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“I have my reasons, which I hope to share with you another time. But right now I am trying to stop Jesmine.” He glanced at the door, then lowered his voice.

“Her father was taken after the war, never heard from again. She believes it was the Slips. It’s the only motive that makes sense.

She seems driven to continue their purgatory to no end.

” He shrugged. “I’m not sure what she hopes to gain, maybe nothing more than revenge, but I suspect she is up to something more. ”

“I don’t see how I can help with any of this?”

“There is something … but I don’t want to push, if it is too soon. You will tell me?”

I nodded for him to continue.

“What do you remember about her extracting the Slip from your body? What was her method of separating and containing it?”

I took a deep breath. “I wish I could forget, but the nightmares are still very clear.” I explained what I remembered of my possession. The ring of fire, the golden urn, the burning eye drops.

“Eye drops?” he asked.

“Yes. I remember they were red. She dropped a few in each eye. The moment after was when the burning started, and the Slip went wild, yanking my shoulder out. I lost consciousness shortly after.”

Devrix leaned forward and placed a hand on my knee. “Thank you,” he said in a soft voice. “That is extremely helpful. Again, I’m sorry you had to suffer it.”

“Will you be honest with me?” I asked.

“Of course.” He said without hesitation.

“Do you really forgive me for almost giving you the poison, or did you just need to get that information from me?”

He let out a spirited laugh, then moved to sit next to me on the bench.

“Nova, I was upset about the poison. But I was more upset with myself for not seeing through Jesmine’s schemes.

I regret getting angry. I felt betrayed, foolish.

It took me a moment to reconsider the situation you’d been put in.

” He blinked and placed a hand over mine, rubbing gently over my skin with the pads of his fingers.

“I didn’t think you would return,” I confessed. “I thought I had scared you away.”

He let out a soft chuckle. “You think a little poison would scare me away? On the contrary, it only made me think of you more.”

I felt my neck flush and cheeks heat. “I am not sure what to think of that fact. Are you saying you prefer it when I make threats to your life?” I raised a teasing eyebrow.

He chuckled louder. “I’m not sure what to think of any of this either.” His eyes settled on me. “One thing I am certain of is that I desperately want to get you out of here.”

I had waited so long to hear those words.

To know someone was fighting for me. I wanted to feel comforted.

Instead, hopelessness was a slithering beast whose grip tightened every time I managed to suck in a bit of fresh air.

And that beast was currently snaked tightly around my throat. I was afraid to hope.

“I can’t leave,” I said. “I signed a blood bond.”

“I know … I’m looking into it. Have faith. There has to be a way. I will get you out of here,” he promised.

It was clear he meant it. “Ok.” But it wasn’t ok. I wanted to delight in his confession, allow myself to believe—but I couldn’t shake my sense of dread. It was one thing to hold myself accountable for Claire, but placing hope and trust in another—that terrified me.

Tears threatened to rise, but I refused to burden him with my troubles.

His hand rose to my face, steering my gaze up to him. “Nova, I want to help you. I promise I am going to try. Can you believe in me?”

I nodded, because I would try, as much as it scared me.

“I have to go,” he said. “I don’t want Jesmine to come looking. But I will be close. Take your medicine. It will help you heal.” He paused and looked me over, his expression sincere.

He had laid his secrets before me—trusted me. Now he was asking me to do the same in return. And I did. I trusted him completely, but it didn’t change the situation. Didn’t change my fear of hope.

He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. Unlike our first kiss, he did not press for more and his touch remained delicate.

I reached my hands to his face and held him there for a breath, soaking in his tenderness, while pushing back the tears I was too ashamed to cry. I couldn’t afford to be so exposed.

He pulled back, scanning my eyes, my lips, my expression. “If this is not something you want, you can tell me. I will help you regardless.”

“I do. I want this.” I did. I wanted it with all my heart, I just didn’t believe I would ever have it. There was so much to overcome, and less than two weeks to figure it out before Jesmine made other plans with my life.

After a long moment of studying one another, he placed a final kiss on my forehead, then stood and slipped away.

Jarrett was eerily quiet when taking my blood the next morning. In fact, the entire fortress seemed muted.

I attended to one of the few guest chambers that needed ordering, and when I finished, Claire still hadn’t shown up. It was unlike her to sleep in, she must have been called to help the other servants down in the kitchen.

Without Claire by my side, and only being able to use one arm, the day’s tasks took me especially long. That evening, in my room, I drank a dropper of the healing tincture, which helped with the pain. A blanket of sleep rushed over me as my head met the thin pillow.

Before I trekked up to the lab the next morning, I peeked into Claire’s room to see if she would be helping the other servants again. Her room was already empty.

“Do you know if Claire is helping in the kitchen again today?” I asked Jarrett as I sat for my offering.

“No, she—” he looked up sheepishly. “She’s in the dungeon.”

My heart hitched. “What? Why, what happened?” I demanded.

He lowered his voice. “Jesmine is in a state. She has been ever since that Slip you caught escaped.”

“Escaped? I don’t understand. I thought she destroyed it—or trapped it, or whatever it is she does to them.”

He shrugged, letting out a heavy breath. “I’m not exactly sure what’s going on. I only know it is best to stay out of her way.” Then he added, “I will let you know if I hear anything about Claire.”

I nodded because my throat was too tight to speak, then left the lab.