She’d said it as a joke, but it was obviously true—for better or worse. She’d left everything behind to come here—for him. And though she struggled with the sacrifices that had entailed, she reminded herself that she didn’t regret it.
Besides, a part of her still hoped that she could have everything she needed in the end—Ty, her new friends, her Coven, and her sister. There was still hope for that, she told herself, if they broke the bond and helped everyone to understand.
“Good. Let’s go then,” he said, taking her hand, and leading her again towards the unknown.
Chapter Twenty
Ty
AfterpartingwayswithSteig, Lara, and Turner, Ty led Ena through the dark undercaves to a smaller, less-traveled staircase at the other end.
It was adorable how she clung close to him, as if the oppressive darkness both frightened and enchanted her. He’d grown up in these caves, constantly in and out of the blackness, so he didn’t even think about it anymore. But seeing them now through her eyes made it feel special again—and it was just one more way that being with her made him feel so much morealivethan he’d felt in years. For so long, he’d just been going through the motions—surviving, meeting his responsibilities, and shoving down his anger—but not really living.
Now, he felt like he was finally, truly living again. And he didn’t want to stop. He wanted to show her everything wonderful about his home.
He reached for her hand as they ascended the stairs, holding the darkrock lantern in front of them. The closer they got to thetop, the warmer and more humid the air became again, and he felt Ena breathe a sigh of relief next to him.
He glanced over at her to see that her face was pensive. Even in the dim light he could see that something was on her mind.
“Are you alright?” he asked, breaking the silence of their hike up the rough stone staircase. “Is theallucinaestill affecting you?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t think so, it’s just… I heard Greya when I was in the peak of it. She called to me.”
“Oh,” Ty said, understanding dawning. “You miss your sister.”
Ena nodded, a small sad smile on her face.
“I’m sorry if you didn’t enjoy it, theallucinae. I never would’ve made you do it if I thought the hallucinations would turn on you,” Ty said, guilt washing over him.
“No, no,” she said, squeezing his hand in reassurance. “I did enjoy it. It was fun, and different. And the hallucination wasn’t all bad…it was actuallysonice to hear her voice. I just feel so guilty about how we left things, and yes, I do miss her. I wish I could make things right again.”
“Ena,” Ty said, turning to her as they reached the top of the staircase. “I want you to know I’ll do everything in my power to reunite you with her once we break the bond.” He paused, hoping she could hear in his voice how much he meant it. “I know you made the decision to come with me, and I’m so glad you did, but I never want you to have to sacrifice what makes you who you are just to help me. I know what that feels like.”
He’d spent his entire life sacrificing half of himself to make his uncle and the rest of his people happy, to fit fully as a daemon and ignore what else he could be, so he knew firsthand some of the divided feelings she must have.
Ena released his hand, bringing her own up to stroke his arm, running it down his shoulder gently. “I know you will,” she said. “And I won’t deny that I’m a bit sad, but lately…I feel hopeful.Hopeful that if we break the bond, she’ll understand. That Heran and the rest of my Coven might come to understand, too, and that maybe…you and I could still be together. And we wouldn’t have to hide.”
Ty’s heart swelled. He had the same hope. He wanted so badly for that to be true, his mind refused to accept any other option.
He reached out, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him to brush a kiss against her soft, plump lips. She smelled like blackberries and it instantly made him hard, but that wasn’t the point of this kiss. He wanted her to feel how deeply he wanted that too. Could she sense it? The hope that she kindled inside him?
“I want that too,” he said simply, pulling back. “Now come on, beautiful. We’re almost there.”
As they emerged from the staircase, the sound of rushing water became unmistakable, and he heard Ena gasp in realization.
“Are we…?” Her voice trailed off as they entered the wide, intricately carved archway that led into the hot springs.
The cavern was huge, almost as big as the Great Antre, and filled with a vast lake that took up over half of the space. The water was a murky teal, and it seemed to glow in the blue light of the darkrock lanterns that illuminated the walls of the cave and the narrow rocky pathway that surrounded it.
The steam coming from the lake visibly swirled through the air as the water bubbled gently—pockets of air bursting to the surface as the groundwater flowed naturally upwards, filling the lake.
The light bubbling sound was complemented by the sound of water rushing through several strategically placed aqueducts, carrying the warm water away from the lake into the pipelines Imbued with Jyn’s Power and throughout the rest of the Underworld.
He watched as Ena took in the space, her eyes roaming over the steaming lake in awe. “This is…” She trailed off, seeming at a loss for words.
“You like it?” Ty asked, feeling a smile come over him at her wonder.
“It’s absolutely incredible,” she said in disbelief.
