Page 39

Talon

Raevina was fine, thank the gods. Zylah and Gavin only carried minor injuries, though neither had spoken much since their release. He understood the haunting fear on Gavin’s face. He’d experienced it himself. To think that Vairik really would discard one of his family members as if they were nothing—Talon shook his head, regretting, for the first time, the way he’d treated the young male.

Talon placed a hand over his face, right where that mask had been. He’d felt the contraption, whatever it was called, pulling at his magic, stealing it from his body as he floated there completely helpless. A quiet humming had engulfed him, suffocating him. He’d lost count of how many times he’d passed out.

It was the first time Talon had ever experienced iron. The first time he’d ever felt so … defeated.

Talon’s gaze drifted to Saoirse. She was the worst of the lot. Someone had stitched the wounds that’d needed it, but she’d ripped them open while looking for Zylah. Zylah was currently looking her over, ensuring the female wouldn’t bleed out. He didn’t fully understand the forlorn expression on Saoirse’s face, but he noted the way she wouldn’t meet Zylah’s gaze, as if she were ashamed.

His eyes moved to Rion last, looking the male up and down as he leaned against the far wall, still clutching his chest. Rion watched his sister, concern etched across his features along with unrelenting pain. His breath was ragged, as if whatever he were feeling was nearly unbearable.

He’d said the bond was gone. The fact weighted on all of them. But Vairik wanted the pair to rid the world of the bond. He’d been waiting centuries. He wouldn’t kill either of them so easily, which meant he’d done something to Arianna.

Talon clenched his fists. The two were thwarted at every turn. Just when they thought they were about to reach a place of happiness, outside forces came along to break them apart.

To know that Vairik had targeted Rion his entire life—Talon had his own apologies to make. When he’d seen Raevina on the ground, he’d attacked Rion without reservation, ready to kill him once and for all as if he were still the monster from the war. His actions were inexcusable, even if Vairik had been manipulating him.

Talon had spent so much time fighting against The Demon that his mind hadn’t realized Rion was a separate person. That The Demon had been a facade to ensure his survival over the years. And that some of the deaths might not have even been his direct doing.

How many times had Rion’s mind been manipulated into believing an innocent person was an enemy? How many of those deaths belonged to Vairik alone?

“We’re wasting time,” Saoirse said. She tried rising from the floor and nearly fell.

Zylah caught her and draped Saoirse’s arm over her shoulder. “You shouldn’t be moving.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t have a choice, do I?” Saoirse looked up at Rion. “Let’s go find her.”

“Here,” Raevina handed Talon a pair of daggers along with a holster, then passed out a few more. “It’s all they had. We can grab more along the way.”

Talon buckled the belt around his waist and inserted the two daggers. They were meager compared to what he usually carried, but some weapons were better than none. They had their magic, but judging by the way Rion’s kept jerking, he’d be leading their path of destruction anyway.

Rion pushed off the wall and they moved down the hall as fast as Saoirse could manage. Zylah had done her best to treat Saoirse’s injuries with runes, which seemed to relieve some of the pain, but just as Sive had mentioned, it wasn’t as fast acting as Arianna’s magic.

The group paused before a set of staircases. One led up, where Vairik’s study was likely to reside. The other led down, back to the dungeons.

“Which way?” Raevina asked.

Rion gripped his chest harder as they all turned to him. “I don’t know.”

“You do,” Zylah countered. “Focus past the pain. Even with a severed bond, you’ll still be able to find her.”

Talon saw the way Rion’s throat bobbed. Fear drifted off him. If he couldn’t find that tether, no matter how small, then that would mean—

They all fell silent as Rion stared at the floor, his gaze vacant. The seconds ticked by and Zylah used the time to continuing tracing runes over Saoirse’s leg. If they could get her running, it would make getting to Arianna easier. Faster.

Talon glanced down the hall again, eyeing the bubbling vials lining the walls. His stomach turned, knowing the body parts within were likely all Fae. He just didn’t understand why they’d been kept. Did Vairik believe he’d found pieces of the bond in them? Could he siphon a Fae’s magic even in death? Or was he using the bits to incubate something more sinister?

“Down,” Rion suddenly said and Talon whirled to find Rion’s magic flaring, tearing at the stones in the corners. A fierce determination flashed through his eyes, replacing the hollow grief from earlier. “She’s down.”

The male practically sprinted for the stairs and the rest of them followed. A small smile spread across Talon’s face. She was alive.

Hold on, Arianna. We’re coming.