I’m fine,Jassyn sent hurriedly down the bridge between them as Vesryn turned him over. Rapidly blinking, Jassyn strained to focus on the blurred face above him.I just can’t move.
Crimson light spiraled from Vesryn’s hands, threading through the air and weaving into the wound on Jassyn’s shoulder. Confusion thrummed through the bond as the prince brushed Jassyn’s neck, tracing the unmistakable fang marks before mending them.
“Who did this?” Vesryn demanded, his hands tightening on Jassyn’s arms. He whipped his head around to scan the edge of the glade. “Are they still here?”
They’re gone,Jassyn said, his ribs shuddering with lingering coughs, each one chafing his throat.Set me up somewhere.I…have a lot to tell you.
Vesryn hooked an arm under Jassyn’s shoulders and hauled him across the grass. Bark scraped his leathers as the prince propped him against a tree before dropping beside him.
“What happened?” Vesryn pressed, every muscle coiled tight.
Jassyn forced himself to unravel the chaotic jumble of memories stolen from Lykor. Fragments and flashes, some fitting together into entire stories.
Worried about how the prince would react, he stalled for time and targeted the water drenching his clothes. Tugging on the liquid, droplets lifted in a fine mist that caught shards of starlight before swirling away, leaving him dry.
“Serenna…” Jassyn rasped, the word rough as he tested his voice. “She’s in the Wastes. With the wraith. She’s safe.”
Vesryn froze, but his intake of breath was harsh. His eyes widened, emotions flashing in the jade depths, confusion and hope colliding. “She’s…safe?”
Jassyn nodded, swallowing past the knot strangling his throat. “And there’s more. She’s…” He exhaled slowly. “With your brother.”
The prince’s disbelief thundered through the bond, striking Jassyn like a punch to the gut. His heartbeat faltered beneath Vesryn’s shock, but he steadied himself with a breath and pressed on. “Aesar… He’s not quite how you remember him.”
The truth soured in Jassyn’s mouth as he shared the haunting reality of what he’d seen. Aesar, broken under the king’s power. Lykor, emerging to shield him, only to be twisted into submission, compelled to kill Vesryn.
But Lykor had endured, no matter how many times Galaeryn had ravaged his Essence, forcing his transformation from elf to wraith and wraith to elf.
Jassyn squeezed his eyes shut. Shame spiraled through him, a horrific realization sinking in. He’d forced Lykor to relive that torment, wielding the same magic to invade his mind and bend his will—becoming no better than the king.
“Aesar survived,” Jassyn said, his voice a hoarse whisper. “Because of Lykor.”
Silence stretched and Jassyn glanced at the prince.
Vesryn’s face contorted as his hands curled into fists, knuckles white against his knees.Sensing his cousin’s anguish brewing, Jassyn gently steered the conversation to the other information he’d gathered. He filled in the gaps with everything else relevant to the moment—Serenna portaling into Lykor’s war room, mistaken for a threat, accepting a bond as a last resort for survival.
Jassyn sensed Vesryn splintering, the fortress he’d built around his grief beginning to crumble. As the news settled in, his own heart shredded in his chest along with his cousin’s.
“My brother…” Vesryn’s voice cracked. His eyes unfocused, searching through something Jassyn couldn’t see. He tangled his fingers in his hair, shoulders sagging, crushed under the impossible reality. “He’s…” A deep breath shuddered through his nose. “You’re telling me he’s alive? After all this time?”
Jassyn tried to fight past the lingering effects of Lykor’s bite and lift a hand. But his limb only twitched, the feeble gesture of solace falling short.
A tremor tore through the prince, his jaw clenched so tightly it shook. “I mourned him. I—” The words broke off as Vesryn shot to his feet, his eyes hardening to steel in the starlight. “Where are they?”
Jassyn turned inward, sifting through fading memories—an isolated stronghold, sleepless nights, vigilant patrols. His pulse quickened at the sight.
“There’s a dormant volcano,” he said, pulling himself back to the jungle, meeting the prince’s expectant stare. “Deep in the Wastes, surrounded by snowy peaks.” Jassyn paused, his mind drifting over the pattern of stars seen from Lykor’s balcony at night. “I could try mapping the constellations, but they’re unfamiliar. Zaeryn or your officers might know the region if any rangers have ventured that far.”
Vesryn nodded curtly, already pacing a path in the grass, fingers twitching at his sides. “Can you move?” he demanded, his impatience beginning to simmer. “Or can you show me how to dispel whatever is crippling you? I want to find them. Tonight.”
The finality in the prince’s voice had Jassyn hesitating. He feared rushing in headfirst without a plan would do more harm than good. “We need to be careful of the coercion on Lykor.”
Vesryn whirled around, eyes ablaze with manic light. “Don’t tell me what to do. I’m getting my brotherandSerenna back and you’re coming with me to untangle the magic binding his mind.”
Jassyn drew a grounding breath, rebuilding his mental barriers to shield himself from Vesryn’s volatile emotions. “We will,” Jassyn agreed, steadying his own voice. “But we need to discuss how to handle—”
“There’s nothing to discuss,” the prince snarled, fury spilling into every syllable. “Stars, all we’ve done is speculate for weeks.” He stalked closer, crouching beside Jassyn, ruby light flaring in his palm. “Either you show me how to purge that toxin,” he growled, his face cast in a fierce, blood-red glow, “or I’ll toss you over my shoulder and take you to Thalaesyn right now.”
Unsure if such a feat of healing was even possible, Jassyn opened his mouth to argue.But before he could respond, the prince went rigid. Vesryn’s breath caught, his magic extinguishing in an instant.
