Page 21 of Shadows of Ruin (The Broken Prophecy #2)

Chapter 20

Lana

K ade placed his other hand on my waist and yanked me toward him.

This felt wrong .

He stood rigidly as we took the first few steps in the dance. After a few paces, others joined, and the room returned to its lively nature.

Kade refused to look at me though. This dance was so unlike the dances we’d shared before. Those had been consuming, fiery, electric. This just felt…awkward.

I stared at him, trying to catch his eyes as they continued to avoid mine, the swirling darkness having fully taken over.

“Kade?” I asked.

Something flickered there.

“Kade,” I tried again. “Why does this feel so…wrong?”

“There is nothing wrong, Illiana,” he said. His voice chilled me. “I told you, you may not like who I’d become once we got here.”

His eyes barely passed over me, even as he spoke.

The memory of that darkness taking over when we first entered Mysthaven returned. The way he’d flung his shadows out as his magic destroyed everything. My heart beat painfully in my chest.

This wasn’t him.

“Look at me,” I said softly. Just as I’d been drawn to see if he was okay after his outburst outside the void, I knew I needed to do the same now. When he didn’t respond, glancing about the faces around us, I cupped his face with my right hand. “Kade, look at me.”

I didn’t dare move my hand until he stared straight into my eyes. Slowly, the swirling darkness receded, and his eyes returned to normal. The tension in his body visibly loosened.

Thank the Fates.

After a few more turns around the floor, his body relaxed completely. He pulled me in closer and whispered in my ear, “I should never have brought you here. No matter what I thought I needed, you cannot stay here. You are in danger every minute you stay in Mysthaven.”

“We haven’t even discussed what you think you need me for,” I said. “I can barely process what happened today. Your father knows somehow about us?—”

“Did he say something?” Kade pulled back, searching my eyes.

I frowned. “You weren’t very subtle with your shadows unleashing the minute you saw me with him today,” I whispered. “Then again, neither was I.” My gaze focused solely on Kade. My reactions to the king’s taunts had been just as damning as his own. The king seeing through our lie was on both of us.

Kade closed his eyes, and his body tensed. “Do not leave Raya’s side when this dance is over, do you understand me?”

I stared up at him.

“Please,” he begged.

I nodded. “I need you to be honest with me and tell me why you thought you needed to bring me here.”

Kade spun my body out and then pulled me closer. Pushing a piece of hair behind my ear before wrapping his arm around me. “Later, Little Rebel. Too many ears.”

“Ah yes, Fates forbid the eligible maidens think you care for someone who isn’t them,” I said. I don’t know where it came from, but the jealousy I thought I’d successfully drowned with a glass of wine seemed to be creeping its way right back up.

He narrowed his eyes.

My mouth wouldn’t stop now though. Watching him merely dance with other women set this beast inside of me ablaze. He unknowingly owned too much of my heart, and if I wanted to come out of this unscathed, I needed to harden myself. “I didn’t think I’d be lucky enough to witness your own version of the marriage trials. Or at the very least, all these women clawing at each other to get to you.”

His face relaxed, brightening. Why the hell is he smiling?

“I didn’t think you’d have any interest in who might be vying for my hand.”

His smile made me want to punch him.

“You’re right,” I said firmly. “I don’t have any interest in who vies for your hand.”

He twirled me again, and when he pulled me in, flush against his body, his breath warmed over my neck. “Say it again, but this time try to make it sound like you mean it.”

I shoved away from his chest, but he didn’t let go of me. “This dance is over.”

At my words, he loosened his grip, his face shifting from playful taunting to serious again.

His eyes scanned mine, back and forth, and he rested his hand on my neck, his fingers running along my jaw. “If you told me there was even the slightest chance I could earn your trust and heart again, Little Rebel, I’d get on my knees before you right now and claim you as mine.”

My lips parted and I sucked in a sharp breath of air. My entire soul danced, even as my body froze, keeping me locked in place with his hand touching me. Did he mean that? Even if I believed everything he’d told me thus far, his main purpose had been to take me for his own prophecy. Whatever it may be. Emotions, feelings, his heart—those weren’t in play, right?

The song ended and I swallowed, taking a step back. He watched me go, not breaking eye contact even when the next eligible maiden squeezed in front of him and began the next dance.

So I turned, fleeing the gaze that saw too much.

I couldn’t look at him right now, couldn’t watch him dance with anyone else. Even if his eyes were on me.

What was I supposed to say to that? Why did everything feel like such a mess?

My reckless heart unfurled from the cracked and broken state I forced it to remain in, soaking in his declaration.

As I stood helpless on the edge of the dance floor, Jax approached me with a glass of amber liquor.

He offered it to me, and I grabbed it and took a deep sip of it, immediately coughing as I stared at the strong drink.

“Whoa, whoa, easy there, tiger,” he laughed.

I gave Jax “the eye,” normally reserved for Kalliah and Ian when they had pissed me off.

“How dare he say things to get under my skin and then dance with someone who wants to marry him? Marry him. When I was about to pick him for—” I stopped, realizing Jax might not be the best person to confess my deepest secrets to.

“Uhh…” Jax paused. “Let’s get you out of the way here, Princess. We don’t need any more eyes or ears on you than necessary.”

He ushered me toward the end of the ballroom. As far away from the king and Kade as possible.

Raya met us, drinks in hand, as Jax pushed me toward her. “You know, Raya, girl talk was never my forte. Th-this one’s for you,” he stuttered, putting his hand to his ear. “I think Storm is calling my name.”

Jax turned and fled.

Coward.

Raya handed me another glass and I took a sip. Thank goodness it was wine and not the atrocity Jax provided. I’d tasted better liquor in Ellevail’s poorest taverns than what he’d offered me. “Aren’t you going to drink with me?”

Raya stared at me, her expression emotionless, as she sipped her water. “I do not drink. You know…mind magic and all.”

“Right,” I said, sighing as I leaned against the wall. “Did you know today is my birthday?”

“Happy birthday,” she muttered before taking another sip of her water.

“Yes, happy freaking birthday to me. I had to fight for my life today. It’s clear the king has it out for me in some way. Kade is acting like a confusing ass. And I’m here with you, someone who is forced to be my babysitter and won’t even have a drink with me. Do you know what I should be doing right now?”

Raya stared at me. “No, but I’m sure you’re about to tell me. Fates, I wish I could drink right now.”

“This morning, I should have stuffed my face with pastries and breads from Thea. She makes the best baked goods in the entire city. Ian or Kalliah would have picked up the special order she gives us every year. We’d devour everything in my room, so we had a hearty base for our annual night of debauchery. This is the one night, the one night , Raya, I would have been free of the palace confines and celebrated like a normal Fae. Freedom with the people I love most in the world.”

I swirled the wine around in my cup, suddenly wanting to leave .

“Look, I know today has been a hard day, but—” Raya started.

I needed to talk about them. Talk about my friends. I needed to feel something other than the bitterness dwelling in my soul, so I let myself keep going, talking more to myself than the woman next to me.

“Once a year on my birthday, Ian, Kalliah, and I are allowed to go to Duke Street. No sneaking out required. It’s in the lesser area of Ellevail. But it’s my favorite place in the city. Specifically, we make our way to Dukes Pub. It’s cozy, away from every single noble Fae, and the barman makes sure we are taken care of.”

Tears formed in my eyes as I thought about how simple those times were with Ian by my side.

“Dukes Pub is a small tavern, with only ten tables and far too skinny a bar for the clientele they serve. The leather covering the seats is worn and cracked, but it never mattered. Tommy Soloman, the barman, welcomes us every year with open arms. He can be a bit grumpy sometimes, but somehow Ian and I wormed our way into his good graces when we were fifteen.”

Raya handed me a piece of bread slathered with a sweet cheesy spread, and I promptly bit off a hunk.

“Won him over might be a stretch, but I made sure to tip him generously the first few times we went, and he always let us back. Ian and I snuck into the tavern one day when we were not of age. We were bored and needed an escape from the drudgery of the palace. The barmaid who worked there at the time was blind. How she could pour ale as well as she did, I will never know, but we were able to get one over on her. We managed to drink a few pints before Tommy figured out who we were.”

I laughed, letting my head fall back as I remembered how red in the face he’d gotten when he discovered the princess drinking in disguise in his bar. I had my Hidden Henchman outfit on minus the mask, long before that became our plan.

“He was none too pleased the princess and her Royal Guard in training managed to get inebriated underage, but he made sure we were taken care of and coherent enough to return to the palace before sending us on our way. Neither of us wanting to feel the king’s disappointment that night.”

Raya actually smiled at me. “Go on.”

“Well, as soon as we became of age, Dukes Pub was the only place we would go. Last year…” I started laughing uncontrollably and had to steady myself before continuing. “Last year was our wildest year yet. Ian managed to convince a small group of musicians to play for me as my birthday gift, and I spent the night dancing on tables and the bar top. Ian stole a tambourine and played along with them, while I convinced Tommy to join me on top of a table. It snapped in two, sending us crashing to the ground. Ian laughed so hard he fell off his stool. Until he realized my bone was poking through skin and I had broken my arm. We ran back to the castle, and my healer, Elisabeth, scolded us for days.” I let the tear fall down my face now.

Raya snorted. “Are you sure you are a princess?”

“Who knows anymore,” I sighed, fully succumbing to the delicious buzz of alcohol flowing in my blood. “I certainly don’t live the life of a princess now. With my father, who’s apparently not really my father but my uncle? Plus, some ridiculous quest to go on now, while the people I love remain at home. Yet here I am. Stuck in Mysthaven without my friends. On my birthday. With a badass warrior woman who hates me.”

We were quiet for a moment. “I am a badass,” she said. “Fates, I want to hate you. But breaking a pub table sounds like a fun time. Jax would love that story.” She paused before speaking again. “Is Ian your friend in the dungeon?”

I nodded, daring to ask, “Have you seen him again? ”

Cautiously, I looked at Raya, who now leaned against the wall next to me. She didn’t back away from my curious stare but shook her head. “I haven’t. I’m sorry.”

A woman bumped into me, sending me sideways, harder against Raya.

“Watch where you’re going,” Raya snarled. The woman bit her lip, grabbing the hand of a man and pulling him to the dance floor.

I remembered where we were again and how much I’d divulged so freely.

Anyone could have heard. I swallowed, refocusing on my surroundings. I looked at the dance floor and saw Kade with another new dance partner. They’d made it fairly close to where Raya and I were standing. The woman snaked her arm around the back of Kade’s neck and pulled him closer. Trying to kiss him.

Rage overtook my entire being. While I still had to work out my own feelings, since I did not trust him completely, that certainly didn’t mean I wanted him touching anyone else. Or allowing them to touch him either.

Irrational . I knew it was irrational, yet I couldn’t help but feel like Kade was mine . He’d brought me here, and he shouldn’t be kissing other women in front of me.

A faint light emitted from my fingertips as the glass in my hand shattered, slicing into my fingers.

Raya jumped slightly next to me. I wasn’t even processing the fact that Kade had pulled away from the woman and had not kissed her.

“Okay, well, let’s—” Raya paused, sighing. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” A staff member procured a towel almost immediately.

Raya reached for me, but I shook her off. “I’m fine.”

Before she could do more than hand me a towel, I turned and hurriedly strode to the archways boasting open windows to a garden beyond the ballroom. I could get away through the back doors.

I passed Cassandra as she came in from outside.

She grabbed my hand, taking the towel, and the cut I had from the glass disappeared. “My dear, do not fret. What did I tell you earlier?”

I shook my head. Tears trickled from the corner of my eye. Today had been too much. The battle, the Blood Oath, worrying for the others. The ball, the king. Kade. Being here. Reminiscing with Raya about Ian. Ian who was in a dungeon while I was here, drinking and wallowing like a spoiled brat.

“Nothing is as it appears at first glance, Illiana. You must trust him.”

I froze.

“Who told you to say that?” This time, Cassandra’s words didn’t allude to the ones my father taught me. They matched it. Exactly.

“I know many things.” She put her hands on either side of my face. “I know a father’s love, even one not of blood. I know the strength it takes to stand from the darkness of one’s past.” She let her hands fall, stepping back. “And I know you. You are the light. You must trust in Kade.”

Shaking my head, I backed away from her, from the rantings of another seer. I left her standing at the door.

Escaping out a pair of double doors, I entered the back garden. I’d been right to come out here, but nothing prepared me for the dark beauty of what awaited me. Hedges of black roses lined the vast edges, skirting around rows of exquisite florals glistening in the moonlight. Gray and deep indigo botanicals blossomed in full bloom.

Corbin would love seeing these darker colors compared to our bright ones.

I walked toward a balcony not far from the door. Leaning over the marble railing, I tried to catch my breath .

The darkness here hung heavy in the air. Despite the beauty, the dark ruled. It lurked. Suffocating everything.

My heart raced faster and faster.

I tried to gulp in air, as sweat formed on my brow.

I’d lost myself inside. Over what? The feelings for a man who’d lied to me?

If Andras were here, he’d laugh knowing how right he’d been all those years.

Weak.

Worthless.

No, not here. Not here.

Now was not the time for my panic to take over.

I let out a shaky breath. Come on. I counted in my head, like I had done so many times before, but it wasn’t working.

I gripped the balcony railing tightly, knuckles turning white.

A small tendril of shadow whispered at my ankles, weaving its way up my body, until it enveloped me completely.

“Breathe, Illiana. Breathe.”