I shake my head and pull away; the night still haunts me. “We have to leave.”
“We will.” He tightens his grip on my shoulders. “I swear to you.”
“Now. Today. We must go today. We get Aurora, we take her and we leave. Together. No more fear, no more control, and no more Conri. The three of us, and then…just you and me. Forever.”
A scowl nastier than the worst urges of the most foul furrows his brow. When Evander speaks, it’s little more than a growl. “What did he do?”
“He—”
“What is it?” Aurora has emerged from her quarters, already looking alarmed. Her attention lands on me. “What’s wrong?”
I wonder if she could somehow sense through our connection that things were amiss. Perhaps that’s why she looks so alert despite just waking. Rather than answering, I step away from Evander. He slackens his grip, and just that small act reminds me how good it feels to be in the arms of a man who will just as easily hold me close as let me go. Taking him by the hand, I lead him to the edge of the sunken pit before the fire. Aurora follows suit and we both sit, Evander opting to stand at the edge, angled toward the entry—remaining our loyal defender and just far enough away should anyone enter.
“Last night…” I proceed to tell them everything that happened with Conri. It sounds so little as I say it all. How is it that such a small amount of time passed with such few words and yet everything changed? I finish with, “…I don’t know what else to do but leave. Unless one of you has a better idea?”
Aurora crosses her arms and leans back into the pillows, staring at the flames with a scowl as deep as Evander’s. “The bastard,” she mutters under her breath.
“We have to leave.” It’s little more than a whisper, and I can’t tell if it’s because Evander is making an attempt to be quiet. Or if it’s because he has so much rage on my behalf that if he’s not whispering, he’s screaming.
“Aurora?” I ask.
She continues to stare into the flames. I can only imagine what’s going through her mind. Lifetimes of subjugation. Of being controlled and passed around. Of watching her power being reduced to little more than a tool for mortals who fail to appreciate its might.
But, also…it has been lifetimes. For all the hatred and hurt she must have, this is all she’s known for so long. Does she even remember what it feels like to be her complete self? Does she truly believe it could happen? The questions alone are heartbreaking.
“All right.” The way she says those two words makes me wonder if she was going through the same thoughts as I was. Processing them each on her terms. She sits a little straighter, as if gathering herself and her composure for the first time in a long time. “We’ll go tonight.”
“Is it wise to wait that long?” I keep glancing toward the archway, feeling like at any moment Conri will come rushing through, demanding my life or my womb.
“My powers will be stronger at night,” she says. “If we need to summon spirits and I need to offer you any extra energy, I’ll have the most to give then.”
“The day will offer you time to gather supplies.” Evander’s tone is still low and harsh. His biceps bulge as they tense, arms folded.
“I did say I would gather supplies for a fertility spell.” I run my hands over my face, rubbing away the tortured emotions that keep trying to live there. “I was also thinking I could use that as a pretense to gather whatever we might need, or even as a shield to escape under.”
“Yes, get the supplies and organize yourselves. While you do that, I can plan out a distraction to allow you two to slip away,” Evander says.
I’m on my feet. “You’re coming with us.”
“I will.” He holds out his hands, quickly reassuring me by rubbing my shoulders. “But you two are not going to be able to get out of here without some kind of excuse to take eyes off of you. You can’t outrun him without a head start. Once Conri realizes you’re gone—and I’ll stall that as long as possible—I’ll then ensure I’m the one sent after you. I’ll join you. By the time he realizes we’re not coming back, we’ll be near the wall of the elves.”
“And to safety,” I finish softly. “But why would Conri send you if we escaped under your watch?”
“You won’t be under my watch. I’ll see to it that another knight is guarding you, emphasizing my competence in the process. You never escaped under my watch, but under someone else’s you did. ‘Send me,’ is what I’ll tell him.” Evander smiles. It doesn’t reach his eyes. It’s forced. “I’ll be all right.”
“We can find another way; you need—I needyou to be there with us.” The idea of him staying behind is gutting me.
“He’s right, Faelyn,” Aurora says softly, still transfixed by the flames. “We’re not going to get out of here without some kind of distraction to keep Conri busy. And you or I can’t be the ones to make that distraction.”
I keep focused on Evander. My face twists again with the pain that feels as though it’s trying to rip apart every corner of my heart. His smile relaxes into something genuine. Evanderreaches down and dares to cup my cheek, holding it and my heart at the same time.
“It’ll be all right,” he says softly.
“How can you be so sure?” I breathe, reaching up to cover his hand with my own, pressing it against my face. I need to know he’s here.
“Because fate brought us together again, it won’t tear us apart.” He’s confident and I try to make that confidence my own.
Evander’s right hand reaches for my left. His thumb rubs over the yellow twine he tied around my finger. From the corners of my eyes, I can see Aurora shift, glancing at the motion. But she turns back to the fire, offering us privacy.
