“What? She’s not here, though,”I said, caughtoff guard.
Valik made a snorting sound in my head.“Obviously. That’s because she’s in the Wind Kingdom.”
I frowned.“The Wind Kingdom? Isn’t that where the Druids live?”
“It is. And if you are what I believe you are, then you’ll be able to enter their domain.”
“Okay, before we get onto that, do you know anything about someone named Slate Helair?”
“What about Slate?”Valik asked it in such a casual manner that it made my heart drop.
“You know Slate?”Why hadn’t he mentioned this before?
“Of course, I know Slate. He’s been staying with me for the past however many years he’s been pretending to be dead.”
“And you’ve failed to mention that little fact to me because…”
“It never came up.”
I massaged my temples as if I could rub the headache from my skull.“Did you know he was with Gray this entire time?”
“I had a strong suspicion.”
“Well, is he with her now?”I pressed, hoping for some clarity.
“They are together in the Wind Kingdom. Brecken has them now, but we need her here. And I think you might be the only shot we have at accomplishing that.”
“Okay.”I nodded with a sigh, ready to get him out of my head so this migraine could go away.
Scarlett began to stir, and I leaned my head back against the seat.
“Could you wake the fuck up now? I don’t know how much longer I can withstand this pain.”
“Wish I could. When I opened the portal this last time, I essentially disentangled the fabric of the universe to allow so many people to walk through it. It completely drained me, so I’ll probably be out for another day or so.”
“Gods,”I said, shaken by his vast power, wondering where he came from and what he was. I ranmy fingers through my hair to smooth it to the side as I focused on staying on task.“Any idea where I can find the Wind Kingdom?”
“Tali. Talk to her. And don’t go alone.”
I glanced over at Scarlett. Her eyelids cracked open as she came to, and she sat up once she spotted me standing. “Where are you going?”
“Okay. Well…”I began, still speaking mentally to Valik.“Rest up, I suppose. I’ll be on my way.”
“Best of luck, Sjodin. Come back with our queen.”
I nodded, despite knowing that he couldn’t see me. Directing my focus on Scarlett, I said to her mind,“To find Gray.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chrome
Ilanded just outside Goshen Castle. All the emotions that had been absent yet fighting for air for the past several months smothered me from the inside out. My chest wanted to explode. My longing for Gray choked me as Orion’s teal eyes pleaded for me to help him. I’d killed him. The only family I had left, or so I had thought.
When I’d watched Slate and Gray in the woods, I’d been furious. Despite my infinite love for Gray, the hurt I felt from her betrayal had twisted into a possessive rage that was toxic and cruel, wanting nothing more than to punish them slowly for what they’d done while under the control of the Syphon Bond. I couldn’t get the image and sounds of them out of my mind. They were permanently scarred there, and each replay was only a deeper cut in my heart. I couldn’t fault Gray, given everything that had happened. She’d believed that Slate had been dead for so long with no goodbye, no closure. I could only imagine that when she discovered it was by my design, it only fueled her desire more.
At least she was alive and not in Forest and Celanea’s hands—therest I could handle. I’d brought it all upon myself. But nothing could ever change my love for her.
The air sat heavier outside the gates of the Goshen Castle. The color of the sky was tinged three shades darker than the rest of Arcadia, like the tainted magic sucked the vibrance from the realm.
