Page 31

Invasion

“Are you ready?” I ask.

I know I’m not. I’m having to devote extra energy to locking down the Shadows—they must feel that what’s happening today is big, because they are a little extra—and it has my stomach tied in knots. Meanwhile, Reven is already his unique brand of deadly serious and the way he’s been acting, the way we both have, it’s like last night never happened.

“No matter what happens,” he says, “stick close to me.”

This isn’t the first time he’s said those words to me as we’ve prepared to go. Clearly, he has no idea of the ache that sets up around my heart every single time. I guess I’ve hidden that well enough. I do again now. “I won’t lose you.”

“Then let’s go.”

Cain stop us. “Wait.”

We both glance over, probably with identical frowns, because we’ve already said our goodbyes.

My friend strides to me and tugs me into his arms for a hug that nearly squeezes me to death. “Be careful out there,” he says, sort of loudly. I realize why when he whispers only for me, “Watch for Eidolon.”

The Shadows press outward, and I grimace. “I know.”

We all know. This could be the king’s trap, drawing his enemies to one place. Or maybe he’ll show just to keep us from taking the capital. We can’t be sure.

“When you take the palace, Tabra or no Tabra, get to the presentation platform and introduce yourself to the people.”

Before I can ask why, he takes me by the shoulders and presses a kiss to my forehead, then looks me in the eyes. A hard look. A look that begs me to listen to him for once.

I don’t know why that’s important, but I give him a single nod. “I’ll try,” I say. An answer that matches what the others heard him say to me.

As Cain lets me go, he looks at Reven and stills, dark eyes turning stony. Neither man says a word, and after a second, Cain returns to stand with the others, beside Tziah, who shoots him a questioning glance, getting a tiny shake of his head in return. At his side and in wolf form, Bene’s hackles rise, but he doesn’t growl. He’s nervous for me. They all are.

“Mother goddess protect you,” his voice sounds in my head. And I nod. May she protect us all this day.

“What was that?” Reven asks under his breath as we turn back to the portal I’ve made.

“Nothing.” In an instant, I open the glass, showing a new room on the other side.

After a quick check to be sure no one is near, Reven steps through into the temple in Oaesys ahead of me. Unfortunately, coming through this temple was our best choice. The only other fast way to get me into the city would have been through the portal I made in the palace tombs, and that’s not where we want to start.

He eyes the massive bloodred block of glass, made ages ago from sand of the Crimson Desert, similar to the one we just came through that I made. Every “official” portal in Aryd and the other dominions is different, but this one, sitting in a room that is all glittering blacks and golds, has always looked like a blood stain to me.

Is Reven thinking the same thing? I’d ask, but getting caught within the first few seconds of arriving isn’t part of the plan, so I press my lips together around the question.

As soon as I’m through and the portal has closed behind me, Reven holds his hand out. I glance down at it, then back up at his face, frowning. He’s not a hand holder. At least, he wasn’t before he loved me.

“What?” I mouth.

Rather than answer, he takes me by the hand, his warm and strong around mine. I would love the luxury to take a moment to melt. My foolish heart tumbles around inside me, like it’s not aware he’s only doing this to make sure he doesn’t lose me.

I don’t pull out of his grip, though.

We’ve already discussed the way out of the temple and into the streets. Pausing at the doorway for another check, he then leads me through the main sanctuary. Reven moves like exactly what he is—a shadow blending into the darkness of the grand room, flitting between beams of moonlight descending from above us and shade cast by the columns.

At the soft tread of someone entering the sanctuary, Reven swiftly tucks us both out of sight into one of the many alcoves.

I still against him. Seriously?

The night he kidnapped me, we did this. That time, we hid in the alcove dedicated to the Goddess Tyndra. This time, we’re in Mariana’s, the stained glass depicting the lush greens, large inland bay, and angry volcano spewing red.

Does he feel even a hint of familiarity?

He catches my glance and raises his eyebrows in question, but I shake my head. Now’s not the time. I’ll just have to hold the memories apart in my mind.

The acolyte’s steps come closer and like before, Reven moves into me, crowding me again, same as before, only this time, I’m tempted to lean into him, put my head on his shoulder. As she retreats, he turns his head, his face close to mine now.

Our breaths mingle in the night air.

He doesn’t look away.

Neither do I.

All of this is just like last time, too. Except last time I thought he was Eidolon and would have gladly slipped one of my knives between his ribs. Now…

This can’t continue, this cycle of doing the same things over and over. I don’t think my heart can handle it.

Over his shoulder, the flicker of light from the acolyte’s lamp travels to the opposite side of the temple, disappearing and reappearing as she passes behind the thick columns of onyx until she’s gone.

Without a word we move, hurrying out of the temple and into the streets. Reven glances behind us, but I don’t need to look. I’ve seen the massive and ornate temple with its columns and statues and carvings rising up like an onyx tomb against the sky a thousand times.

“What was that in there?” he asks, keeping his voice low.

Now isn’t the best time to chat, but I’m starting to learn that we don’t always get to pick good times. “That just felt a lot like when you kidnapped me. You took me through that temple. We hid in an alcove the same way.”

He glances from me to the temple. “I see.”

There’s no way he could. Not really. “We need to move fast.”

Cautiously but as quickly as we can, we head through the empty streets of the city. The hour is still late enough—or early enough, depending on perspective. During the day, like in every Arydian city, these streets are haunted by the people going about their work. Aryd at night, though, when my people finally get a break from the heat, is when we show our beauty, our humanity—when we live rather than simply survive.

We had to time our visit in between the cooling hours.

Omma taught me many unknown passages, unused alleyways, and multiple routes to take, but eventually she allowed me to make my own way to and from the palace, and that’s when I learned more about the city than she ever knew, going farther afield.

Which is how I know where to go now. Not south, toward the palace, but north, in the direction of the massive Sea of Terra that sits above the city. To the east of the shore is an abandoned neighborhood being swallowed by the desert.

“Oy!” a voice breaks the stillness of the night, startling a sandrat nearby that skitters away with angry squeaks. Voices of several men follow, returning home to sleep later than most, not giving us much time to react. We duck into what looks like an alleyway only to find that someone has bricked it up only a foot or two down the way.

We tuck our bodies against the stone wall behind drainpipes, but that’s not enough. As the voices near, Reven crowds me. His back to the street, he wraps his arms around me, pinning me between his hard body and the gritty bricks of the building. He pulls darkness up and over us, cocooning us in our own little space as the rest of the world dims and my focus narrows on him. Just him.

Not now, Meren.

I stare at the sharp underside of his jaw.

“Can they hear us?” I whisper, trying to make myself stay in the moment and respect the danger of where we are.

He lowers his head, gaze colliding with mine.

“No.”

The edge to his voice, abrupt and confused, doesn’t match his eyes. They spark in a way that sends an answering heat thrumming along every inch of my skin.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“I feel like I’ve been here.” He gives his head a shake, but then immediately leans closer, one hand releasing me to flatten against the wall. “But not here. There was a…tree.”

I can’t help the way my eyes widen.

If anything, he only becomes more intense. “There was.”

“Yes.”

“And…” His gaze turns sort of inward. “Screaming?”

“We rescued a girl. Tyndran soldiers were after her.”

He nods, then his gaze drops to my lips and goddess help me, I want to stop time so I can live in the way he looks at me. Like I’m precious and yet he wants to devour me.

“I wanted to kiss you,” he whispers. And his gaze drops to my mouth. “So badly.”

He did? I bite my lip.

“But I… I couldn’t. You made me so…” He breathes through his nose. “Frustrated.”

I huff a laugh and will him to find more of that memory.

“You were…” He shakes his head.

“Trouble.” We both say it together.

I offer him a smile with all my heart in it. “I still am.”

For a second, the single beat of a hummingbird’s wings, his gaze softens. But just as fast, one of the men in the streets shouts an obscenity, and Reven’s gaze turns icy and hard.

Oblivious, the men roll on by where we’re hidden by shadow. As they go, what they’re saying becomes clearer.

One claps another on the shoulder. “Things are starting to come together, friends.”

“They say the young queen is dead and we’re being fooled.”

“Ofron knows what we need to know.”

They aren’t drunk or merely heading home late after too much revelry. It sounds as though they’ve been to a meeting.

“I don’t care if the queen is dead,” the third in the group announces, only for his companions to shush him. He laughs as if he doesn’t care if he’s overheard but lowers his voice all the same. “Queen Tabra’s grandmother spent this dominion into poverty. We don’t need the royals.”

Their voices fade away as they round the end of the block.

Seven hells.