Page 30 of Shadows of Ruin (The Broken Prophecy #2)

Chapter 29

Lana

T he flames of our campfire crackled, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Raya.

She sat across from me, her eyes white, body completely still. We’d stopped an hour ago for the night, eager for sleep before the rest of our journey in the morning.

A white-hot pain raced down my spine, and I muffled a cry.

“Lana?” Kade’s urgent tone sounded in my ear, and he moved closer to my side.

I gripped my thighs, trying to breathe through the ache, but the pain disappeared within seconds.

Raya’s eyes shot open, and her body lurched forward. She placed a hand on her chest, gasping for air. Tears fell from her eyes before she blinked, taking in her surroundings.

The sadness didn’t fade from her gaze.

“Raya!” Jax sounded truly concerned for the first time since I’d met him. He kneeled next to her, resting a hand on her knee.

“What happened?” I jumped up, rattled at what could have made Raya, of all people, cry. “What did you see?”

I tried to fortify my heart, building as much protection around it, as I prepared for whatever she’d say. I desperately needed to know Ian was all right. I could not bear it if something happened to him. The sympathy in Raya’s gaze made me know her news wouldn’t be good.

Raya inhaled deeply. “Change of plans,” she said. “We are going straight to Valeford.”

I frowned, looking at Kade. He tried to give me a reassuring smile, but it didn’t meet his eyes.

“What happened, Raya?” I asked a bit more sternly. My fingers curled into fists, my nails biting into my skin so hard they drew blood. A shadowy tendril stroked over my hand, begging it to loosen.

It didn’t.

Raya would need to start spilling some of the more intimate details of what she’d seen before I completely spiraled out of control.

Raya didn’t move. “Ian escaped along with some others I don’t know. They are on their way to Valeford.”

I walked over to her and kneeled, resisting the urge to mimic Jax’s touch on her leg. We weren’t that close, but I needed more information. “I know that’s not everything. I may not know you well, but I know you would not cry for no reason.”

“There were a few dangerous moments during their escape. Ian’s fine.” She refused to look me in the eye.

Irritation clawed at me. “You’re hiding something.”

“I checked in on your friend as you asked me to, Princess ,” she bit back. The venom took me by surprise. Immediately, she softened. “I’m sorry, being in the minds of others isn’t easy.”

“You were out for a considerable amount of time compared to before,” I pressed. “That can’t be all. Is he all right? Who else is with him?”

“Lana,” Jax said softly.

I ignored him. My barrage of questions wouldn’t stop until I got answers. I watched Raya take a deliberately slow breath, as if she were calming herself.

“No, you swear to it. Right here, right now.” The anger of not knowing raged like a beast inside of me. “You tell me Ian survived and is in one piece. That my friends are okay.”

“Ian is fine,” Raya yelled. She paused, closing her eyes and taking a few measured breaths. “I swear, Ian is fine. Now, I am exhausted. I’m going to sleep, and you should too. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

With that, Raya stood abruptly, forcing me to lean away from her. Without a word to the others, she fled the fireside and retreated to her tent. I couldn’t help but notice her hand wipe away another tear.

Jax slapped his knee as he stood. “Well, for once, Raya’s right. We need to rest.”

He said his good nights to Kade and Storm, both of whom stayed strangely silent during the exchange, and headed toward his tent. I still kneeled, staring at Raya’s tent, knowing I wouldn’t get more information. A swell of jealousy rose in me that she’d seen them, which was absurd. If she spoke the truth, I’d see them tomorrow, if we pushed the horses hard enough.

A hand touched my shoulder. “We’ll see him tomorrow, Lana.” Storm squeezed reassuringly. “I’ll take first watch. Rest. As much as you can.”

He stepped away from me, settling by the fire.

I stared into the depths of the sky, the stars glistening so beautifully, though they did nothing to quell the worry filling every fiber of my being. My thoughts spiraled, wondering what Raya wasn’t telling me, knowing it could not be good—whatever it was. But she did say Ian was all right, and he had others with him. Which meant Kalliah could be with him too.

A soft tendril of shadow caressed the back of my head, turning me to face Kade, who stood behind me. “Come on, Little Rebel, let’s get some sleep. ”

He reached his hand toward me. I looked up and as soon as I saw his face, I let the tears pooling in my eyes fall. His compassionate expression broke the fragile hold I had on my emotions. Relief, mixed with a heavy fear at what Raya left unsaid, poured out as my hand touched his.

I grasped it firmly, willingly, needing his comfort in this moment, as he led the way to the tents.

“Pick—mine or yours,” he said quietly. “But you are not sleeping alone tonight.”

“I want you with me,” I whispered. The truth settled in my chest. After last night, I realized the times in his arms in Brookmere hadn’t been flukes. Being with him made me feel safe, and I needed to cling to that feeling. I wasn’t sure I could give it up again. Certainly not right now.

He tugged me toward his tent, and I answered the question in his gaze with a slight nod.

As soon as we entered, he sat on his oversized bedroll, pulling me close. I let him wrap his arms around my center as our bodies burrowed into each other. He brushed my hair down from my face, over my neck.

“I’m sorry for bringing you here,” Kade whispered in my ear.

I didn’t know what to say, so instead of answering, I clasped his hand around my waist and squeezed.

“I’m sorry for everything, Illiana. For kidnapping you, for exposing you to my terrible father, bringing you to Mysthaven, taking you away from your friends. For what happened to Ian, your father. All of it. I should have been more truthful with you sooner about my prophecy.”

I rolled over to face him, pushing a strand of his hair out of his face. “I know you are.” I paused, realizing I needed to say these next few words out loud. For Kade as much as myself. I’d told him I forgave him for my father, but we hadn’t discussed everything else. “I forgive you for all of it. I didn’t tell you about my prophecy, and I know firsthand the burden of carrying one.”

He ran his fingers over my face, then my neck. “I don’t know how to open up to others well. But the minute you became more than a line in a prophecy, I should have tried to find a way.”

I intertwined my fingers with his. “I forgive you,” I said again.

His eyes closed and he inhaled. “I don’t know if I deserve your forgiveness.”

“You can have it anyway,” I whispered before cradling the back of his head and bringing his mouth to mine.

Though the ever-present spark ignited at our touch, he kept it sweet and tender. The kiss did not last nearly as long as it should have before he broke our connection and placed his forehead against mine.

“I promise myself to you. To only you. Whether you want me or not is your choice, but I swear to you there will be no more lies, no more secrets.” He stroked his thumb across my cheek. “You have every part of my heart. Every part of my being, Little Rebel. To do with as you wish.”

My lip quivered as I soaked in the feelings swelling inside of me. The words he spoke hovered in the air like an unbreakable vow, swirling around us as if sealing something bigger than both of us.

“I think—” The tremor in my voice made me swallow. “I think there are quite a few things I wish to do with that declaration, Kade Blackthorn.”

He huffed out a laugh, his chest rumbling against my body. “Dirty girl.” He squeezed me tighter to him. “Prepare yourself for everything you wish for and more. When I take you again, Little Rebel, you had better be sure it’s what you want. Because there will be no coming back from it after.”

I shivered in anticipation. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“You need to sleep,” he cleared his throat, promptly changing the subject even though I could feel how hard he was as he lay next to me.

I sobered. “I don’t know if I can. I’m so grateful Ian escaped, but something’s wrong.”

“I know.” Kade ran his hand through my hair. “But if Raya said Ian’s safe, then he is. She wouldn’t lie.”

“She’s not telling us everything.”

Kade hummed in agreement. “We’re going to get through this. You’ll be able to see Ian tomorrow.”

“In Valeford.” I chewed on my lip. The weight of what awaited lay heavy on me.

His lips touched my cheek. “I will help you get every answer you want. Even those you don’t. You won’t face this alone.”

Kade shifted, positioning us so my head lay on his chest. It was a damn perfect fit, and I sighed, feeling his lips again as my eyes turned heavy. His calming scent mixed with the comfort of his arms was intoxicating. For a brief minute I worried if I did this much more, Kade would be right. There would be no going back.

“Tomorrow,” I said, almost to myself, before drifting off completely.

The five of us stood facing the dark, misty void. The ominous heaviness of the vast dead area loomed like a silent threat.

“Everyone has to be touching me, understand?” Kade said.

The group muttered their agreements. Jax held the reins of three horses behind him, Raya held the other two. With the need to touch Kade to pass through, we couldn’t all be on horseback.

A shadow brushed under my chin, tilting my head toward Kade. “No running from me this time, right? ”

I smirked, despite the tiny amount of fear in Kade’s eyes. “I don’t know. I kind of enjoy making you chase me.”

The comment erased the fear and turned his gaze darker. “Careful, Little Rebel.”

“I think I liked it better when she wanted to stab you,” Jax said. “Don’t we have somewhere to be?”

Kade blinked a few times, as if to clear his thoughts before returning his focus to the task at hand.

We all reached out, Raya and Jax behind him, Storm on one side, me on the other. The tug in my stomach as we crossed the barrier felt familiar this time, and when we made it into the void itself, I shivered remembering the lifelessness of the place.

One of the horses reared, and Jax cursed.

“I hate it in here,” I said, rolling my shoulders back.

“Same,” Jax agreed. “It’s why Storm always went with him instead of us.”

“Baby,” Storm tossed over his shoulder. He drew his blade as we marched through the mist.

“It’s quieter,” Raya said.

The sound of her speaking in the deathly silence made me jump. They were the only words she’d spoken to anyone this morning. She’d barely acknowledged my presence, her eyes trained anywhere else, never meeting my own. The silent treatment she gave me did nothing to quell my nervousness.

Before long, we reached the barrier on the other side. Kade instructed us to grab hold of him again, and we traveled through.

Finally, I was home.

Even though it had been less than a week, I inhaled as if it had been years, breathing in the crisp air. The lush green of Brookmere’s vibrant environment stole my breath. The contrast between Brookmere and Mysthaven stood out even more now that I was back.

“This part will never get old,” Storm murmured, standing at my side. “The first time we came through the void I thought maybe I’d died, and this was the afterlife. The beauty here is unlike anything we knew growing up.”

I smiled. “There is beauty in your home too, just a different kind.”

Kade approached with Onyx, holding the reins to my horse. I cocked an eyebrow. “No temper tantrum about me riding alone? I’m shocked at the growth you’ve shown in one short day.”

Storm laughed and bumped into me. “I had to give him a pep talk this morning so he could do it. He’s still…him.”

“Not true,” Kade grumbled, but I noticed the slight upturn of his lips.

I took the reins of my horse, mounting as I joined in his laughter. It felt incredible to genuinely laugh.

A giddiness raced through me as I sat atop the horse, taking in Brookmere. Soon I’d see Ian. He had escaped. He was free.

And I was home.

Without a word spoken among us, I took off. Straight ahead, farther into my lands. The wind brushed against my face and swirled around me, making me swear nature welcomed me home.

The warm sun against my face brought forth a smile, and I threw my head back, raising it toward the sky.

No one spoke, even after an hour of riding. On the horizon toward the left of us, a forest came into view. There was only one it could be, based on where I imagined we crossed to get to Valeford.

We weren’t far now.

The silence here felt almost as strange as the silence in the void. Like things moved too easily for us. Before, we could barely leave Ellevail without being attacked by dark ones. Yet we hadn’t seen anyone, let alone dark Fae .

“What’s Storm’s first name?” I suddenly asked the group, breaking the uncomfortable silence radiating from my home.

Jax laughed, throwing his head back. Storm grinned at me, and Kade shook his head, even as a smile played over his lips.

“I’m shocked you even know he has a name other than Storm,” Jax said. “Count yourself lucky in that alone and know that none of us will break.”

“It’s just a name, it cannot be that bad,” I grumbled.

A shriek from overhead chilled me to the bone, halting our conversation.

I tugged the reins, stopping my horse completely as I shifted my entire focus to the sky.

“What is it?” Storm asked, pulling up beside me. Kade, already there, followed my gaze.

“A strox,” I whispered. The beast’s midnight blue hue stood out against the light blue sky.

“One of them fought in the last trial,” Kade said, no question in his voice.

I nodded. The beast circled above us, cawing a few more times. My heartbeat quickened. “They’re deadly. The deadliest creatures in our history. Hundreds of years ago, rumors of their brutality circled Brookmere. I’ve only seen one once before the marriage trials, and that was from afar.”

I didn’t take my eyes from the beast ahead.

The others remained still, just as I did.

“Deadly how?” Jax asked, his voice a whisper.

“Shred-through-armor-and-flesh-and-devour-bodies-whole kind of deadly,” I said, raising a brow.

The strox called out another cry and deviated from its path, flying directly to the forest I’d noted earlier.

The Southern Forests.

I shivered.

“That was…” Jax paused. “…fun.”

Tentatively, we moved forward on our horses. The forest in the distance drew closer for a bit as we rode, but we veered right slightly, in the direction of Valeford as I led the way.

“What is it?” Kade asked.

“As children, we were told the beasts of Brookmere resided in the Southern Forests. It’s so remote that no one really travels there. Dark, nightmarish tales threatened those who were naughty about being dumped there for the creatures to deal with.” Though it had been children’s bedtime tales, I smiled remembering the way my father told them. “I wonder now if there’s some truth to it.”

“Let’s avoid the woods, then.” Jax shook atop his horse, exaggerating the movements. “Just in case.”

I looked toward Raya, but her gaze remained ahead, not engaging with any of us. I frowned. Jax followed where I stared briefly before he met my gaze. He shook his head once, then flashed me a reassuring smile.

Pursing my lips, I continued our ride. I didn’t need his silent reminder to let her be. I hadn’t tried to talk to her again since last night. But I worried nonetheless.

Smoke and the first few scattered homes came into sight in front of us, and I leaned forward. “Faster,” I whispered to my horse, knowing who waited for me there.

We flew, galloping across the field closer to Valeford.

A familiar caw broke through the sky. Ian’s hawk appeared moving toward me as quickly as my horse took me toward him.

My hands shook. I leaned forward, desperate to see if this was real.

Please, I begged the Fates. Please do not let this be a dream.

Ian cawed again and I sobbed.

Raya was right, Ian was here. She’d told me the truth.

I cried harder, choking and blubbering until I could make out the feathers of his wings in his dramatic dive. I barely slowed the horse before I jumped from him, running the distance to where Ian hurtled to the ground, transforming out of his hawk form.

I wanted to call his name, to shout it as I tripped over myself, desperate to get to him. I couldn’t get a single word out though as he ran to meet me.

I threw myself into Ian’s arms, crashing into each other, and I shattered.

I held onto him tightly, crying into his neck.

“Lan,” he choked out. I felt his own tears falling on my skin.

I shook as uncontrollable sobs escaped. “Tell me it’s real,” I managed to say between sobs.

“Real as roses.” He pulled away and cupped my face in his hands. “I’m here. You’re here. Real as roses.”

He said it like he needed to hear those words too, so I said it back. “Real as roses.”

I hugged him fiercely and we fell to the ground. He held me, rubbing my back. I knew the others finally caught up when they dismounted around us, but I didn’t care. Ian was here. Safe.

Slowly, but too soon, he made the first move to separate our bodies from each other. Tears still streamed down my face, my nose running. I sniffled, staring into his vibrant blue eyes.

Eyes holding untold pain, and my heart broke all over again. “Ian.”

My heart constricted as I assessed him for injuries. Though none were visible, I knew he hadn’t been treated kindly. Part of me could feel the anguish radiating off him. But it didn’t matter. Whatever he’d experienced, I’d be there to help him through it. Just as he’d spent our entire lives helping me.

He took my hand, pressing it to his face as he held it there, trying to give me a smile, even a broken one.

We rose from the ground, neither of us looking away from each other yet. There was so much to say, but I couldn't find any words through the absolute joy of knowing he was all right.

I felt Kade before I saw him as he approached us cautiously, Storm at his side.

“Captain,” Kade said, bowing his head slightly.

Ian’s face fell the moment he looked at Kade. Without warning, he shoved me behind him, took two strides toward Kade, and punched him square in the face.