The Healer froze, her rant faltering as she took in the blood streaking Araya’s face and arms. “Gods,” Serafina whispered. “Araya—what happened?”
“It wasn’t us,” Araya said, silently begging Serafina to believe her. “I found him like this when we got here this morning. I swear, Jaxon was with me at Garrick’s house all night.”
Serafina hesitated, twisting her braid as her gaze flicked to Jaxon, then back to Araya, considering. Finally she exhaled sharply, bending down to sling the bag the guards had dropped on the floor over her shoulder.
“I’ll do it for you.Nothim.” She shot Jaxon a hard look. “But only once. If this happens again—” she shook her head.
Araya nodded quickly, almost choking on her relief. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Let’s go, then,” Serafina said. “Where is he?”
“Araya will take you.” Jaxon stepped aside, catching Araya’s arm as she started forward. “You’re the one who demanded the Healer,”he warned. “Anythingstarts now, Starling. If this all falls apart, I know exactly who to blame.”
Neither she nor Serafina spoke as Araya led the way back to Loren’s cell, the silence stretching between them until it felt like a third presence in the corridor. Every footstep echoed louder than it should have, keeping time with the dread rising in Araya’s chest.
Serafina would help. She had to. Once she saw him—once she understood—she wouldn’t refuse.
But Araya’s hands were trembling by the time she passed her key to Aeron.
“Gods, Araya,” Serafina whispered as the door to the cell swung shut behind them, locking them inside. “What have you done?”
Araya stared down at Loren. He hadn’t moved, still sprawled awkwardly over the too-short cot. She couldn’t bring herself to look too closely at the cuts and burns crisscrossing his skin—but the smell of blood and blackened flesh clung to the air, inescapable.
“I—” She shook her head, unable to even speak the words aloud. She should have known—should have done something. If this had been a message for her from Hale...well, then it was all her fault, wasn’t it?
“Gods,” Serafina said again. She turned, tracing a silencing rune on the back of the door.Thynspluttered, reluctant to take to iron without being inlaid, but held, sealing the outside world away from their conversation.
Serafina turned back to Araya, her green stare layered with disbelief, disappointment—and something far worse. Heartbreak. “If you want me to help him,” she said. “You’re going to start talking.”
Araya swallowed hard, guilt threatening to consume her as she stared down at Loren’s battered body. “I’ll tell you everything,” she whispered.
Chapter
Twenty-One
“It started with a theory,”Araya said. “I was researching the Shadowed Veil for Jaxon, and I noticed that every generation of fae royalty seemed to have someone with an affinity for shadow magic. It seemed to suggest that the shadows might not be an external force—something passed from king to prince.”
“I thought—” Araya faltered, swallowing hard as she forced herself to continue. “I told Jaxon that if we had access to royal fae blood, it might be possible to craft an amulet that would give the user the same sort of control.”
Serafina didn’t respond immediately, her focus narrowing on the deep gash running along Loren’s ribcage. Her hands hovered over it, golden light spilling from her fingertips, sinking into the torn flesh. The light moved like liquid, weaving the skin together until the edges finally met.
“Keep talking,” Serafina ordered.
“It was just a theory,” Araya said. “I never thought it would go beyond that. But then Jaxon—” she broke off, swallowing hard as her stomach twisted. “He brought me here, he showed me Loren?—”
Serafina’s hands stilled, the golden glow of her magic sputtering out as her head snapped up. “Loren?” she demanded. “As inPrinceLoren?”
Araya nodded once, not trusting her voice.
“Gods.” Serafina sat back on her heels, staring down at him. “How long has he been down here?”
“Twenty-five years,” Araya said softly. “I swear, Serafina, I didn’t know. When I told Jaxon my theory, I thought he was just… a dream. A figment of my imagination?—”
Serafina’s head snapped up. “What are you talking about?”
Araya swallowed hard, her hands curling into fists as the pull in her chest twisted tighter, sharp and urgent.” “I’ve seen him,” she said quietly. “I thought it was just… my mind playing tricks on me. But they’re not dreams, Serafina. They’re real.”
“How real?” Serafina demanded.
