Page 178 of The Queen’s Shadow

“Yeah. You wanna come help?”

I imagined what that would entail. Me, with no powers, and a massive group of violent shifters looking for a fight. I shivered and shook my head.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I whispered. Even as I said it, I regretted it. Rycon looked disappointed, and I dropped my gaze, my face flushing red. I hated this. It felt like the bad guys were winning. I felt like they had taken an essential part of me and I worried I may never get it back.

Rycon curled a finger under my chin and tilted my head up, his golden eyes searching mine intently. His face was more serious than I had ever seen it.

“Maybe tomorrow.” He said, giving me a small, sad smile. Before I knew what was happening, he placed a kiss on the top of my head and stalked out the door, leaving me with Rhyalla, who was pretending to be very interested in scrubbing a greasy baking sheet.

“I’m going to go lie down for a bit.” I said, still staring at the front door of the tree house, feeling like the room was so much emptier now that Rycon was gone.

Rhyalla glanced back from the sink and gave me a bright smile.

“Sounds good! I’ll be here when you get up.”

I frowned at her. “I don’t need you to wait around for me, I’m sure you have more important things to do than babysit me all day.”

Rhyalla turned around and leaned against the counter, pinning me with a serious look.

“That’s not what this is, Kasha. We take care of each other here. I’m not babysitting you, nor do I think you need a babysitter. I am your friend, and you’ve been through a great deal. So I’m going to make sure I’m around, in case my friend needs me.” Her brow creased and she pursed her lips. “It’s okay to need someone, you know. You don’t need to face this alone.”

I sighed and stood up, heading back towards the bedroom.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” I muttered. “I’m the only person who can fix me.” I knew this from experience, and the problem was, I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to do it again.

Raven

Once I made it back to the common room, I strapped Bond Breaker across my back and grit my teeth in determination. I knew we had a long journey ahead of us, but I had made the decision that I would not be returning to Pride until I had rescued Amon, so his sword was coming with me.

It was strangely comforting having a piece of him so close to me. Like the sword knew I would be returning it to its master, and it ached to be wielded again by The Dark Prince. I tried one more time to break through the barriers Amon had thrown up between our minds and sighed in frustration when I found them to be even stronger than the adamantium walls of the triquetra. It was as if he were putting every single ounce of his willpower into keeping me out and it enraged me that he would make this decision for me.

I glanced down at my mating stone, which still gifted me with the scent of cinnamon when I held it close to my nose. It still shone green, and though I couldn’t feel Amon’s pain as much as I had after he had pushed me from his mind, I knew he was still alive. After seeing Kael suffer through Sabel’s death, I knew that I would know if he died. As long as the stone stayed green, there was hope.

“Ready?” Dossidian asked, and I nodded firmly. Jeremy gave me a worried look and reached out to squeeze my hand. I squeezed back but found myself unable to give him a reassuring smile. The darkness that curled inside me was barely contained and the shadows quivered with my effort to keep my agitation under wraps.

I didn’t have the energy to mask for the benefit of those around me. I was fresh out of fucks to give and knew I was not likely to be the most pleasant travel companion, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

Dossidian pressed an image of a desert into my mind. It was composed of endless, dry sand dunes stretching for as far as The Eye could see beneath a cloudless sky. My lip curled in annoyance at the absolute lack of civilization visible and forced myself to accept that we likely wouldn’t see another daemon for days, maybe even weeks if we veered off course.

Dossidian had warned me that the desert was cursed with enchantments that made it difficult for daemons to navigate and find their way unless they were residents of Wrath. Even Dossidian, who was technically an heir to the throne, was no longer immune, as he no longer was an official resident of The Court. It was one of the reasons it had been so difficult for Kasha, Amon and Dossidian to find his sabers when his father had hidden them as a practical joke in the years before I knew them.

I called my shadows to us and we manifested on the edge of a dune. The dry heat immediately cut into the skin on my face, forcing me to adjust my environment to keep myself cool. I extended The Courtesy to Jeremy and Conrad while Dossidian took care of Meredith, ensuring our party was comfortable.

We were surrounded by endless waves of sand, and my heart sank further in my chest, as I realized I had no idea which direction Fury’s Point was. I turned to Dossidian expectantly and he pursed his lips, his face grave.

“This will not be easy.” He warned, but I knew that already. I just wanted to know that we were at least on the right track.

“Do you know what direction we need to travel in?” I asked and he nodded.

“For now, but it will get increasingly more and more difficult to navigate the deeper we travel into the desert. It is important that you follow my lead at all times. Do not follow any disembodied voices. If you hear someone calling your name, ignore it.”

I frowned.

“Somehow that seems obvious.” I pointed out.

“Would it feel obvious if the voice calling your name was Amon’s? What if it sounded like he was nearby and needed help?”

A chill ran through me, and I shuddered at the thought.