I’m not going to hurt you.
And it appears he hasn’t. Still, my pulse quickens. Testing, I shift my legs, surreptitiously checking for any sign of…that.
“You were dying.” He keeps his voice level as I swing my gaze back to him. “The cold… we had to warm you up quickly. Your dress was soaked through. That’s all.”
“I would like to point out that I was strongly against this plan.” The almost sleepy words murmured in my ear make me tense again. “I’m not in the habit of climbing into bed with naked women who can’t consent.”
“Darian.” The other male sighs. “You’re not helping.”
When he shifts, a rush of cold air hits my skin. Instinctively, I flinch back, into the warmth behind me. “Where am I?”
The hoarse words sound barely audible.
“Umbraxis,” the blue-eyed male says carefully. “You’re in Umbraxis. My name is Eres, and this is Darian.”
“Pleasure,” the voice murmurs again. “And you would be?”
I lick my dry lips. Eres follows the movement, a dip between his brows. “Lyra.”
A moment of silence passes.
“Well, Lyra,” Darian shifts behind me. “You seem quite warm and alive to me, so I’ll just—”
“Stay,” Eres says, holding up his hand. “Lyra, do you remember what happened?”
I slowly nod. “They burned the village.”
The children. The screams.
“They?” Eres’s voice sharpens. “Not you?”
I shake my head once more. “I tried to stop them.”
And I failed. My throat grows thick. “I couldn’t stop them.”
I wonder if the boy escaped. I hope so. I hope he’s not lost in the Veilspire, alone and wandering. Maybe he found another village.
The back of my eyes burn, and I don’t try to hide it from them. “What happens to me now?”
I need a new plan.
I had planned to slip inside Umbraxis under my own steam. To make my way to Kaelen Duskbane, story prepared, and ask for sanctuary.
This is not what I planned. To wake up injured and naked, pressed between two Darkwielders who actually seem concerned for my wellbeing.
Reassess.
Find Kaelen Duskbane.
Act weak. Delicate. Vulnerable.
The two men exchange glances over my head. Eres opens his mouth—
The hammering sound that echoes around us makes all three of us jump.
“Fuck.” Behind me, Darian stiffens. “Eres—”
Before he can say any more, a muffled roar sounds, and I twist my head in time to see the large, carved wooden doorcrack. The wood creaks, the crack appearing down the center.
