A few rocks tumbled from the hole at the top of the wall. I stiffened and put my body in front of hers when a muffled voice sounded. “Get out of the way, you two!”
We rushed to the far corner as the mountain of stones trembled, and, in the next second, half the wall came crashing down.
We were free.
But it felt like I’d found myself in an even more dangerous trap.
38
Clarissa
The cave-in was evidently the final straw. For my family, at least. I was now treated like porcelain, not allowed to go five feet without someone glued to my side. They begged me to keep my head down. To stay quiet and not alert the attention of whoever was after me—be that a hired assassin from Veridia or a wronged, bitter citizen of Mysthelm.
I hated it. It went against every instinct in my body. But between my mother’s pleas and my brother’s glowers, I did what they asked. I let Galen do the talking and try to woo his people back into agreement. I let the King’s Guard follow me around like lap dogs. And I did quite a bit of avoiding a certain lord, who had an annoying habit of making nightly appearances in my dreams.
Word had spread of our series of unfortunate incidents across the kingdom, and gossip ranwild. Especially the exaggerated stories about the cave-in and how “close to death” their dear king had been bymyside three times now. There were whispers about me and whether or not I was secretly trying to have Galen murdered so I could take his place, and it made me want to scream.
So much for a quick, easy, painless tour. It felt like I was walking on eggshells everywhere I went.
The only thing I could do was keep the peace. Visit the markets and mountains on Galen’s arm as the dutiful woman these regent families evidently wanted me to be. Sit back during dinners and nod politely, and absolutely donotmake a scene. Let Galen meet his citizens, show them we were a united front, smile, and look pretty.
Lord Stryker would be pleased with how things were shaping up. Mypurpose, as he put it.
But I couldn’t stand aside and watch Galen’s curse continue to ravage Mysthelm. During our days in the South Territory, I kept an eye out for the blight. Mother, Rose, Leo, and I healed as much of the land as we could. We found fields and forests covered in the familiar black death, riverbanks and streams full of decaying fish that had risen to the surface like bubbles. There was no telling how long some of it had been like that. Just another sign that Galen’s curse had taken on a life of its own.
When we weren’t off touring the territory, our little group made a nightly habit of commandeering the drawing room once Lord and Lady Penworth went to bed. It had become my favorite part of the trip so far, being able to unwind and relax with people I felt comfortable with.
“What I want to know is why he thinks he can just send people across the Avonige Ocean without either of our councils being aware,” Galen said after dinner on the third full day we’d been in the south. A common topic of discussion the last couple nights had been Scarven and his Shifters.
Taryn was sprawled across one of the armchairs with her feet straight in the air, trying to balance a half-empty glass of wine on the soles of her shoes. Rose lounged with her head in Leo’s lap on the couch, and Mother sat next to him with her nose stuck in a book. I’d claimed the other armchair while Galen paced in front of the fire.
Thorne was lost in the shadows of the curtain, the moonlight illuminating him every once in a while when the breeze from the open window fluttered the drapes and revealed his form.As far away from me as possible, as had been our unspoken agreement since the cave-in.
When we were forced in the same room together, we stayed on opposite sides. He’d made up excuse after excuse to avoid our daily excursions, and I’d requested to be with my mother instead of joining him and Galen for whatever activities Galen kept inviting us to.
But I always knew he was there. I couldfeelhim. His gaze on my back, his warmth in the night, his low voice that rumbled like thunder over me no matter how far away we stood.
Something had changed in that cave. There had been no one around to see. No one around to care that I’d had my legs around his waist, his hands on my skin, both of us a single breath away from crossing a line we couldn’t come back from. I’d told him it didn’t mean anything, that it was stress and panic manifesting itself in some form of comfort, but we both knew that wasn’t true.
I was constantly aware of him and this cord stretched between us, pulling tighter and tighter each day. Its edges frayed and splintered with every passing glance, every accidental touch, every time we caught each other staring from across the room.
I feared the day it would snap entirely and send both of us flying backward.
“Scarven’s powerful. And arrogant. Thinks he’s untouchable. Like most men who lack self-awareness,” Rose said with a yawn. “Present company excluded, of course.”
“The rumors we heard made it sound like he’s been doing it for a while,” Leo said, tapping his fingers on Rose’s shoulder. “I can’t believe we hadn’t heard about this in all our years with the Sentinels. None of the scouts in Drakorum ever breathed a word of it.”
“Yes, well, they didn’t know dragon Shifters existed either, so I wouldn’t put too much confidence in that,” I said.
Galen’s eyes widened. “Dragons?”
I waved a hand in the air. “Long story. The point is, who knows what they could be up to? They’re practically invisible. I’ll have tohave Scarven investigated once I get back to the empire.” Reaching for my glass of wine, I added, “Or better yet, I can draw out his Shiftershereand take them out while they don’t have access to their magic.”
I’d said it offhandedly, but it actually wasn’t a bad idea.
“You can’t be serious,” Thorne said from his corner of the room, breaking his silence for the first time that night.
I kept my gaze away from his. “Nothing I haven’t handled before. And it’s a smart move. They wouldn’t expect it, and without their magic, they’re not nearly as strong. It would take care of all our problems.”
