Page 38

Kaden balked. “Your what?”

“For the love of Ancients. Get a move on, people,” Breena ordered, marching past us and into the shadows.

Marek pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, and Rhaegar’s eyes softened as his lips pursed. They both followed Breena’s cherry halo.

“We’ll look for Maya as we go.” Gavrel shifted the strap across his chest and nodded at the others before setting his mouth in a thin line and walking away.

He was giving me the space to be alone with Kaden if I needed it. Even if it hurt him to do so.

My brows pinched at the distance between us, unease festering within me. Would he slip away from me now that we had found his brother ?

I rubbed my lips together, following the others, with Kaden silently at my side. He looked haunted; shadows hung on his bottom lash line. What could you say to someone who’d been reliving their worst nightmare?

Nerves fluttered in my stomach. It felt like a lifetime had passed between the Dormancy and now. So much had happened, and I couldn’t forget that I’d broken Kaden’s heart not long ago. And that mine was undoubtedly entangled with Gavrel’s.

Kaden glanced at me as we walked, avoiding looking at or touching the hovering globes and reapers as we went. “So, what’s new?” His words sounded playful, but had a darker edge.

Still, I snorted a dry chuckle, and a brightness flickered through me. It’d been too long since he joked around with me. “I’m more concerned with how you’re doing.”

“I’ll be all right.”

“You know I know you’re lying.”

A small smile curled the corner of his mouth.

“It was the day Ma was culled. Over and over .” His eyelids scrunched closed for a moment before he sighed.

“There’s no need to dissect it, Ser. And I don’t want to rehash what happened in Surrelia either.

My memories weren’t wiped, so … yeah. We’re fine, and that’s that. ”

I swallowed, a thick lump sticking in my throat. “I’m sorr?—”

“We’re going to be okay.” He rubbed his hand over his chest, digging the palm into his rumpled tunic. It sounded like he was convincing himself, and my heart skipped several beats, trepidation skittering over my neck. He continued, “Now, give me some details.”

“Well—Gavrel and I fled home after Akridais were sent after me. Melina realized I wasn’t in my astral body.

She’d suspected for a while that I … that I might be a Scion.

That Mama might have been, too.” My fists clenched.

“We made it to the Bogs. Met Marek. And his— our —grandmother. Phantasos has been helping us this whole time. Taught me how to work with my gift. And she said … my mother is alive. She helped us find you.”

I let out a shaky breath .

“Damn, Ser.” A long exhale puffed out his cheeks. “Give a guy a stiff drink when you blow his Ancient-damned mind.”

I gave him a deadpan look. “You asked.”

“Yes. Yes, I did. All right, go on.” He rubbed his forefinger and thumb over his eyelids.

I nodded, the words tumbling out faster.

“The night before the Winnowing, I took one of the Mirage Orchid elixirs Derya had made. I remember everything—from every Dormancy. Melina had erased a bunch of my memories, but I have those back now, too. I had three vials left. Letti and Breena each used one. Xeni is with my sister. And Father … He …”

I paused, grabbing his hand.

His brows fell as he narrowed his eyes. I gulped and then continued, “He’s part of the Somneia, and he … he’s the one who reported Hestia.”

Kaden looked away, his jaw clenching so hard I thought his teeth would crack. His nostrils flared as he looked back at me, his aura skittering around him. “That doesn’t bode well for him.”

“I didn’t think it would.” It was my turn to look away now. My words were a ragged whisper. “I won’t stop you from doing what you need to do.”

He squeezed my fingers as we neared the others. At once, Gavrel noticed our interlocking hands, a dulled look sweeping over him. He was putting his shadows back in place.

Gently, I brushed my fingers over Kaden’s as I let go of his hand and reached toward Gavrel’s. But before I could touch him, all the globes illuminated, soundless screams lining each prisoner’s countenance. The muscle within my chest plummeted.

There were thousands of them.

Thousands suffering endlessly.

Thousands of bony specters cloaked in shadows sucking at their terror like leeches.

A few nearby slowly turned their veiled skulls, necks cracking as they gave us their full attention.

My fear was palpable .

Ancients help us.

Far in the distance, the wall where we had entered opened, shrieks spilling into the space once more. I squinted, my vision adjusting to the brightness.

Amber bounced off the platinum sheen of slick hair, black smoke curling around the simpering female. The male Akridai stood beside her. The other appeared glued outside the passage as it closed, her frantic eyes beseeching as the structure’s liquefied darkness crawled up her neck.

“They’ve found us,” I whispered, not knowing which monsters I spoke of—living or undead.