Page 229 of The Chains You Defy

What the fuck was happening here? “Let me help too.”

“You’ve done enough.”

My jaw locked at how rude Ireas had addressed me.

“What he meant is, wrong element, or at least unhelpful facets, my prince.”

Whatever minuscule sympathy Thain had garnered with his confession a few days ago was gone again. Locking Nayana in my arms, I was about to order my subjects to spill their plans as Antas stepped forward.

“If you believe that you have a chance to stop the rift from advancing, then do whatever you have to do. I do not have a clue, and Fig does not either. We all,” my uncle threw me an ugly glare, daring me to object, and this expression resembled Galrach so much I kept my mouth shut, “trust you. If you need us, we will help. But if you are sure there is nothing any of us possesses that can be of merit for you, then we will accept your verdict. And yes, we will flee should you fail and try to stop the development as soon as we have another plan.”

Nayana stirred, but her eyes stayed closed. I adjusted her in my hold and rose to my feet. If we had to escape, being on the ground would be the worst possible starting position.

“May the Triad be with you.” Even Fig sounded shaky.

Anger, panic, and dread tore my insides apart, and all I managed was dipping my chin in the direction of the two males who thought they’d be able to stop the apocalypse—for now.

There had been many low points in my existence, but this situation was the worst I’d ever experienced.

The woman I loved more than myself was slowly dying, something was very wrong with my magic, and if everything went sideways, I could already hear the new title they’d bestow on me in Udiona—Destroyer of Worlds.

Hopelessness clawed at my chest as I clutched Nayana with all my might, as though we'd both disappear if I didn’t hold all her pieces together. No matter how much I hated this godsdamned helplessness, nothing changed the fact that I couldn’t do anything else but stare at Thain and Ireas as they advanced hand in hand toward the gaping fracture in reality, facing their potential peril in an attempt to save us all.

To be continued…