Page 34 of Shadows of Ruin (The Broken Prophecy #2)

Chapter 33

Ian

I stared at Lana across the fire as she spoke to Kalliah in hushed tones.

Kalliah always helped her to process her thoughts through their conversations. I didn’t realize how much I missed the sound of their voices together until now.

Exhaustion from recent events looked like it threatened to take all of us under. The anticipation of finding the journal, then not finding the journal crushed most of our spirits. Another obstacle to overcome in this war we didn’t understand that we’d already been fighting for years. On top of already being behind, anyone who may have had any answers to aid us was dead.

My body still ached slightly from the numerous rounds of torture, but being out in nature significantly improved the healing process. The scar on my side remained, and I wondered if it would ever fully heal.

Kade’s shadows lingered around Lana’s ankles. A pool of swirling mist. He had been particularly quiet since our groups joined forces, but always watching. He never let Lana out of his sight, not even for a moment. Those shadows too always stayed near her. I didn’t remember them being so present during our time in the trials. It was unnerving, but he had kept her safe. And he’d brought her home. For that, I would be forever grateful.

Ugh . How could she stand him after everything he did to her? Prophecy or not, that Fae remained full of too many secrets.

A dark anger filled me just watching him. Black circled my vision, like it had in the dungeons, and I shut my eyes hard, shaking my head.

When I opened them, the feelings were gone.

Jax strutted toward Kalliah with a wink. “Care for any more stew? I’m not sure if you heard, but this was my catch today.”

She promptly rolled her eyes. “Not interested.”

Jax chuckled. “What? You are gorgeous. And since that one”—he pointed toward Lana—“is taken, and that one,” he continued, this time pointing to Raya, “is angrier than a panther in heat on any given day…well, you can’t blame a Fae for trying.”

“Still not interested,” Kalliah said again. “But no, I can’t blame you for trying.”

“I knew I liked you.” He smiled, taking the seat right next to her.

Raya sighed heavily. “Some things never change.”

Storm laughed, and even Lana let out a small giggle at Jax. I had to give it to him, he seemed to be trying to bring us together. I imagined his penchant for humor in darker times alleviated some of Lana’s anxieties too.

Returning my attention to the fire and those around it, Lana finally spoke. “I’m sorry this did not work out how we hoped. I wish I knew what to say, but I don’t know what to do or where to go from here. This note is just words, nonsense. Though we know someone clearly stole my birth mother’s journal, there’s nothing else to go on.”

Kalliah rubbed Lana’s arm. “We’ll figure it out. ”

“I am supposed to be queen, and yet I have no answers.” Lana stared at the fire, disappointment clear on her face in the way her nose wrinkled, the weariness in her eyes. All the signs were there, and I knew what she heard right now in her head.

Andras’s words.

Worthless. Magicless.

“This burden isn’t yours to bear alone.” I stared at her until I knew she felt my gaze. When she finally gathered the courage to meet it, I tried to convey everything I normally did in these moments. “We are a team. We always have been.”

“He’s right,” Kalliah exclaimed. “All of us. Together. The fact that there’s an entire other kingdom, and two prophecies bringing us together? That’s fate. Even if you hate it. We’re meant to do this, and so we shall.”

Lana squeezed Kalliah’s hand in silent appreciation. “Too bad Vivienne can’t produce visions on command,” Lana said almost absentmindedly. “What good is being a seer if you can’t even predict important things when necessary?”

I glanced at Kade, whose brows furrowed as if he were deep in thought.

I stood, cracking my neck. My muscles still ached from the past several weeks. “It’s too dangerous to return to Ellevail to get to her, you know that, Lan.”

“We’re not going to figure it out tonight,” Raya butted in. “It has been a long day, and we are sure to have longer ones ahead. Rest now, for battles are in our future. I can feel it in my bones.”

“Did your mind magic tell you that?” I scoffed.

Raya glared across the fire at me. “I thought we weren’t speaking?”

I held up my hands. “Just making sure you remember to keep those magical abilities to yourself.”

Her lip curled and I swore I could hear her muttering unmentionable curses at me in the recesses of my mind.

I couldn’t name the reason for my viciousness toward her, but I swore it still felt like she was in my head. Even though she helped me against Andras, knowing her magic worked the same as his put me on edge. Whether that proved fair to her or not.

Kade stood abruptly, reaching a hand toward Lana like she was his. “Come on, Little Rebel.” His eyes darkened for a brief moment before he rolled his shoulders. An obvious attempt to right whatever flared within him. I hadn’t missed the way his eyes changed every so often. “Raya is right, we will regroup when we can think more clearly in the morning.”

Lana’s eyes darted among the faces surrounding the fire. She settled on mine, searching for an answer to her silent question of whether I was all right. I’d given her that look more times than I could count growing up. Fates, I’d missed her so damn much. I wanted to let the others go and talk to her more about everything, but instead, I gave her a quick nod. She was losing too much too quickly. There would be plenty of time to talk and process this new hell together later.

“I’ll take the first shift,” Hale offered. “Jax, I can wake you in four hours for the next rotation, all right?”

With the plan in place, Lana and Kalliah walked toward their separate tents, escorted by Kade and his inky shadows. The others broke off as well, while I entered mine. Alone. I was sharing with Hale, but with him on watch, I would at least get a few hours of peace and quiet before he returned.

My head weighed heavily on my shoulders, and the exhaustion from escaping Ellevail, riding for days, and searching for the journal hit me harder than I cared to admit.

Last night, knowing Lana slept safely nearby allowed me to rest better than I had in a long time. The thought of her here still made the weariness easier to succumb to.

Lana was safe.

We were all together.

With that knowledge allowing a semblance of peace to enter my mind, my eyes were closed before my head even hit the ground.

I couldn’t be sure how long I slept, but a crushing, lingering weight tugged me from my dreams. My eyes flew open as hands closed around my throat, choking me.

My attacker wore a hood over their head, but I bucked my hips and thrust them forward. A surprised male voice grunted. His elbow landed next to my head as he balanced himself on top of me again, but I wasn’t that easy to disarm. I wrapped my leg around his and flipped him onto his back, slamming my forearm into his throat.

The hood fell to the grassy ground.

Hale .

“What are you doing?” I seethed. “Have you lost your mind?”

I released the pressure at his neck to allow him to gather himself, but as I searched his expression for some sort of answer, his gaze collided with mine.

Hale’s eyes glistened in midnight black.

“Hale?” I swallowed, knowing immediately something was off. “What is wrong with you?”

Hale stilled beneath me, and I leaned back slightly, giving him space to speak. But he jolted and caught me off guard, landing a punch square in my jaw.

“The fuck is wrong with you?” I asked angrily, standing and putting some distance between us.

Hale stared at me, wincing, his eyes flickering as the black lightened, revealing a sliver of his usual brown coloring. He fisted his hands by his side, clearly fighting some internal battle.

“I’m sorry,” he admitted hoarsely. As soon as the words were out, his eyes returned to the solid state of black .

Suddenly, a powerful magic washed over me, making it impossible for me to move. Another set of darkened eyes and red hair appeared before me, surrounded by full moonlight in the slit of the tent flaps.

Lord Casimir West chuckled eerily softly, only loud enough for me to hear.

“My, my, my, Captain Stronholm.” His eyes narrowing as a sly smile crept up his face. “We meet again.”

My lips remained sealed by whatever magic he used to overpower me. My shifting ability vanished. Without having to touch me, somehow my magic evaporated, leaving me unable to reach for the string of power connected to my soul.

Casimir crept the few paces toward me and kicked my paralyzed body to the ground. He ran his tongue over his teeth.

“Healers are a fascinating thing,” he said.

I could do nothing. I lay there, half on my bedroll, my arms and legs in an awkward uncomfortable position as he peered over me.

“Do you know how your precious Elisabeth helped the king?” he continued.

Even if this magic had not been keeping me paralyzed, I would have frozen. I wanted to scream at him. Tell him to keep her name out of his mouth.

Hale stood, dazed, barely present.

“She created a potion that dulled his magic.” He laughed humorlessly. “Without magic to feed on, Andras’s control faltered. She kept him alive years longer than should have been possible. But that potion is ours now.” He turned to Hale, slapping his shoulder. “Delivered in the package of a friend.”

“What a good dog,” I hissed, using all of my final strength. My body may be immovable, but I would have him know he had not completely succeeded in dulling my magic. “Obeying your cowardly master. ”

“Throw your words at me all you want, Captain . Your time has come,” he sneered. “Your power, your magic—it’s mine.”

The words I spoke were my last. For now. Unable to do anything, my scream remained lodged in my throat as Casimir clutched my neck, draining me of my magic. I stared into his eyes as he did it, vowing silently this would be the last time he stole from me. Or anyone I loved. The second I could get to him, I’d end this Fae.

“What a pity you will miss all the fun. Stuck here, helpless.”

A jeweled ring on his hand glowed a brilliant emerald as he siphoned my magic into the piece of jewelry.

Unable to fight, to do anything against this evil, I lay there fucking helpless. A failure once more. I had to warn Lana and Kade. Jax and Storm. Everyone.

“Pathetic.”

The last word I heard uttered by Casimir as my world blurred, but the oblivion of fading into darkness escaped me. Instead, I lay there awake, bound by a magic stronger than me.

How many more times would I fail?

The thought haunted me while I lay paralyzed, silently begging the Fates to wake the others before I had to face the nightmare of losing Lana again.

This time, perhaps forever.