Page 9 of Shadows of Ruin (The Broken Prophecy #2)

Chapter 8

Lana

“ Y ou!” A rage-filled, deadly female voice broke the silence of the camp early the next morning.

Raya stormed toward me with one finger outstretched. “What the hell kind of magic did you use on me?”

I frowned, shocking myself slightly that I didn’t feel the least bit scared of the raging warrior before me. I dragged my gaze over her from head to toe and turned back to continue folding the blanket from the tent. “I don’t have magic,” I responded coolly.

It felt strange to say it out loud, but with everything else going on, it seemed pointless to pretend here. These weren’t my people.

She knocked the blanket out of my hand and onto the ground. “Don’t you lie to me.”

I reached for the dagger at my thigh and yanked it out. “Get away from me.”

Raya laughed. “You think you stand a chance against me?”

“Raya!” Kade shouted, striding toward us .

He moved to stand between me and his friend, but I shoved him. “I don’t need you to run interference.”

Jax laughed off to my right. He tossed an apple in the air before taking a large bite. “Get her, Princess.”

“Stay out of this,” Raya snapped at him. She turned her attention back to me. “How did you put me into someone’s mind? Tell me now or I swear I’ll?—”

Kade growled. “You’ll what?”

Raya met the arrogant asshole’s gaze, and her vengeful posture lost a smidge of its bravado. She held up her hands. “I want to know how she put me into another’s mind without my knowledge. If she has that capability, don’t you think we should know?”

Kade glanced at me, then back to Raya. “Illiana is telling the truth. She has no magic.”

I gave her a smug smile, but Jax's breathy expletive stole Kade’s attention away from Raya and me. His gaze narrowed on Jax.

“How could she possibly be of use to us with no magic?” Jax questioned.

Worthless.

Nothing.

Andras’s voice filled my head, ringing in my ears. No, not now.

A warm hand on my forearm snapped me back to the here and now.

Kade pulled me close to his side as he stared down Jax. “Watch it.”

Why was he bothering to defend me?

Raya ignored them now, speaking again, with only nominally less vitriol. “I’ve never…” She paused. “I control whose mind I enter. But last night, I was in a dungeon. Inside a man’s mind. A stranger’s.”

I froze, swallowing the lump in my throat at her words. Raya had mind magic .

Like Andras.

Warning bells triggered inside of me. Another powerful Fae at Kade’s side, and this one had mind magic.

“Why do you think I had anything to do with your disgusting mind magic?” I hissed. She didn’t necessarily deserve the spite thrown her way, but I couldn’t stop it from spewing out of me.

She narrowed her eyes, studying me.

“Could it have been the king?” Kade asked her.

She kept her gaze fixed on me and shook her head. “It has something to do with her.” She pointed. “I only escaped when the man said, ‘Tell Lana I’ll find her.’”

I sucked in a breath. Ian. It had to be Ian.

She said the man had been in the dungeons?

I wobbled, and Kade’s shadows immediately circled around me, steadying me before his arm wrapped around me.

“Was he hurt? How do you know he was in a dungeon?” I asked. When my legs steadied, I took a step toward her, but she moved into a defensive position.

“I don’t know. I felt it. He’s badly injured.”

Without meaning to, I let out a whimper. Kade sucked in a breath.

“Can you talk to him? Can you get back into his head?” I grabbed her and she swung a fist at me, attacking.

Kade pulled me back before she hit more than just my arm. I thrashed, fighting him as his grip around my waist tightened. “This is all your fault.”

He didn’t let go. I only stopped my battle with him when I noticed Storm standing near Jax. Lunging from Kade’s arms, I ran toward his friend, shoving him as soon as I stood close enough. “It’s your fault too. You left him defenseless. They have him in the dungeon. If something happens to him, I’ll kill you.”

I slammed my fist into the side of Storm’s face but wasn’t expecting the pain to radiate up my wrist. Tits and daggers , how the hell did he have such a rock-solid jaw?

Storm didn’t fight back. “I’m sorry. Lana, I’m sorry.” He held up his hands.

“Take me back,” I said, some of the fight leaving my voice now that I’d gotten a solid punch in.

Storm glanced over my shoulder, toward where I knew Kade stood. When I looked to the man in charge, his mournful expression did nothing but keep my wrath simmering. “Take. Me. Back.”

“We can’t,” Kade said. “Not yet.” He ran a hand through his dark hair. “The sooner we get to Mount Legion, the sooner everything will become clear. Then I’ll return you home.”

“Ian might not have that long,” I argued.

“Ian isn’t my problem right now. Our two kingdoms are.” He didn’t spare me another glance, instead barking orders to the others to clean up the camp.

Storm leaned toward me, ignoring Kade’s directives as I stood, lost in this stupid place. “Ride with me?”

I glared at him. “I don’t know which is worse, you, him, or the other two I don’t know.”

“Well, Raya would throw you off the horse. Kade would kill Jax because he’d use you to tease him.” He pulled the top half of his dark shoulder-length hair back into a bun. “Your choice is me or Kade.”

Kade tensed, pausing as he loaded his pack. He wanted me to ride with him. I knew it from the possessive way he hadn’t given me a choice yesterday. Which made my choice easy, even if I hated Storm right now too. “You.”

“Lana.” Storm touched my arm. “When we have what we need, I will come with you and ensure Ian’s safety. He’s strong and unbreakable. I’ll make sure you get to him.”

My jaw clenched. “I’ll hold you to that.”

We traveled for almost an hour in silence, except for Kade and Raya, whispering to each other. That did not bother me.

At all.

Even if it did, I worked to destroy those feelings immediately. Because I didn’t give a damn about the man. My heart would catch up to my mind eventually, seeing as it had already been ripped to shreds thanks to him.

A tension filled the air, waiting to explode at a moment's notice from our earlier outburst. I didn’t trust Raya as far as I could throw her, which perhaps wasn’t far given her clear strength. Kade’s shadows pooled around his stiff body as he led the group of us forward.

His anger radiated backward, enveloping the rest of us.

When I had chosen to ride with Storm, I didn’t miss the flicker of sadness reflecting in Kade’s eyes. It lingered for only a moment before setting itself into rage.

My hand still ached from smashing it into Storm’s jaw. He, however, was unfazed. Storm hummed quietly to himself as we rode through the ragged grounds of Mysthaven, careful not to touch me more than necessary.

Where Brookmere thrived with lush greenery, forests, and florals, Mysthaven stretched out, dry and ragged. The red dirt kicked up around us as the horses trotted along the worn trail. Dead-looking plants randomly stuck out of the land with no rhyme or reason. The twigs, which once presumably held life, looked ready to snap if touched.

Brittle.

Every so often, tall, looming trees held the slightest bit of color, breathing the tiniest bit of life into this depraved world.

Yet, in the distance, tall, sharp rock formations rose, demanding attention. Though dry, there seemed to be a different kind of beauty in this place. The opposite of Brookmere, but still brimming with a cold, harsher version of nature.

“So,” Jax interrupted, turning to face Storm. “What’s the count?” He ran his fingers through his curls, pushing them out of the way and throwing me a wink. His locks just long enough to tuck behind his ears.

Storm chuckled. “1,681.”

“And what about you, oh fearless leader?”

Kade’s jaw clenched. “1,679.”

Jax could hardly contain his excitement. The sound of him slapping his hand on his knee echoed throughout the valley where we rode. “He bested you? My, my, Kade, what did Brookmere do to you?”

“I don’t know if I’d tease him at the moment,” Storm said, his voice mirroring the smile he wore.

“What’s the number about?” I asked.

Raya turned in her saddle, grinning like she’d scare me into silence. “Dead bodies.”

I stiffened.

“They all deserved it,” Storm added.

“Does that number include my father?” I gritted my teeth. I didn’t care if my current mood destroyed their banter.

“No.” Kade’s voice reverberated, but he didn’t turn as he said it.

I thought back to his words, to what he tried to tell me on the ride yesterday. How true could they be? I couldn’t imagine my father ever asking for death. He’d fight. For me. For my mother. For Brookmere.

Something in my gut hadn’t been able to ignore the few words Kade did get out about what had happened though. Maybe that was his goal. To make me question what I know I saw, and then use me for whatever purposes he’d concocted.

Turning over my thoughts led me to Ian. To Raya’s fury at seeing Ian somehow. Mind magic. I’d thought it was an ability only Andras possessed, but she had it too. Which meant she could use it against me.

This was dangerous. All of it. All of them.

I closed my eyes, stuffing down the sorrow of my father's death, the fear for Ian’s life, and the unknown of my mother and Kalliah. If I didn’t distract myself, I’d wither. I sat straighter, a better thought than withering coming to mind. Distracting myself by getting information about who I traveled with could only help me in the long run.

“How did you all meet?” I asked, breaking the tense silence I’d created.

“We’re all Guardians,” Jax said, flashing me a smile. “Soldiers for the king. I met Storm when I was younger, riding his coattails as he rose in rank.”

Storm snorted.

“Storm has never feared anything,” Jax continued, “which is why he was the only one brave enough to approach that one.” He pointed at Kade’s back. “Apparently, he asked him to train every day for a few weeks until Kade finally gave in. Then of course we learned that the monster of?—”

“I proved myself ten times over from those younger years of needing him, and now have bested him in our count,” Storm interjected, cutting Jax off from whatever he’d been about to say.

I frowned. Swallowing, knowing I needed information about all of them. “And you, Raya?”

She went rigid in her saddle, riding next to Jax. “After being abandoned as a child on the steps of the palace, the king decided he’d like to hone my—what did you call it?— disgusting mind magic. I met this lot when I became a Guardian.”

My heart softened, marginally. I doubted she’d give me any additional information, but she’d obviously been through hell if the king, who they all clearly despised, had a hand in training her .

The need to apologize became instantly overwhelming. “Someone very—” I swallowed. “Someone who hurt many people I love has mind magic. He controlled what I could see. What I believed to be real. It was the only time I’ve encountered it beyond cautionary fairytales. His torture lasted for years, and his betrayal to our kingdom ran deep. I apologize for making a judgement without knowing you,” I said quietly.

She glanced over her shoulder at me. “Well, I don’t have illusion mind magic. Up until now, I’ve only ever been able to mentally communicate with the king. Don’t worry your precious princess head.”

Kade grumbled something toward her in warning but didn’t engage her further.

Raya looked away from me, and I wondered if her attention would cease altogether.

“Don’t feel bad,” Jax laughed. “Raya doesn’t like anyone.”

I returned to taking in the road before us. Not that there was much of a road. The vast openness made it impossible to miss anything.

“Where are we going?” I asked Storm.

“The king requested we take care of a problem on our way home,” he answered.

“Canyon City,” Jax sighed. “I haven’t been there since Alvira Synclair broke my heart.”

Raya reached out and punched his arm. “You slept with her sister after telling her she might be the one for you, you cad.”

Jax rubbed his arm. “In my defense, Opal’s mead had to have been a stronger concoction that evening, because she looked just like her.”

I pursed my lips together, holding back a memory-pained smile as I thought about how close they appeared. It reminded me of Ian and Kalliah. Of Brookmere. How would I ensure he lived? If he had been thrown in the dungeons, where were the others? Leif? Corbin? I inhaled, shaking slightly.

Storm let go of the reins with one hand and squeezed my shoulder, but he didn’t say anything.

Kade’s shadows fell over his horse in the front, snaking back to us.

“Fucking Fates.” Jax shivered. “What are they doing?”

His shadows had almost reached me when, at Jax’s comment, they snapped back toward Kade, immediately restricting themselves to hovering beneath him.

“They do that now,” Storm said.

Jax shook his head in disbelief, all while Kade remained quiet. Refusing to turn around and engage, not even with his friends.

“What problem are you handling for the king?” I asked, continuing to prod until otherwise shut down.

“We’re soldiers, what do you think a problem entails,” Raya said, as if that would end the conversation.

Jax snorted. “To be fair, the question has merit. Especially since we know very well the problem isn’t a real traitor. It’s merely someone innocent the king wants to?—”

“No.” Kade tugged on the reins, turning and stopping our journey. “Not another word.”

I frowned. “So, I really am a prisoner? We let you into our fold in Brookmere. Happy to see the same courtesy isn’t extended here.”

“You have no idea what it’s like here,” Kade argued.

“Whose fault is that?”

Kade’s horse neighed, though seemed not to react too much to the shadows swirling around its hooves. “Mine. I know. I’d make this same choice every damn time though. I will not give him a reason to do anything to you. I refuse.”

“That’s enough,” Storm said quietly from behind me.

Kade’s gaze flicked toward Raya, and he inhaled a breath. “ It doesn’t matter if the mark is guilty or not. We’re under the king’s orders. We ride.”

With that, Kade jerked the reins on his horse and led us once more, this time increasing the pace.

“What is going on?” I asked Storm.

“More than we can tell you right now. But Lana, please, when we get to Canyon City, do as you’re told, when you’re told,” he answered, voice lowered more than before.

On the horizon, the outlines of buildings appeared, breaking the monotony of the red valley around us.

We had almost arrived at our destination and hadn’t undergone a single attack from beast or Fae. In fact, we hadn’t seen anyone at all.

“Are there dark ones in Mysthaven?” I asked, suddenly aware that apart from the attack in the void by the creature, there didn’t seem to be a soul around this place but us.

Storm grunted in confirmation behind me. “Not nearly as many as we faced in Brookmere. The ones who attack here do so closer to our cities.”

“Which means everyone needs to stop talking and be on alert,” Kade snapped, turning slightly from his horse. I met his gaze but immediately looked away. I didn’t want to try to understand the pain I felt at his hollow stare.

“Let’s get this over with so I can find Opal,” Jax said. “Now that I brought up her mead, I’m going to need to bring some home.”

“This isn’t a pleasure trip. We know the rules,” Kade said.

Raya snorted, pulling her horse to ride beside Kade again. “Do you remember them? We’re not the ones who have been gone for months.”

I saw his shoulders stiffen, even from here. “I remember.”

The silence that fell over the friends now held a somber air.

The view of the city cleared the closer we rode. The name made sense as we approached; a huge canyon ran along the left of the outskirts. Up north in Brookmere, there was something similar, much shallower, and with a stream cutting through it. I wondered if this one contained something so beautiful, or if the bottom was dry like the land.

The buildings of the city weren’t tall, made up of rough white exteriors with clay-colored roofs. The homes on the outskirts had yard space containing livestock, surprising given the climate. We passed through until the structures became larger, built much closer together, with business fronts sprinkled in between the homes.

Shouts echoed in the streets, and a buzz of noise surrounded us. Still, the group stayed quiet, riding through.

A few Fae noticed Kade, and shrank into the shadows of their homes, some even slamming their door before hiding.

I glanced over my shoulder at Storm, but he didn’t acknowledge me. Instead, his steady gaze focused ahead as his jaw ticked. When I faced forward though, his mouth came to my ear. “Whatever you see, stay with one of us at all times. Do what you’re told, no matter how you may feel about what you witness.”

My heartbeat stuttered and breath hitched. Why in the Fates did Storm feel so anxious that he needed to prepare me in such a manner? If the man truly wasn’t a traitor as Jax had insinuated, shouldn’t this detour be simple?

We broke through the scattered buildings and approached a very crowded center of town. The architecture surrounded a large open area, the city radiating outward in a circle from this bustling epicenter. Fae laughed, others bargained, noises rising around the market square in a symphony of chaotic sounds.

Yet as the Fae noticed our arrival, the hustle of the city center ceased.

Everyone stared at our party as the haunting silence hung thickly over us.

A few stray souls braved making a noise by whispering in tones of disbelief, but I didn’t see where they came from .

I thought I caught the word monster .

Kade slung his leg over his horse, shadows flinging outward. The Fae standing closest to us, backed up hurriedly. He clasped his hands behind his back, slowly making his way toward the crowd, until they couldn’t continue their retreat.

“Someone has been causing problems for the king,” Kade shouted. His voice, the one that teased me by calling me Little Rebel, swearing to the Fates as it caressed my body in bed, sounded so hard and different now. Goosebumps pebbled along my skin.

“And unless you all want to die”—he lifted his hand, and his shadows erupted outward as the Fae in the front gasped—“you’ll tell me where Richard Draven is. Now.”