“I just want some clothes,” I replied numbly, casting worried glances at a fading Slate.
Forest grasped Chrome by the nape of his neck, jerking him flush against his chest. “Come with me. Now.”
“Fine.” Chrome pried my father’s fingers from his body as if he’d carried an infectious disease before he strode closer to me to retrieve his torn shirt.
Without another word, the two left, leaving me in shambles on the cold and dank floor.
“I’ll be okay, Gray. I promise,” Slate rasped, his voice barely audible. “We’ll get out of here.”
Sobs wracked my body as I dug my teeth into my bottom lip. “I’m so sorry, Slate.”
“Don’t be. I’ll heal, Princess. The Angel blood in me is weakened with these cuffs, but it's enough for me to recover.”
“But what if I don’t?” I pressed my forehead against my bent knees, letting grief drown me in its vicious waters once again.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Cotton
Night fell during the ride to the Wind Kingdom, but the ceraber never stopped. She kept going, and we were fine with that. I had no way of knowing how much further we had before we arrived, but I could only hope it wouldn’t be too long.
I was pretty sure Onyx had fallen asleep against my back along the way at some point. My mind wouldn’t allow me that luxury, but it begged the question, what had he been through that he could sleep in this position?
As the sun began to rise, the ceraber slowed her pace. Onyx shifted, his hands slipping from around my waist and massaging my shoulders. “Been a while since I woke up to you.”
Heat rose up my neck and face again, remembering back to the days when we’d fall asleep for an afternoon nap after getting lost in each other. Back then, one of us would wake up in a panic, fearing being late or missing a training session.
We still journeyed through the forest, but I sat up with Onyx following suit when I noticed the trees began to shift and move out of our path, creating a clear shot ahead as the ceraber calmly walked.
The edge of the forest came into view, and the scent of brine andseawater hit my senses. I’d only ever been to the beach once before in my life. When I was a child, probably around the age of six, my parents took a small vacation to the beach in South Carolina. I’d loved it, until I’d gotten stung by a jellyfish. After that, I never trusted the beach again. Too many unknowns lurking in the sea. I couldn’t even imagine what would be hiding beneath these magical waters.
A pebbled beach emerged, and the closer we got to it, the stronger the winds grew. Gusts of wind battered my face, forcing my hair to lie flat against my skull. My eyes began to water, so I angled my head against my shoulder to avoid the onslaught.
“Are we lost?” Onyx shouted into the wind.
I shrugged, feeling like there should’ve been something here. Surely this couldn’t be the end of our journey.
The ceraber carried us further into the airy barrage until the beach dropped off into a raging sea. She stopped, lowering herself onto her belly. I turned around to look at Onyx, stupidly expecting him to know what was to happen from here.
He didn’t.
The bear gave a low growl, her back rumbling between my thighs, and we both jumped before swinging our legs over and sliding off the Celestial creature.
My legs were shaky, I presumed from hours of squeezing onto her with my knees for dear life, but I ignored the ache, looking around in search of any clue.
I was beginning to think we’d made a mistake when a strong gust of wind slammed into me, knocking me back to bump into Onyx. He grabbed hold of my shoulders to steady me, taking his time to slide his hands slowly down my arms. I shivered.
The gust of wind transformed into a current of air, cycling around the three of us. I squinted when a flame grew within the current, expanding more and more until we became encircled in a ring of wind-fire.
Onyx and I tensed, unsure if we were beingthreatened or not. The ceraber appeared unbothered, remaining on her belly and closing her eyes.
A face appeared within the flames, something I’d never seen before, accompanied by a deep male voice. “Who are you and why have you traveled to the Wind Kingdom?”
Onyx took the opportunity to speak. “We’re here for the Princ—I mean, Queen Gray Monroe.”
The fire increased its circulating speed. “The queen…” he said. “Unfortunately, you just missed her. She was taken in an unprecedented ambush just last night. As well as her Guardian.”
“Fuck.” Onyx ran his fingers through his hair, his darker complexion paling a few shades. “Who? Who took her?”
