Are Crowe’s chains still with Rau’s body? I projected the thought as I felt Pica grow restless behind me. She wasn’t a woman known for patience, and she wasn’t very good at standing still without doing something insane.
“Yes.” Coen spoke immediately, his eyes fixed steadfastly on Pica now. He was answering my question without alerting Pica to the fact. “It would seem that she is allowing you to say goodbye. But you need us to get to Rau’s body, so it isn’t goodbye just yet.”
I need to get to those chains.
“None of you are permitted to touch my daughter,” Pica announced. “If any of you try, I will have no hesitation in driving this knife through her. It is a special knife, made just for her.”
“We will need to travel through a pocket to get to the vault,” Aros argued, stepping forward slowly. “I will need to touch you both to transport you.”
“No,” Pica argued. “You will transport me alone. Once we are there, my server will bring Willy to me.”
“As you wish,” Aros replied. He held out his hand, then, the movement gracious despite the way his jaw was clenched and his eyes narrowed.
“The four of you may go first.” Pica spoke to the others.
It’s okay.I sent out my thoughts.I have a plan. Trust me.
They disappeared with one last glance at me, until only Aros remained, his hand still extended.
“How obedient you all are suddenly.” Pica laughed, releasing me and reaching for Aros’s hand.
For just a moment, I could tell that Aros considered killing her right then and there, but I quickly shook my head and his grimace deepened. Pica and her server were my only way out of the room. I needed them both. Aros and Pica disappeared, leaving only me and DJ—who was standing peacefully in the corner, her hands folded before her. I briefly thought about Brianna, the server I had turned into a god earlier, and then I was thinking about Emmy and Cyrus, wondering who had escaped safely and who hadn’t.
“Where did you find Abil’s sons?” I asked her. “Were they somewhere safe?”
“The Sacred Sons of the Blessed Abil were safe,” she replied. “There were many people there.”
“Where was there?” I pressed.
She hesitated before glancing back down. “I am not permitted to freely answer all of your questions, Sacred One. It is the role of your mother to receive your questions and to be there to guide you with her wise answers.”
I fought back a groan, but was saved a response when she suddenly began to move toward me, her hand extended. I didn’t even bother asking anything, I just let her take hold of me and embraced the darkness that closed in around me.
I didn’t so easily embrace the feeling of being yanked into a too-tight hold as the cool metal of the dagger reappeared at my neck.
“Remember”—Pica’s voice was in my ear, though she seemed to be talking to the others—“if anyone comes near her, she’s gone. No touching her.”
You still can’t kill her, I cautioned, seeing the looks on their faces.There’s something I need from her first.
I could tell from the dimly lit stone hallway that we were back in Sienna’s vault, and Pica walked me after the silent Abcurses as they turned their backs and strode toward a large vault door. Aros opened it with a key that someone had either retrieved before Pica was brought there, or else he had been carrying on his person. Both options were plausible, knowing the Abcurses. They entered the vault first and a dim light filled the room. It wasn’t like the light from the rest of the vault, so I assumed that Siret had created it. Pica walked me into the room slowly, but her tight grip on me faltered as soon as she saw Rau.
He was on the floor, spread-eagled, one end of Crowe’s chains still attached to one of his wrists. His eyes were closed, his cheeks ashen. There was no movement in his chest—no signs of breathing or life. He appeared dead, and technically … he was dead. Whatever remained of him was only a tiny sliver of a soul, and it had been ripped apart from the rest of him.
“I will need to concentrate, Pica,” I muttered, as her body behind me began to shiver.
I wasn’t sure if she was experiencing grief, excitement, or yet another psychotic episode, but I also didn’t care. I just needed her to take the damn knife away from my throat. Instead, she tightened her grip on me again and walked us both to Rau, forcing the Abcurses to step away. She knelt down beside him, dragging me with her.
“Bring him back, Willy.” Her voice trembled, her eyes full of hope as she reached out to lay a hand on his cheek. “Bring him home to us, so that we can finally be a family.”
“I just need to get the chains off him,” I told her, reaching for the cuff around his wrist. “And then I can start the process.”
She eased the knife away, allowing me the freedom to bend over the chains, though she still didn’t allow any real space between our bodies. I was fine with that, because it suited my plan … but I would need to act quickly.
I am going to drag her back to the imprisonment realm, I announced in my mind, glancing up in time to see several of them step forward from the wall that they had been standing against. I shook my head again to warn them from overreacting, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to fend them off for long. They didn’t want to chance almost losing me again like the last time I had dragged someone to the imprisonment realm, but I was confident in my plan. With the chainsandthe dagger, not only would I be able to imprison Pica, but I would be able to take the weight of one whole soul back with me.
I would be able to bring Jakan back.
I need you to trust me, I urged them. I love each of you. I will be back.
