief moment, but I was able to do it with Rydian coaching me through the process. I go back to what Rydian said just hours ago.

“You have the ability to wield your power. It’s a small kernel, but it’s there and it’s growing. I can feel it.” Rydian rubbed his jaw, lost in thought. He paced up and down the small room barely holding him in the space. A fire flares beneath the mantel.