Page 228 of The Chains You Defy

And after a few hundred paces, the reason why the males had bellowed for us seeped into me with the cold hand of dread curling around my heart.

Dion stopped dead in his tracks. “Oh, holy fuck. That’s not real.”

“The tear—”

“About three minutes ago, the fabric proceeded to collapse.” Fig stepped up next to us with a grim expression on his scarredface.

“Dion?”

His arms trembled in shock, and I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck so I wouldn’t fall in case I slipped from his grasp.

“By any chance, Dionadair. Was it three minutes ago that you enacted yet another revenge with deadly consequences?” Antas emerged on the other side of the prince, who was shaking like a leaf.

“She—must have been part—”

“Graigh. Yes. I wasn’t aware of that.”

“Me neither.” Thain joined the conversation as well. He was still embracing Ireas, who appeared to be worse for wear. Cold sweat laced his forehead as he watched reality slowly rip apart.

“It’s my fault.” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. “Gods, this is all my fault. If I’d gone through with the lesson about morality as I’d considered, none of this would have happened right now.” Screaming improved nothing but was at least an outlet for the utter self-loathing mixed with despair that slashed my chest apart. “He said he’d show her mercy if I asked him to, Antas. I could have prevented this, and I didn’t.”

Dion’s arms tightened around me. “Stop, Nayana. We won’t play the blame game.” His grip had become steadier the moment I’d started to break apart.

But his words were drowned out by a million voices repeating the truth over and over again.

This was my fault.

My fault.

My fault.

My fault.

A sob escaped my throat, and my sight became blurry.

“Dion, I think—”

“Yes, love?”

“I’m—”

The fucking apocalypse had to wait.

Crashing to my knees, while protecting Nayana’s prone form in the cradle of my body, I tore at her neckline, pressing my hand on top of her Enamcoharta, sending a steady stream of only-the-gods-know-how-much of my own life energy into her, until Ireas swatted my hand away, his glare loaded with fury.

Snarling at him, showing him my teeth, and growling, I defended my decision. “Her heart gave out. She was dying, Ireas.”

“We’ll all die if we don’t get a fucking grip on ourselves.”

As I stared at the young medic while clinging to my still unconscious woman, digesting his ferocity took me a moment. Obviously, this was the journey of surprises.

“While every one of you has done oh-so-important things in Alaiann, I spent countless hours in the library. And I have an idea. If I fail, run. All of you.”

“Oh, I have an inkling of what you have in mind. Let me help you,a stor.”

“You think you can add something, Thain?”

“Yes. And if not, then at least you won’t be facing the end alone.”