Page 83 of The Call of Crimson (The Crimson & Shadows #2)

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

AURELIUS

B linding rage consumes me as Breyla’s screams echo in my mind, raw and desperate, crying for me. She’s in pain, and she’s terrified.

Then it goes quiet.

I’d suspected for quite some time that we were able to hear each other’s thoughts, but we never had the chance to discuss or confirm it. Now, there was no doubt in my mind.

But it’s the silence that terrifies me more than hearing her screams.

Something primal and foreign builds in my chest, ripping out in the form of a viscous snarl. The thought of something happening to her, that she could be in pain or worse, is unbearable.

Dropping Elythia’s journal, I tear out of the library in search of Ayden. Whatever happened, whatever this is, it’s because of him. Because he sent her out on a godsdamned suicide mission with Darian.

I barely register the guards and staff I pass in the hall as door after door flies open in my attempt to locate the prince. All I see is red. All I feel is terror and fury. I will find her, and those responsible for her pain will suffer.

When I find Ayden, any shred of control deserts me.

I slam him against the wall, the glass in a nearby window rattling from the impact. A pained grunt leaves his lips as I wrap my fingers around his throat.

The queen screams, calling for the guards.

Ignoring her, I snarl, “Where the fuck did you send Breyla?”

“I—” Ayden gasps, clawing for breath. “The border, with Rimor.”

A delicate hand wraps around my bicep, and the queen speaks, “You will release the prince’s throat. Now.”

In my heightened state, her Anima Gift slips through my mental defenses. My grip eases slightly, and Ayden greedily sucks in air. “What is this about?”

I growl, realizing the queen has coerced my actions, and shake off her hold.

She isn’t shaken in the least, though. “Release my son before I have you executed for treason,” she says calmly, power lacing every word.

Reluctantly, I drop my hand from Ayden’s throat, but I don’t retreat.

“Breyla… she’s been hurt,” I stammer.

His brow narrows in confusion. “How do you know that?”

I rake a hand through my disheveled hair, pacing back and forth as I try to make sense of what I felt earlier.

“I heard her scream,” I pant. “I heard her scream, and I think she’s injured.”

“Breyla is miles away,” the queen scoffs.

I narrow my eyes at her, not sure why she’s still part of this conversation.

“I don’t know how, but I know she’s in danger,” I insist, my hands tugging at the strands of my hair.

“Breyla’s with Darian, Zion, and Ryder. I’m certain she’s fine,” Ayden says.

“She’s not fucking fine!” I roar. My hand clenches tightly at my side as my Hemonia Gift fights to lash out.

Guards begin to flood the room, looking between the prince, queen, and me to ascertain where the threat is coming from. Their response time is disturbingly lacking.

“Guards, restrain Lord Aurelius,” the queen commands.

They close in, moving slowly as if I’m an animal that might spook and lash out.

“Guards, halt,” Ayden commands, contradicting his mother’s order.

They don’t listen. Because, despite Ayden running this kingdom, his mother still outranks him.

One places their hand on my bicep, and I see red. My barely there restraint snaps, my Gift lashing out and seizing control of every guard’s body in the room.

Everybody moves back at once, save for me and Ayden. Their limbs are frozen in place, bodies levitating an inch off the floor.

“Where. The. Fuck. Is. She.” I growl, low and lethal.

“Let me check on them.” Ayden finally seems to grasp how serious I am, nodding his head. “I’ll speak with the lord in charge of that stronghold.”

He goes quiet, projecting an illusion to wherever he’s sent Breyla. After a few minutes, he shakes his head, letting out a string of curses.

“Lord Renfer says they arrived at Inasvine, successfully escorted refugees to the stronghold, but then the attack suddenly stopped.”

“And…”

Ayden sighs, his shoulders sagging. “They found Ryder and Zion dead in the street, but there’s been no sign of Breyla or Darian.”

My heart stutters, breath catching in my throat. “She’s gone.”

“We don’t know that.”

The room spins, my grip on the guards faltering. “I can’t hear her,” I whisper.

“I need to visit the city,” Ayden continues.

Queen Josephina scoffs. “Honestly, I’m not sure why you’re surprised. Actions have consequences, and these are clearly yours.”

Fury burns like acid inside my veins. Turning my attention to the viper they call queen, I grit, “What did you do?”

“What makes you think she has anything to do with this?” Ayden asks defensively.

“Tell me you don’t know what’s going on,” I demand, eyes fixed on the queen.

“Of course I don’t,” she replies, too quickly.

The Anima Gift flares in me like wildfire. “She’s lying.”

Hesitantly, Ayden turns his attention to his mother, suspicion sparking in his eyes. “Tell me you don’t know what happened to Breyla and Darian.”

She remains quiet, her honey eyes narrowing on me.

“Mother…” Ayden warns.

“I will always do whatever is required to protect my son. And my kingdom.”

“That’s rich,” I hiss, “coming from the same female who chastised Breyla for the same thing.”

“No,” she argues, “what she was condoning was cold-blooded murder.”

“There are two dead guards, males Breyla considered friends. You may not get your hands dirty, but your actions leave you guilty all the same.”

“Mother, tell me you aren’t responsible for the disappearance of my fiancée and general,” Ayden says, his eyes begging her to deny it.

“I don’t—” She pauses, sighing heavily. “I don’t know why they took Darian.”

“Who?” I demand.

“Who else? The Fae.” The queen rings her hands together, the nervousness leeching through her normally collected tone. “He assured me the attacks would cease.”

“We do not bargain with the Fae,” Ayden roars.

She flinches, drawing backward.

Manic energy pulses inside me, begging to be released. I want to hurt this poor excuse for a queen.

“You’re the spy…” Ayden realizes, his face contorting in pain at the betrayal. “My own fucking mother is the reason the information was being leaked to the Fae.”

“Ayden, I did it to protect you.” Her voice softens as she tries to reason with him, to rationalize her betrayal. “To protect the kingdom.”

“Just stop. I will deal with you later,” Ayden spits. Turning back to me, regret fills his eyes. “If the Fae have them, they’re no longer on this continent.”

Panic claws up my throat. “How do you know?”

Ayden’s face falls into a deep frown. “This isn’t the first person they’ve taken from me,” he admits softly.

My voice turns hysterical as I demand, “Tell me you got them back.”

Ayden nods, his eyes refusing to meet mine. “In pieces.”

My chest cracks, and I gasp. Fear, pain, and anger mix in a deadly maelstrom inside me, but all I hear is the deafening silence of Breyla’s absence. “I can’t hear her,” I nearly sob.

Pained groans echo through the room, the sound of bodies hitting the floor somewhere in the background. I lose the battle to stand, falling to my knees with them.

“I can’t hear her,” I cry.

Ayden grasps my shoulder, and for the first time, I notice the blood streaming down from his eyes and nose. “Aurelius, you must stop. You’re killing everyone in this room.”

A quick glance around proves his words true. Every guard is doubled over in pain, blood draining out from every orifice.

Icy indifference settles over me. “Good.”

“Aurelius, I know you don’t mean that,” Ayden tries to reason, the whites of his eyes now fully red. “These are good people. They don’t deserve to die.”

“Nothing matters if she’s dead,” I mumble.

“She’s not dead, she’s just not on the same continent. We can still find her. We’ll bring her back,” Ayden pleads. “You would know if she were truly gone.”

Somewhere behind me, a female screams. It’s not the queen. Ayden turns his gaze to the sound, horror crossing his face. There’s a conversation between them, but I don’t understand any of the words said.

The world around me blurs in and out of focus, the power in my veins growing steadily stronger.

It’s still silent, so silent where I should hear Breyla.

Delicate fingers splay across my temples, and the female, Rowina, I realize now, leans into my ear and whispers, “Sleep, brother.”

Exhaustion, drowsiness like I’ve never known, wraps around me. I lose the fight to stay conscious, darkness overtaking me in a matter of seconds.