I’m about to reply when my father lifts himself upright. By choosing this moment to reveal his identity, I wonder if he wanted to see first if Tyrus was a traitor or not. “Tyrus, my loyal friend.”
Tyrus takes a sharp breath. “The king!”
He appears stunned. So, too, do his men, who all drop to a knee. They stare at Jareth with expressions of shock, rapidly changing to hope.
“The king has returned,” they murmur among themselves.
“But how?” Tyrus asks.
“Thehowcan wait,” I say. “My father’s soul is trapped in the prison and he needs to get to it immediately. You can help us by defending us.”
The prison walls are literally only twenty paces away, but the soldiers are in the way.
Tyrus pulls himself together fast. “Of course. We will give our lives to keep King Jareth safe.”
Standing tall and to attention, he quickly gives orders to the other demon guards, and they disperse from the path and take up positions near the walls and around us. As soon as they clear the way, Jareth hobbles toward the prison’s front wall while Roman takes up a defensive pose with the soldiers.
I learned during my interactions with this place that the prison opens its doors at will, but that the energy within it was becoming more volatile the longer Jareth’s soul was inside it.
Before I follow after Jareth, I pause at Tyrus’s side. “You’re taking a huge risk helping us. If we don’t win this final battle, Crone and Esta will destroy you.”
Tyrus’s expression is grim but determined. “We’re dead either way. Esta is destroying our world. Many demons have died already in the last three days. We can never be her puppets. We will fight to the death for the rightful ruler of Pyra-Mortem.”
My chest grows tight at the loyalty of these demons, which reminds me of the faith my sisters show me. I spent nearly my whole life denying my demon heritage, but now… I belong to both worlds. I’m truly both demon and shifter.
As I hurry after Jareth, I narrow my eyes at the glimmering steel prison. Other than the shifting of its shape that I witnessed a few minutes ago, it seems weirdly calm—especially given the energy storm raging so close by. The last time I visited this place, the prison’s dark energy struck me so hard that I’d flinched.
Roman once warned me that his own energy would be too great for the prison, that he could never enter it, but I’m hoping that Jareth’s energy won’t have any detrimental effect on the prison’s structure because he doesn’t control his full power right now.
Up ahead, my father has stopped within touching distance of the front wall, peering upward, his violet hair bright in the dim light. I’m not sure what he has to do to reunite with his soul—whether or not he has to go inside the building or merely to touch it—but I hope he figures it out soon.
When Koda and I reach his side, I find a new tension in the press of Jareth’s lips and a stillness in his posture. “Father?”
His pupils constrict as he reaches out and presses his palm to the silver surface.
I expect his power to flare, a light to enter his eyes.Something.
I wait for it, but instead, his shoulders hunch and his chest deflates.
“It’s gone,” he whispers. “My soul was once here, but now it’s not.”
CHAPTERFORTY-TWO
Istare at the prison in shock. “No, that’s not possible… Your soul has to be here.”
As if he sensed our turmoil, Roman leaves his post and reaches us a second later, grinding to an abrupt halt. “It’s gone,” he says infuriatingly fast, without even stepping closer to the building.
“How?” I ask, whirling to him. “What could have happened?” Any number of possible scenarios shoot through my mind. “Could it have been destroyed? Did the storm pass over this building already and take the soul’s energy with it?”
“It was Esta.” Koda’s quiet declaration demands my attention. He’s pressing his palm to the prison’s wall. His eyes are glazed over, a look of complete concentration on his face. “She stood right here. I sense her elation. Herbliss. It’s leached into the metal and the ground on which my feet rest.” He pulls away from the building and his eyes clear, becoming focused again. “She must have Father’s soul.”
I’m shaking my head because not in my worst nightmares did I imagine this could happen.
“My soul will be too much for her,” Jareth says, his demon’s claws appearing and his eyes flashing to black. “She won’t be able to control its power.”
“If it’s not here, then we need to move. We need to regroup,” I say urgently. “We’re too exposed, and we’ll only get the soldiers killed if we linger.”
Jareth spins on the spot. “Esta and Crone wanted us to find this. That’s why they haven’t attacked already. They want us on the backfoot and shaken.”
