“I’ve made preparations for us to leave under the cover of night once the timekeepers come. Ena,” he said, addressing her for the first time, all businesslike. There was no room for anything else right now. “Do you think you’re up for it?”
She shifted slightly where she sat on the bed, pushing herself up. “I have to be,” she said. “I don’t want to stay here.”
Her voice was firm. It was clear her decision was made, and Ty didn’t fault her. Everything that had happened, everything he’dlethappen, had clearly traumatized her, and the thought of that brought another wave of crushing grief through him.
“Okay,” he said, nodding confidently, as if his heart wasn’t shattered. “Then we’ll pack and leave in an hour. Turner—meet us at the entrance.”
The man nodded before approaching Steig and pulling him in for a hug, too, followed by Lara. “Stay safe and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he said to them, winking.
Lara snorted. “Can’t promise that. You’d never fuck my husband,” she said lightly.
Turner laughed, pulling her in tighter.
When they finally released each other, Turner took his leave, followed by Steig, who insisted he needed to get back to the kids. Lara stayed a bit longer to help Ena get in the bath and wash away whatever blood still remained, before checking her bandages and helping her pack a bag.
Ty packed his own bags, fitting his weapons and books in with his clothes and travel supplies as efficiently as possible. He really didn’t know how long he’d be gone, so it was hard to prepare.
But there was one final thing they couldn’t forget.
Digging into the trunk at the foot of his bed, he pulled out the wooden box, locked with Ena’s magic, that contained the amulet. Walking over to where Ena stood, somewhat shakily, folding her clothing, he handed it to her.
“Figured you should keep this with you,” he said.
“Okay,” she said, taking the box from him and slipping it into her bag. She avoided eye contact, but he couldn’t tell if she was just tired, or still angry, or sad, or what. He wanted to ask her how she was feeling. Was she okay? Was she dying inside like him? Did every breath of hers hurt too? But he didn’t think he should do that—she’d told him it was over, and he needed to respect that.
Just then, the door cracked open as a timekeeper walked in, their large black hood obscuring their features. Ignoring Ena and Ty, as was the custom, they one by one extinguished the darkrock lanterns that lined the walls, slowly darkening the room until only one remained.
“Not that one please,” Ty requested. “I still have some things to attend to.”
The timekeeper nodded their head solemnly before exiting the room.
Ty turned to Ena. “One more thing before we go,” he said as he approached her cautiously. “Let’s get this collar off you.”
Ena looked down at herimperaecollar, stroking it gently with her fingers as if she’d forgotten it was there.
Ty reached up behind her neck, pulling the pliant metal apart and sliding it forward off her delicate neck. Her pale skin was still mottled with bruising, and he had to swallow the rage that bubbled in him at the sight.
He put the collar down on the table and turned to her once more. “Ready?” he asked.
“Always,” she said, determination filling her eyes.
There’s my viper, he thought, the sentiment automatic. But with a heart-wrenching jolt, he had to remind himself that she wasn’thisanything anymore.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Ena
EnafollowedTythroughthe winding passageways of the Underworld one final time. Her whole body was sore and felt weak, so she had to go slowly, but luckily, her legs were unharmed and she had no trouble walking. Her broken wrist, however, throbbed with every step, and each breath she took made her ribs ache. At least she could crack her other eye to see out of now, though it was still difficult due to the swelling around her broken cheekbone.
Together, they made their way up the long staircase towards the Underworld’s entrance. Ty carried their saddlebags and held a lone, dim lantern in front of them so they could find their way through the dark—all the lanterns on the walls had been extinguished by the timekeepers, but it had the advantage of cloaking their escape. Even without the light, Ena could tell they were going the right way, because with each step they took, the air became fresher—cooler.
She’d been underground for almost a month and hadn’t realized how much she’d missed it—the smell of fresh air, the feeling of the breeze on her face. She was suddenly so eager to see the sky again that she started walking faster, but she couldn’t maintain that for very long and soon had to stop and take a break.
Ty didn’t say a word, just let her set the pace with a look of constant concern on his face, stopping whenever she stopped, and going again when she moved. She was glad for that. As painful as her body was, her heart was worse. She could barely stand to look at him, let alone speak, so she accepted their silence with gratitude.
Eventually, they crested the top of the staircase, and relief filled her to find Turner waiting just outside the entrance with three horses and several saddlebags of his own.
As they stepped out of the Underworld to join him, Ena’s gaze instantly went to the sky. It was clear, displaying the millions of tiny stars that were scattered across it, gathered like an awestruck audience around the full moon.
