“You justtookfrom another ring?” The cadence of her voice draws my gaze down to her, where her top lip is curling.
I tilt my head, an inhale catching in my throat. “Of course. You are to be the next queen, Rhea. You have every right—”
“Queen,” she interrupts, avoiding my eyes as she looks out to the garden, her lips pressed into a thin line. “That’s right.”
I frown at the look on her face. The edges of my vision flicker, shadows rolling in like storm clouds as the forest darkens. Had she really been so disappointed?
“Rhea—”
“Are you ready to go?” She smiles, but it’s the one she used to give me when we were first getting to know each other. It was meant to be reassuring, like I wouldn’t be able to tell that it was a mask. Even back then, I spent way too much time memorizing every facet of her face. I could see through her attempts to pacify me, and this was no exception.
Her steps are soft against the white stone as she walks ahead of me, her gaze drawn to the ring on her hand as sheholds it out in front of her. As if she can sense me watching her, she stiffens and drops it down to her side.
My heart beats wildly in my chest as panic creeps in. No, she was happy—ecstatic about the proposal. About becoming my wife. The shadows creep farther in, and so do my doubts. Is the memory I hold of that day actually what happened or a mere projection of what Iwishedto see? Sweat beads at my temples and on the back of my neck, my next breath hissing out through clenched teeth as pain radiates from the space behind my heart and down my torso.
My steps falter, and my knees crash to the stone, but Rhea keeps walking.
“Rhea— Ah!” The sound of her name makes that unbearable ache singe me from within, making air impossible to take in. I call for her again, watching as she continues towards the door with the stained-glass window, leaving me alone as darkness takes over.
It’s my gasp of air that wakes me from the dream, my body launching upright as my hands slam down on my face, covering my eyes. It takes minutes for my heart to calm, the pressure behind my eyes threatening to explode with every breath I take. By the time I feel more in control, my body is coated in sweat and my stomach is revolting against the meal I consumed earlier. I barely make it to the bathroom before heaving it up, and when I’m finished, I hobble over to the shower, turning it to the coldest setting.
It was only a dream.A nightmare. A figment of my imagination. I had seen the same scenario play out in my head for weeks, and yet, like a splinter beneath my skin, I can’t ignore it. Not the way I saw Rhea’s happiness wither away at the mention of being queen.
Stepping into the shower, I plant my hands on the tiles in front of me, my head hanging between my shoulders as the icywater batters my back.It was only a dream. But Rhea did have doubts. When the guard who dragged me back here had read her private thoughts aloud, that had been made clear.
I curl my fingers in towards my palms while my heartbeat pulses in a rhythm far too fast.No.I pound a fist against the tile. “It was only a dream,” I murmur, shaking my head.Fuck.Wasshe happy that I proposed to her? That she left a life of horrors only to be thrown into a chamber full of judgmental men and women who didn’t think she was good enough to be my godsdamn wife? Who would want to stay in a situation like that?
Nox Flynn Daxel, you will be my husband.
My chest heaves while everything blurs in my mind until it’s all muddled into something unrecognizable.It was only a dream. My magic—the small amount I can feel—rises, attempting to answer the call of my agony as I send my fist into the tile again, trying to ground myself. But my body is made of pain and my mind is shrouded in an illusion of time that I can’t decipher as real or not. Blood streaks the tile, the crimson against stark white shocking me back into the present.
Blinking water out of my lashes, I push away from the wall, unsteady on my feet. Turning my hand over, I direct my magic to heal my knuckles, disappointed but unsurprised to find that I barely have enough to close the cuts. White bursts over my vision as I sway, my pulse just as erratic as my thoughts. I am too weak—too fuckingvulnerableright now. It’s why I attempted to collect guards I thought I could trust to go and retrieve her. I knew I’d be captured and killed at best or captured and tortured in front of her at worst in my current condition. But, somehow, Kallin had found out about my plan, and stopped the guards only miles outside of Galdr.
It was only a dream. I’m not sure anymore, but I know that I love Rhea. I know that I will do anything to ensure she is safe, even if I’m no longer with her.
I finish my shower and get dressed, grabbing a black cloak and clasping it over me. Heading out to the sitting room, I pull open the slider door and peer into the darkness. Cold air brushes against my face, my skin breaking out in goosebumps.
I’ve watched the guards over the past few days, mapping shift changes. Most are posted at the entrances, while small groups rotate to patrol the woods surrounding us. With the heavy increase in guard activity, there’s no chance I can sneak out using any of the main doors, and while my secret garden feeds out into the rest of the forest, the thought of walking through that place right now is too much for me to bear.
Gripping tightly to the thick railing of the balcony, I heave myself up, crouching low as I scout out a path to the grounds below. There had been times in my youth when I had thoughtlessly jumped from a height like this, relying on the magic that flowed through my veins. After all, I had been praised for the power I had done nothing to gain; why wouldn’t I act as if its presence would be an infinite thing? Whywouldn’tI be a bit reckless with it?
The council saw that recklessness and mistook it as me wanting freedom, so they acted quickly. Growing up, my magic went from something that was solely mine to the shield and sword of the kingdom. Now that it can no longer be those things, I find myself free falling, staring down at the ground from a dizzying height and wondering if that is all my value had ever been. Or at least, all it was before Rhea.
A gust of wind shakes me, and I focus on my route down.
Though my progress is slow, my steps are sure as I scale the wall of the palace, vines draping from above helping to keep my balance while my feet find divots in the rock. By the time I make it to the ground, my breaths are labored and my head is dizzy as I lean against the stone façade. No, I certainly can’t rescue Rhea in this state, but I don’t need to go against a king and his army tobring her justice. The irony of that thought almost brings a smile to my lips. Rhea wouldhateanyone being harmed in her name, even those who deserve it. But I had promised her that I would destroy each and every realm, including my own, to ensure she stayed safe, and I hadfailed. All that is left now is to sacrifice the only thing I have remaining—myself.
Taking a deep drag of air, I pull my hood up over my head and push away from the wall, palming the daggers strapped to my belt and confirming they are secure. Leaves rustle beneath my boots as I dart into the forest, relying solely on my hearing to alert me if anyone is near since I can’t sense their magical signatures. There is no moonlight to guide me, but I know these woods like the back of my hand. I move as quickly as I can, keeping to the shadows that I used to wield. When I finally reach a break in the canopy, I’m relieved to see that it’s still deep into the night. I won’t have long to linger here, especially if anyone recognizes me.
Colter is a very small village that is technically within the city limits of Galdr but has managed to keep its identity separate from the capital for centuries. Unlike the lights and bustle of the Galdr Square, Colter is known for only two things: seedy inns and bars. It’s the kind of place you go when you want a distraction—when you want to escape. But it’salsoa place for hiding those who would rather not be found.
Cass and Daje had tried their best to comb through the guards that were working in the palace the night of the ball, but they hadn’t been successful before their departure with Elora to the Fae Kingdom. Everything—from identifying those who betrayed us to rescuing Rhea—feels as if it is dependent on hypotheticals that become more out of reach with each second that passes. I am tired of waiting, tired ofknowingthat she is withhim,reliving her nightmares all over again.
Though the possibility of finding the guard who laughed as he read Rhea’s most private thoughts is low, something keeps bringing me back to this place. Hoping that maybe, over the men playing cards and the women lounging on their laps, I might hear the voice that haunts my waking thoughts.
The air shifts when The Shallow Inn and Tavern comes into view, and I ensure my hood is firmly in place before I open the rickety wooden door, ale and sweat immediately stinging my nostrils. When I first chose to scout the guards, my surveillance had been cut short when an intoxicated woman became upset that I declined her advances and tugged my hood down, exposing my face to the entire tavern. Luckily, in their various drunken states, no one batted an eye to my reveal.
Still, I stick to the edge of the tavern, choosing a seat at a back table that gives me a view of the entire space. As much as I can see beneath the sparsely lit chandeliers above anyway.
