Survive. Survive. Survive.
The promise. The oath.
My throat was dry as I swallowed.
“Walk behind me then,” I snapped.
“As you wish,” Dario said, his words clipped.
I clenched my fingers around the vadati still in my hand, needing something to hold onto. I headed down the hall and then down the stairs, my heart thundering, stomach churning with Dario in the shadows behind me.
Cal was at the front desk by himself. But the door to their office was open. Torches were lit. Marisol was nearby.
His white bushy eyebrows lifted when he saw me, and he quickly stood from his seat. His eyes were red, too, and I had a feeling that Brianna had been instructed to share the news with him. He and Marisol were more connected around the Empire’s underground secrets than most could guess.
“How quickly can you get word toEl Zan Vylette?” I asked before he could speak. Before I lost my nerve.“We need their help.” I hadn’t said those words out loud in over a year. I hadn’t even allowed myself to think of them. To remember they existed.
Cal frowned, and I could see the questions in his eyes. He knew how I felt. Knew my reservations about trusting them. But he was smart enough not to do anything but nod, and gesture to Marisol, who’d just come out of the office. She sniffled, and put on a brave smile in acknowledgment.
“We need to make a call,” he said.
Marisol’s eyes jumped to me, and she let out a shaky sigh before nodding. “Yes. Of course.”
“We can reach them,” Cal confirmed, looking between me and Dario. “There are several I can vouch for. You have my word. Give us a moment to see who answers first.” He walked toward her, and they vanished behind the door, closing it shut.
Dario moved beside me, looking confused. “What isEl Zan Vylette?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Well I’m all ears.”
I pressed my lips together.
“Julianna, please,” he said, his eyes meeting mine, red and tearful. “I can’t—I’m going to lose my mind if I have to think about Rhyan. And I … I need to get to safety. Need to get you and everyone else there. So please, just tell me. Give me something I can fucking focus on.”
I rubbed at my ring finger, tracing the scar, my stomach turning. Because this did mean safety. Except when it hadn’t.
“El Zan Vylettemeans the Purple Sun.”
His eyes flashed. “I can translate,” he gritted.
“Fine!” I turned away.
“I’m sorry,” he grunted. “Julianna, do I need to beg? What or who is the Purple Sun? What does that mean?”
I closed my eyes. “It’s …” I took a deep breath, preparing to make him swear a blood oath, swearing he wouldn’t tell a soul what I was about to reveal. Because it could get him killed. Because it could get me killed. Because it had gottenhimkilled. I met Dario’s eyes. “Once you know this,” I said, “you can’t unknow it. So if you abandon us?—”
“I won’t,” he said, his eyes filling with fire. “I’m not leaving you.”
He started to reach for my hand, and on instinct I pulled back. I didn’t like to be touched. Not without warning. Not by most people.
“I didn’t mean—” Dario took a deep breath, his hand making a fist. “Sorry, I won’t touch you. You have my word. I shouldn’t have even—It’s just instinct.” He stepped back, and held his hands up as if to reassure he’d keep his word. He frowned, his eyes searching mine. They softened. “You know you’re safe with me, right? I promised Lyriana. But more than that, I remember when Rhyan wrote to you—the friendship you two had—it meant a lot to him. He was so determined to get you out; you have noidea. So if he—Fuck. If he’s not here, and Lyr isn’t … I am. And I know I’m not what you want. Or who.” He exhaled sharply.
I looked him over. He was sincere. I’d been around enough men to know the difference, to know which ones spoke out of their ass, spoke to get something, and then the few rare ones who spoke true. Rhyan had been one. And Dario was as well.
He looked miserable as he met my gaze. “Rhyan’s better at all of this than me. Look, I don’t know what you’ve been through, or what to say to you to make it better or how to help. I only know how to protect, and how to fight. So for you, I will. I swear it. I give my oath to you, Julianna.Me sha, me ka.” He pressed his fist to his chest, tapping it twice, before flattening his palm across his heart. “I will keep you safe.”
I looked around the foyer of the inn. We were still alone. Cal and Marisol were the only people nearby. And they already knew my secret.
