I didn’t even know if it was possible for our connection to work for me to call to her.
The last time I saw her, she entered my mind broken and screaming, and a small part of me almost died in fear. Fear for her. For Lana.
Yet there was nothing I could do to help.
Some hours I would have sworn she almost appeared, lingering on the outskirts of my mind. I could feel her presence almost there. So close I swore I might touch her if I wanted to.
Grasping on to that feeling, I tried to clear my mind and call to her once more.
Raya? Are you there?
Silence. Nothing but damn silence. A pain sharpened in my chest, not knowing if her absence meant she hadn’t survived.
I wanted so desperately not to care if she responded to my communication attempts, but it bothered me in a way I didn’tunderstand. Especially since I didn’t even know if I could get through to her in the first place, or if it only worked one way.
Maybe it was merely my protectiveness for Lana. She couldn’t handle losing another friend, and if there was anything I could do to stop that from happening, I would.
That was all it was.
Besides, I’d had enough of this waiting.
Waiting for news, for Lana, forher.
I screeched, that dark energy pulsing in my chest as I angrily flew straight down toward the ground, barreling into a nosedive at breakneck speed. My wings lay tucked tight to my side as I spiraled closer to the ground.
I didn’t slow down, daring to get as close to the lush blades of grass as possible.
“Ian Stronholm, you stop that this instant,” Kalliah screamed as I finally pulled out of my dive. Shifting back into my Fae form, I somersaulted my way across the open field before coming to a stop. Sprawled out on the ground, I lay panting, catching my breath as the adrenaline coursing through me tried to slow down. I had to pick several sticks out of my tunic as they poked my side from my fall.
Kalliah stomped her way toward me. “You could have killed yourself,” she seethed. “We have enough to worry about without you trying to prove”—Kalliah waved her hands in the air—“whatever that was.”
Pushing myself up on my elbows, I glared at her. “Aren’t you tired of waiting to see if Lana is all right? If she’s alive?” I stood and brushed the dirt off my pants. “The world literally exploded. The barrier to Mysthaven is gone, and what? We are just sitting here, hoping she’ll show up?” I ran a hand through my hair, worry building into a festering anger threatening to drive me mad. “Somethinghappened. We have to find them.”
Taking out my frustrations on Kalliah wouldn’t do any of us good. I closed my eyes and inhaled. “I won’t keep waiting.”
Turning abruptly, I stormed back toward the Knotted Willow where Corbin stood, leaning against the front door.
“Do not walk away from me,” Kalliah shouted.
Immediately, Corbin pushed off the door, coming toward us.
“We cannot just go running off into this unknown land and hope that we find her.” Kalliah jogged to keep up with my pace, reaching out and grabbing my arm to stop me. “We know nothing about Mysthaven, Ian. We have to stay here. This is where she will come.”
“What’s going on over here?” Corbin folded his arms across his chest. His brows furrowed, as his gaze shifted between Kalliah and me.
Kalliah positioned herself between us and took a deep breath before continuing. “Ian wants to go flying off into the unknown to try to find Lana.” Her eyes narrowed in my direction. “Even though he’s a brilliant captain who knows that is the least helpful thing to do right now.”
Logically, I knew she was right. Why, then, did this entire thing feel so wrong?
“You know we can’t do that.” Corbin sighed heavily. “I know you’re worried. I am too. But what good are we to her if we don’t follow the instructions she left for us? She is our queen, and she gave us an order.”
My blood boiled as uncontrolled rage welled deep in my belly. We’d always been a team, but a clear divide in ideology started to form.
“She needs us.” I rammed my finger into Corbin’s chest, articulating each word.
Corbin grimaced. “She needs us to trust her.”
I shoved him, unable to grasp my sanity. A small part of me knew I was spiraling. I wasn’t fully myself, slowly losing my grip on reality and fighting bouts of rage.
