Page 37

Kiara

We live two lives: one where we are made of flesh and bone, and the other where we are made of memories.

Asidian proverb

I rose on unsteady limbs, unable to meet Jude’s eye. Wrapping my arms tightly around myself, I worked to find my center, to ground myself when I felt as if I were standing on the edge of a cliff in a storm.

Not one of us had the nerve to speak.

I’d seen death in the short time I’d been with the Knights, but Dimitri’s death…gods. The mere thought of it had bile rising.

While I hadn’t known the man for long, I sensed his loss. Could feel the absence of him like a missing blade in my arsenal. But my pain was nothing compared to Finn’s or Emelia’s.

Finn rubbed at his face, his eyes glassy and red, tear tracks staining his cheeks. He and Dimitri had been close.

Jude’s gaze locked on him, his body swaying as he raised a hand, silently debating reaching out for the man. I wondered if he thought of Isiah then. How he’d lost his friend in a similarly horrific way.

Before Jude could act on his impulses , Emelia slipped into Finn’s arms, her hands gripping fistfuls of his shirt.

“He’s with them,” she said somberly, voice cracking. “He’s with his family again.”

Finn swallowed thickly. “But we were his family , too,” he choked out. A tear slipped down his cheek. “I… He just stopped . Why did he stop? He could have—”

“No.” Emelia grasped Finn’s chin. “He wouldn’t have made it , and he knew this. Dimitri understood the risks when he accepted this mission. He chose to come.” She sighed, resting her head on Finn’s chest. He clutched her tightly, both arms wrapped like a band around her waist. His body shook with sobs.

Jake and Liam bowed their heads, Liam uttering a soft prayer. I, however, glared at the space where the tunnel had been, anger seeping from my pores.

It wasn’t fair. Not that I expected the world to be kind; it wasn’t in its nature. What destroyed me was how the world seemed to keep knocking down those who’d experienced more than their share of pain.

Jude cleared his throat, his stare hardening as the commander in him assumed control.

“We have to keep going,” he said, grimacing at the callous words. There should’ve been more time to mourn, but that wasn’t our reality—time wasn’t our friend.

His jaw feathered , and he glared at the wall, his hands curling into fists. He’d tried to stop it, tried holding the walls from colliding, but in the end, he failed.

I knew a part of him blamed himself.

“Come on , Finn,” Emelia coaxed, keeping an arm around his torso. Finn nodded curtly, mechanically. He wiped away his tears, though his cheeks remained damp. While her face betrayed nothing, I grasped that she needed his support as much as he did hers.

I nodded my agreement, dazedly moving to the front. My anger continued to burn like an eternal flame.

Jake ushered Liam after me, sparing Jude a glance to make sure he didn’t lag.

Jude’s glow from earlier was diminishing, leaving only his eyes alight. His power had erupted, become something bright and fierce…but without the third piece of divinity, he couldn’t maintain his strength. He looked beyond exhausted.

My throat tightened, my eyes prickling. Before a tear fell, glimmering strands of onyx fluttered around my periphery, my shadows caressing me, petting my cheeks and hair. They were gentle, timid almost in their effort to soothe the tension tightening every muscle. I needed every ounce of confidence for what came next.

“Be alert,” I warned, my voice stiff. “There are no symbols I can see.” My steps were forceful, each impact sending harsh vibrations up my legs.

I couldn’t bend now. I had to remain strong for the others. To pretend that Dimitri’s death wasn’t ripping me apart from the inside out.

When the final bend approached and we rounded the next corridor, all air in my lungs heaved out in a rush. I couldn’t stop the slight tremble that racked my frame.

The palace.

We’d made it to the gates.