And during those long, painful torture sessions...Cronan had taught her everything she needed to know.
Isla closed her eyes, concentrating, and within moments, shadows crept from her essence. They shot toward Lark, so fast they were invisible.
She was careful, delicate, like a dream washing into Lark’s mind, like the tide rolling in. Her ancestor shifted slightly—but she did not awaken.
Isla didn’t have much time. She felt the shreds of her abilities shrinking.
She knew how to search for what she needed. Cronan had shown her, again and again. She rifled through Lark’s mind until she stumbled upon memories from a few weeks prior. Back on Nightshade.
There. The last memories of Lark with Isla’s portaling device. A slow smile crept along Isla’s face.
You and me...we aren’t so different...Cronan had said.
She didn’t know if this made her just as bad as him, but she didn’t care. She reached into Lark’s mind for the location of the starstick—and took it.
Oro didn’t look surprised that she had gotten the information. When she said so, he lifted a shoulder.
“I always believe in you.”
She flushed. It was foolish, really, because anyone else would see her entire life as one long string of mistakes. Bad decisions. But Oro looked at her and saw the good first.
“You’re on Nightshade,” she said, recognizing the castle around him. It had been her home once. Somehow, she’d had several homes, but none that had ever felt fully safe and complete. Distant dangers and future obstacles always kept her from ever being able to root herself anywhere.
Oro nodded. “Astria let me into the castle. Set up a room for me. The council, as you can imagine, isn’t thrilled.”
She almost smiled, imagining their reactions. “You—you must be exhausted.” What she almost said was that helookedexhausted. He must have flown at full speed. There were purple splotches beneath his eyes. The last time she saw him this tired had been during the Centennial.
When he had been dying.
“I’ll be fine,” he said. He met her eyes meaningfully, and she knew he had picked up on her concern for him. He was an expert in her. “How are you?”
“I’ll be fine,” she repeated.
A long stretch of silence followed. They understood that they were both keeping secrets. It wasn’t malicious. She didn’t want him to worry. She suspected he felt the same.
“How is it going?” he finally asked. “With...him?”
She gave a brittle laugh. “Do you want me to outline how I’m trying to seduce my husband?”
Her words were light, but Oro turned away. His hand clenched. Isla’s face flushed with shame. She hadn’t meant to hurt him.
“I’m sorry, I—”
“It’s fine, Isla. How is it going?” he asked again.
“Not well.”
He looked surprised at that. “His devotion to you...”
“I know.” She knew better than anyone. She lifted a shoulder. “But he was like this before too. When we first met. Worse, even...But now, we don’t have the time...” She pressed her head to her knees.
“What is it?” he said. “What’s worrying you?”
Isla took a breath and let out a fear from deep within her heart. “What if it was nothing more than circumstance that brought us together?”
Before, Grim was alone, and desperate. Here, on Skyshade, he had Cronan.
Maybe Grim was right. Maybe he had just been lonely, and she had been there, just as desperate for connection.
