Her body moved without thinking—several small, retreating steps. Pain flared, but she didn’t stop.
Damien paused, his eyes searching her face. Slowly, he eased back a step, giving her space.
“You’re okay,” he said, uncertain, as if he needed to hear it to believe it himself.
“Yes,” she answered hollowly. The weight of everything she had endured pressed down on her and the apple she was still chewing turned bland on her tongue; she forced herself to swallow it down.
Though she had been mocked and humiliated: Her hair hacked off, her nails pried from their beds, her body bled dry . . . It was her heart that ached the most. Looking at Damien no longer brought her that comforting sense of safety. She felt exposed, weaker than she ever had, but she didn’t admitany of that to him, instead she said, “I never want to see another human again.”
“You’ll be safe in Eloria. I will make sure of that.” He spoke with such conviction she almost believed his lies.
But that’s all his words were.Lies.Sweet, poisonous lies were all that men seemed capable of giving her.
A scuffing sound drew her attention. She startled, turning to find Gregory a few feet away, pawing the ground. “Alright, starlight and shadows,” he said lightly, though the tightness in his eyes betrayed the forced calm. “We should get moving before someone notices a trio of unicorns standing out in the open.”
Luna blinked at him, her thoughts moving at a sloth’s pace. “I don’t think I can transform. How are we going to get there?”
“We left horses when we came for your rescue. They are long gone by now. We will have to travel as we are.”
Something sank in her chest. Walking—on shattered hooves—seemed as impossible as climbing Mount Marmen. It was the largest mountain in Ghelvina, said to hold tales of the darkest horrors at its peak. Of course, no one who had climbed it and reached the top had survived to confirm whether the stories were true.
Surely there had to be a better option. Wouldn’t it be dangerous to roam the countryside as unicorns? What if a group of humans spotted them? If they didn’t torture her for her magic like Tyrina, they’d probably try to snatch her up for a ridiculous reward from the king. The idea of being dragged back to the palace to be imprisoned and made a slave to a wicked king’s magical whims sent a cold shiver sliding down her spine.
Luna shifted her weight and a sharp cry escaped her before she could stop it. Her foreleg buckled slightly under her, the arrow wound flaring with fresh pain.
In an instant, Damien’s shadow magic wrapped around her injured leg, dark tendrils weaving over the wound. She felt the deep, searing ache lessen as the magic stitched the torn flesh, easing the immediate damage.
But the exhaustion didn’t lift. Her broken hooves remained, her body weak and trembling; her magic reserves hollowed out.
Damien motioned to Gregory, who nodded and walked over to Luna. “Your magic cannot be replenished with other magic.” Luna nodded, recalling Damien explaining how magic was restored—his was with the night, and hers—well, she couldn’t remember how hers was replenished. The sun or stars, perhaps? “Nor can magic grow your hair or help with your hooves, but I can help, at least, numb the pain a little.”
She nodded wearily.
Gregory gently pressed the tip of his horn to her shoulder, and a green light pulsed, washing through her, numbing the worst of the pain.
“Thank you,” she whispered, the words sticking in her throat.
Energy funneled through her, as if Gregory had breathed life back into her. Her legs no longer shook beneath her, and for a moment, she felt like she could run the rest of the way to their destination.
She took a single step forward, less than convinced. Her bruised body ached with fatigue, the pain present but duller, as if muffled by a thick wall.
Gregory tipped his head. “It’s the least I can do.”
Pity coloured his gaze, and Luna turned away, suddenly acutely aware of her brokenness.
Shame filled her.
Whatever strength she had gathered now hung off her like a tattered cloth, stripped down to sorrow and self-consciousness.
Chapter 33
Are We There Yet?
They travelled through the backcountry, following the river as their guide. It weaved between mountains that rose like giants, making the ones they’d crossed days ago seem like hills.
Luna trailed behind Damien and Gregory, her steps slow. Exhaustion weighed down on her, and pain gnawed at her body—persistent, but at least no longer all-consuming thanks to Gregory.
Every few moments, Damien glanced over his shoulder to check on her, his eyes lingering long enough to ensure she was still keeping pace.
