Page 9

Kiara

Not much is known about the Fox, but her ability to steal the rarest artifacts has grown legendary. She once snuck into the palace itself, robbing the king of his treasured texts, all supposedly ancient tomes carrying spells and secrets belonging to the gods. The Fo x is rumored to maintain more knowledge than any mortal in the realm.

Excerpt from Asidian Lore: Legends and Myths of the Realm

“I hear you’ve been looking for me.”

The Fox propped her boots onto her mahogany desk and crossed her reedy arms. She was small in stature, and I reckoned a gust of wind could knock her straight onto her back. I shifted in my seat, Jake beside me in a matching leather chair.

The study was more like a museum—covered in trinkets and statues and art, it was an eclectic and oddly warm space that went at odds with the rumors of the cutthroat thief.

In fact, I could hardly believe the woman before me was the famed outlaw the musician spoke so highly of. If not for all the beefy-looking bodyguards in the hallway, I’d have imagined this was some mistake.

“Well?” the woman pressed, her features stone. “Did you come to gawk at me or merely waste my time?”

Gritting my teeth, I swallowed down the temptation for violence. I’d have to wait until after I got the answers I came here for.

Shame.

“Jude Maddox,” I said, his name echoing in the study. Her eye twitched, her jaw clenching tightly before she righted herself.

She did recognize the name.

My pulse kicked up as I studied her with renewed interest. “He came to see you.”

“Anyone ever tell you that your manners could use some work?” she asked, cocking her head. Her chin-length black hair shifted, the ends cut in a razor-sharp line. All of her features were like that—sharp and severe, like she’d lived a life free of peace. Only her brown eyes flickered with hints of gold, the irises warm and enticing.

“Countless times. Though I’m sure you’re not qualified to offer lessons.” I scowled at the lingering brute who’d been extra rough when delivering us to her office. He perched against a side table in the corner covered in loose papers, his nostrils flaring.

“Want me to politely escort them out?” he asked, making a point to glower my way.

“Leave, Finn.”

“But—”

“Leave,” she said again, waving an idle hand.

The hulking guard grumbled something that sounded like should’ve listened to the boy.

When he shut the door much harder than necessary, the dusty bookshelves lining the room rattled.

“Don’t mind Finn,” she said, sighing dramatically. “He’s just overprotective. Like your guard dog.” Her gaze flickered to Jake, and he growled, which didn’t help his case. “The least we can do is talk about this like civilized adults. I like cutting to the chase. No need to go asking my patrons about me, though I’m flattered.”

“It’s not flattery,” I argued. “You recognized the name. I saw it on your face.” Her entire posture had shifted at the mention of Jude. I’d been right about the matchbook after all.

Her tranquil facade vanished, replaced by something sinister. She threw her legs off the desk and leaned forward in her seat, her palms slamming down hard against the wood. “What the fuck do you want with Jude Maddox?”

“What did Jude want with you ?” I volleyed back, eyeing the contents of her desk from the corner of my eye. As the Fox seethed, I spotted a sheathed dagger made from the Rine Mountains, a worn map of Sciona, and a—

A silver compass.

One that appeared remarkably similar to the compass Jude had used in the Mist.

“It’s a nice piece,” she remarked drily. I lifted my head, finding her eyes glued to the object in question. “It would fetch a few coppers.”

“Then why did Jude Maddox give it to you?”

The Fox straightened. Jake’s hand went to his dagger.

“I’m going to ask again, and it’ll be the last time,” she began, her tone turning whisper soft. “How do you know Jude? The truth, if you’ll indulge me… Kiara .”

She knew my name. Likely knew Jake’s as well. If she really was an infamous criminal, she’d be smart to have spies all over the city watching for newcomers.

I considered her, our eyes battling for dominance as we glared at each other. She had the ability to unsettle me while at the same time stoking the flames of my temper. And gods knew she shouldn’t do that. Not after I’d set fire to those crates with only a touch.

“I— Jude is…” What? My commander? My friend? Yes, he was both of those things, and yet— “I care about him.”

The words hung heavily in the air, suffocating me long after they left my lips. We’d been drawn together because of Raina’s magic…but the moment I’d looked into his smoldering gaze and just a hint of my own fire mirrored back, a different sort of spell had taken hold. And it had nothing to do with a goddess.

The Fox studied me intently, so still, I was sure she didn’t breathe.

Moments passed before she nodded, satisfied by whatever she saw on my face. “Jude came to me for help,” she said softly. “For information, to be precise.”

“Which was?” Jake pressed, finally lowering his hand from his hilt.

The Fox eyed him, her nose wrinkling. Jake instantly sat up straighter like he’d been reprimanded by a superior. I bit down my smile.

“It doesn’t matter. I told him I wouldn’t help. Besides, while he might’ve been after a few of Cirian’s ancient texts—which I may or may not possess—he’d still be out of luck. It would’ve been pointless to tell him that the books only point to a specific location, and entering that place without getting caught—or killed—would require my expert services. Which I can’t provide.”

Ancient texts? What could he need with—

Oh . The only feasible explanation was that the commander thought our answers lay in some dusty old book. And the location the thief spoke of… It had to be the Moon God’s temple, right?

“Why did you turn him down?” I asked.

“He didn’t have enough coin,” she said simply. “I can’t send my men out into danger with nothing to gain from it. It breaks every code I live by.”

A thief with moral codes. Still, her excuse didn’t sit right with me. She was putting on a show for me this very minute, trying her best to appear unaffected.

That, right there, was a red flag.

“You’re lying.” The accusation flew out of my mouth in a breathless rush. I was exhausted by games. Exhausted by obstacles keeping me from the truth of my life. And Jude had become a large part of it.

In a flash, she reached into her jacket and retrieved a dagger, slamming its tip into the polished wood. The hilt trembled, a ringing echoing.

“Never accuse me of lying. Not unless you wish to lose your tongue.”

Her threat sent my pulse hammering, and my magic responded, the need to lash out clawing at my chest. A violent chill worked from my arms and to my gloved hands, the sensation like jabbing needles. My eyes slid down, my frustration literally seeping out of my pores—

Gray wisps coiled out, leaving the barest trace of smoke in their wake. I silently cursed, shoving my hands into my lap and out of sight.

I needed to get my shit together or the Fox would kill me right now. Exhaling slowly, I tried to reel back my emotions, thinking instead of happier things—like sword throwing with Micah, or, rather, Arlo. The red covering my vision eased away, and the small trace of shadows mercifully eased back inside, though they did so begrudgingly.

Bold. I needed to be calm and bold and play her game. Taunt her.

I reached for the dagger splintering her desk and toyed with its hilt, grateful my hands didn’t shake.

Without looking up from the blade, I said, “Jude’s been captured. The king’s men took him early this morning, and I fear what they’ll do if I wait any longer. You are connected to him, and I would gamble to say you don’t like the idea of him imprisoned.”

I lifted my chin to find the Fox’s eyes alight with fire. All pretenses were gone, her fury a palpable thing. That rage thrummed my power and spoke to me in a way that was all too familiar.

“Captured?” she asked so quietly, I could barely make out the word. She’d shown her hand, and we both knew it—Jude was the key.

“He’s probably being tortured as we speak.” This time I ground my teeth, trying to keep my voice even. Thoughts of him in that cell haunted me. With every blink, I saw him, curled up on the stone floor and covered in blood.

Across from me, the Fox had gone pale, even as her eyes sharpened.

“You obviously care about him , too , or you wouldn’t be so bothered,” Jake muttered, voicing my own thoughts. “You’re practically humming with anger.” He glanced at the door and back. “It’s just us now. No need to pretend in front of your hired muscle.”

The Fox shook her head, her lips thinning into a straight line.

“We need to save Jude before the king kills him.” I stood, my hands clenched into fists. “He’s only alive because they want to draw me out of hiding. While I’d prefer not to fall for that trap, it doesn’t mean I’ll just stay here and allow him to die.” If the thief wouldn’t help, we were wasting time here.

“You don’t know how to break someone out of a cell, recruit. I’d bet you’d be caught in five minutes.”

“Then help us,” I returned.

She ground her teeth but didn’t avert her gaze. “He’ll want to go to the temple if we manage to get him out.”

“Look at that. She knows about the temple, Jake,” I smugly replied, keeping my eyes firmly on the Fox. Jake sat up in his chair and played along.

“Sure looks that way, Ki.”

“And?” I gestured for the Fox to continue.

“And it’s not just any temple. It’s where many a treasure hunter has gone to die. It has traps and beasts and all manner of things waiting for you.” She looked to her bookcase, where a row of leather-bound tomes sat, some coated in dust. “Only the clever ones sought the talisman.” Her eyes shot to me knowingly. The Fox knew about the talisman, meaning Jude had been right to search for her. “Their bones will rest beneath the earth forever.”

Well, Maliah didn’t tell us that .

“We’re asking you to help Jude, not to break into the temple. That’s up to you,” I said carefully.

“You couldn’t find the real entrance to the temple if you tried. I’ve studied the damned place for years.”

“So you won’t do it?” I cocked a brow. “Help Jude or help us get to the temple?”

At some point in the conversation, we must’ve inadvertently drawn closer together. Her, on the other side of her desk, leaning forward. Me, mirroring her actions.

“The gods are devils,” she spat. “Just like the damned king.” She rubbed at her forehead. “If Jude’s…alive, then…”

“Then?” I pressed, knowing I had her. The Fox was breathing hard, sweat trickling down from her brow.

At her reluctance, wisps of my shadows traversed across the wood, slithering toward the thief. She watched them move, her lips parting as they encircled her wrists and played with the tips of her fingers. She shivered, but she did not retreat.

If anything, they softened her prickly exterior. I made no effort to call them back.

“I see,” she said, calm, unfazed. “I suspected you were the same Kiara from the stories. Attacked by a shadow beast and lived to tell the tale.” She cocked her head. “I just never expected for you to come waltzing into my study. What a fun surprise.”

“You’re not frightened?” I asked, the words slipping out before I could catch them. They sounded so small I wished I could reel them back.

The Fox flashed her white teeth. “Oh, on the contrary. I’ve experienced more of the divine than one would think.” I frowned at the cryptic words, taken aback by her apathy. I’d expected a better reaction than that .

“As long as you don’t use that shit on me, I won’t have to kill you,” she added somberly.

Hmm. I may have liked her.

“Since you stand no chance on your own, I’ll offer my services. For a price ,” she enunciated. “But if he…if Jude is dead, the deal’s off.”

“He’s not,” I said adamantly. I’d know. I didn’t know how , but my shadows would feel his absence— I would feel it.

“You’ll help us get the commander back and navigate this temple?” I clarified, already knowing her answer. I resisted the urge to smile.

The Fox clenched her fists before bringing them to her sides, hiding them from sight. “As long as I get to claim whatever treasures we find. I need to pay my men, after all. Since the boy went and got himself captured, it appears he’s forced my hand.”

She was trying so very hard not to appear affected by him, yet she couldn’t fool me; I recognized that look in the mirror.

I held her stare once more, pretending to consider. “Deal,” I affirmed . “You can have everything besides the talisman we require.”

“Return here tomorrow at dawn,” the thief said, her attention solely on me. “And don’t make me regret this.”

…

I couldn’t sleep that evening.

Jake snored loudly beside me, the two of us sharing the single bed the inn offered. On top of the snoring, he shifted in his sleep.

I was about to give in to temptation and elbow him in the ribs, when my scar gave an unpleasant throb. I jolted up in bed as nausea churned in my stomach and the dimly lit room blurred. I slipped from the bed, stumbling on my feet as stone walls and rusted chains flashed across my eyes.

With each second, the scene before me changed—from the cell to the grimy inn’s room and back.

I felt in between worlds, stuck in a place that was neither here nor there. Drifting without a life raft. Fear slithered into my veins and cold sweat slid down my back.

I didn’t recall doing so, but I must’ve brought my gloved fingers to the scar. The wound pulsated under my touch.

Jude.

The last time I’d envisioned him hadn’t been nearly as intense, but I recognized the bond we shared tightening, pulling taut. Demanding I find him.

I don’t know how , I wanted to scream, but no words came from my lips. Jake’s snores were replaced by the roaring of my blood in my ears as I staggered for the door, needing fresh air.

A thousand needles pricked my hands as I opened the door and crept down the hall and past the empty front desk. I all but floated down the steps until I faced a narrow side street.

Barely anyone lingered. Though I doubted people would come to my aid should they see me fumbling down the boulevard, now gasping for air as my lungs constricted.

It was getting worse, and I couldn’t see well enough to find my way back to the room.

My hands sought out the solidness of a nearby wall, my fingers trailing over coarse brick until a slip of space opened between buildings. It was a tight squeeze, barely large enough for me to move through.

Safely hidden away, I pressed my back against the wall before crumbling to my knees, the dust from the ground kicking up to reach my nostrils.

I panted, staring down at my arms, noticing that they were flickering in and out of focus. The dungeon shone clearer than the alley now, but shadows clung to my frame, winding up to my face, making the world hazy.

I might’ve let out a scream, but my ears started ringing, and the black spots that had threatened earlier now swelled. And all the while, my scar throbbed.

My magic reached for Jude, luring me further away from Fortuna. I gave in easily as delicious tingles raced up and down my arms, my legs, my torso. It was a sensation of free-falling, and my stomach lurched into my chest.

And then everything went still.

I opened my eyes.

Fortuna was gone. The alley a memory. I now stood in the same prison I’d first seen Jude, yet this time, my commander hovered before me—

Shackled to a wall, his back exposed.

Red dripped freely from gaping wounds, his tattoo destroyed, only traces of black ink visible.

For a second , I was too stunned to react, to move, to do much of anything. It had to be a nightmare, a sick, twisted dream.

A whip sliced through the air, carving up his back, blood spilling out. Jude screamed, and the sound of it was my undoing.

“This all will stop if you tell me,” the surly guard holding the whip promised. He rubbed at his sweat-slickened forehead with a frustrated grunt. “Just say the words, and save yourself the pain.”

Jude said nothing.

Fire licked at my insides, and for once, I couldn’t tell if it was magic or merely my fury. I clenched my fists and moved a foot forward, sensation returning to my body.

I wanted to lunge at Jude, to shield his body with mine, to erase that haunting scream he’d released from my memory. But I wasn’t entirely in control, and each step was met with resistance.

I didn’t care. Nothing would stop me. No otherworldly magic or in-between realms.

I didn’t understand how any of this worked, but seeing him tortured made the impossible trivial. I was getting to him.

The guard didn’t notice me. No one came barreling my way, no shouts ensued. I was invisible, and I hated it, because I wanted so badly to wrap my hands around the stout man’s neck and have him look into my eyes as I snuffed out the last ember of his life.

Only Jude kept me moving toward him, the smell of copper heavy in the air.

I was a foot away, close enough that I could see the wet blood ooze in rivulets from his injuries. I reached out with tentative hands. They shook. Everything shook.

The whip hissed before slashing through my body, shadows skittering off my form like rippling water. Invisible and incorporeal , a phantom that could do nothing but watch this horror.

Still, I aimed for Jude’s cheek, needing to touch him, my only thoughts ones of protection.

An inch from his pallid face, I met a horrid wall of resistance. One that drove desperation into my body, the feel of it wild and unhinged.

I pounded on the barrier of packed air, tears welling in my eyes with each futile blow. After minutes of my useless fighting, the remnants of my armor cracked, reality surging forth to devour me. Anger morphed into sorrow, and that sorrow consumed everything that I was and ever had been. I lowered my arms, barely able to stand upright.

“Jude,” I croaked, tears burning down my cheeks. Without the will to keep them in check, they silently fell, one by one down my cheek and to my lips. “I’m here, Jude. Please look at me.”

My voice was the only weapon I possessed, and I despised how weak it made me feel. This time I couldn’t use my hands or a weapon—just… me. And sometimes I didn’t feel nearly good enough. Yet the longer I took Jude in—focusing on his gruesome cuts—the clearer the cell became, and the more my limbs weighed heavy with sensation. It started to feel as if I truly stood there, in that cell, and still no one heard my screams, until—

“Kiara?” Jude murmured, no louder than a whisper. He blinked away the sweat dripping from his forehead and into his eyes. He looked as if he was about to lose consciousness. “You’re back.”

The guard paused his assault, but a second later, he struck Jude again. I screamed as Jude remained silent, my roar of rage shaking my bones, seeming to rattle the walls of the cell.

Bile rose, threatening to spill. It seared my throat when I swallowed it back down. His wounds were too much, his agony too clear. I shifted away from his back like a coward.

“Jude, listen to my voice,” I begged, my tears unrestrained, knowing I could do nothing. How useless I felt. How worthless.

I didn’t care that I cried. Tears were nothing more than pieces of our souls escaping, and I sobbed as if my own back was being whipped, as if my skin was being torn apart.

In a way, watching this was worse.

“I’m here. I’m right beside you. And I’m coming for you.” Shadows curled at my fingertips when another unforgiving lash met his skin. My shadows flared a vicious silver before sparking, reminding me of lightning during a storm. My grief grew stronger, my will to fight against the impossible blossoming like a weed through stone.

His entire life, people had given up on him. I never would.

“Jude?” I half sobbed, half choked out. “Are you with me?”

His body shivered as though I had caressed him. “I miss you,” he murmured, his head sagging between his shoulders. He couldn’t even manage to lift it and meet my eyes. “I never thought I’d miss anyone. It makes this so much worse.”

My heart broke in two—I felt the same way, and he was right—it made everything worse, that much harder.

“Don’t you dare give up,” I snapped, wishing I could grab his chin and force his head up. “Because when I save your ass, and when I finish burning every person alive who dared to hurt you, you’re going to let me finally take care of you, you stubborn, stubborn man.”

I couldn’t breathe properly with how hard the tears were escaping. “Jude, I— What I feel for you… Watching this is killing me.” Truly, parts of myself I didn’t know existed ached, and a great emptiness yawned in my center, the void it birthed hungrily consuming rational thought. I’d never felt such a thing, being so hollow, empty in a way that hurt.

Jude moaned as he raised his head, tilting his chin. I caught sight of his right eye, which no longer held the same warmth I’d come to know.

The sight sent a surge of enraged fire down my spine.

“Kiara, I may be hallucinating , and I don’t care. I just need you to know…” He coughed, sputtering as a jolt racked his frame. I hissed, clenching my hands into tight fists. Jude continued, his voice nothing but a whisper. “I know you don’t like emotional speeches, but if I die, then I need to say this.”

Screw that. “You’re not dying—”

“I think I started falling for you the moment I laid eyes on you in Cila. And I think I fell completely when you kissed my scars in that glen and let me see all of you. I saw a woman who’d fought death and risen from the ashes. I s-saw…I saw you as clearly as you saw me, and for the f-first time, my reflection didn’t frighten me.”

That day when I kissed his scars, and he’d kissed mine, I’d plummeted, diving into a place of no return. And gods above, I didn’t want to ever leave. That was when Jude had begun to feel like home .

And my home was slowly being torn apart, piece by piece.

“Don’t you d-dare,” I stuttered, choking on my tears. “You are not giving me a goodbye speech. I won’t allow it.” Jude made a sound of protest, but I cut him off. “No. I won’t stop until you’re fighting at my side. Whole and mine ,” I promised, and the gold in his brown eye blazed. Then I said the words I’d felt for some time now, words that would have frightened me before but came so easily now. “I’m falling , too, Jude Maddox.”

The instant the confession fell from my lips, the gray film clouding my vision slid away.

I stumbled back in surprise, and Jude twisted, forcing me to take in the macabre lashes marring his back.

Light filtered through the high window of the cell, gilded rays streaming across the grimy stones and dancing along the plane of Jude’s brutalized skin. It was as if someone had ignited a thousand torches and held them overhead, casting the world in brilliant golden clarity.

It couldn’t be… I had to be seeing things, because that light—there could only be one explanation.

I gasped, as did the guard, who dropped his whip and released a shrill cry of alarm.

The man’s mouth opened comically, his stare landing on me for the first time. He blinked, wiping at his eyes furiously.

I ignored him, focusing on the light, which was soft yet shimmering. It reminded me more of the gentle glow of the glen, but its presence weighed heavily, and it only strengthened…

“Jude, look!” I was motioning toward the window, which was barely a foot in height.

I dove for him, about to force his chin up, when I remembered I couldn’t touch him here, not in this impossible place. Something still held me back. A wall I hadn’t yet torn down.

The commander groaned, his eyes shuttering. Crimson dripped from his back, splattering to the stones, and each inhale became more and more ragged.

“Wake up!” I demanded, delirious, shaking so hard, my teeth rattled. “Jude, please.” He had to see, had to notice what shone clearly across the cell. He had to be given this small ounce of hope. Somewhere, just outside this cell, a change was happening all across the realm. Not all was lost.

But Jude only whispered my name once more before his eyes shut completely.

“No!” I roared. “Don’t leave me. Please . Don’t you dare go…”

He didn’t move, his chest so painfully still.

Jude couldn’t be dead. He had merely passed out. He would wake , and I would find him, and then we’d save our realm. And then…then who knows what may happen? Whatever it was, I envisioned him beside me. He would get to live. No, we would.

Because we had fucking earned it.

I was still crying his name when I was thrust from the vision, torn away from Jude and the cell where we both just exposed our hearts.

A collection of alarmed screams pierced my ears all at once.

When I opened my eyes , I was no longer in that cell, no longer with Jude. Wetness coated my face, an abundance of tears staining my skin. They kept on coming, making it hard to see, blurring the dingy alley of Fortuna.

I was back.

People cried out in alarm, but I made out the distinct sound of Raina’s name. Swiping away the tears, I scrambled to my feet, hobbling out onto the boulevard, drawn by the shouts.

A few people rested on their knees, heads bent toward the sky. It was dark, not a trace of light to be seen, but still they swore and prayed and murmured Raina’s name like a prayer.

“She came!” one woman exclaimed, rising from her position on the ground. “She’s coming back!”

I snatched the nearest man’s cloak and yanked him to my side. “What happened?” I asked, my voice hoarse, tears drying on my heated cheeks, exhaustion causing me to sway.

Twice my size, the weathered man could likely snap someone in half with a flick of his wrist, and yet, when he turned to me, his eyes twinkled like those of a child.

“Light,” he murmured. “For just a moment, there was light.”