If Moyrie has brought us to some trap, or Fury has led us astray, there will be nothing that will contain my wrath.
My songbird. I cannot think of her being hurt. Instead, I remember Dove looking up at me, her endless springtime green eyes gripping my soul, always with a hint of mischief floating behind the depths. Dove is a constant surprise, like when she pushed Moyrie away from me with her God powers, or when she made me watch her and Rivern. I have no words for what her small claims do to me.
Who am I kidding?The very first rhythm I looked into her eyes as I placed her white-robed figure in front of me in the temple receiving room—the utter defiance I saw, the sweet curve of her lips, the crinkle of her nose—I was gone to her.
She blew me away, and all I wanted was for her to fight … for her to spread her rebellion around the Forgotten Lands. The more rhythm I spend with Dove, the more I begin to wonder if it has nothing to do with the song and if it has everything to do with her. She is the key, the treasure hiding in plain sight. The rest of us are just too blind to see.
And now I have one thing I’m scared of—her.
Losing her.
Wanting her.
Needing her.
Falling for her.
Sinking deeper into the water, I follow the trail of bubbles. One thing is for sure: I’m not losing her—ever.
twenty
Dove
Thefallknocksmethrough a loop. I want to scream for Rivern and Gideon, but only bubbles surface. My mind is in chaos. I don’t know how to find the strings of my bonds.
When I managed to push away the creature holding onto my hand, I resurfaced to find my fae prince, but with the pull on my leg and the lack of air, I was nothing but a toy being tugged in both directions.
The claws had grasped onto my ankle, tugging so hard the delicate bones in my hand had snapped under Rivern’s grasp, sinking me further in despair. I have never been scared of water in the past. Even though I didn’t know how to swim, I always felt an odd peace beingby the ocean, as if it was the one place that knew all my secrets and still accepted me. It’s why I was so willing to succumb to its fate all those moons ago before my life flipped upside down.
The water was safe. It would take care of me.
Now, I’m not so sure.
I can barely see a foot beyond the bubbles careening past my form. I’m dragged downwards, my lungs turning into fire—not the good kind, either. The kind that means I’ve run out of air.
A whisper of“Dove”comes through my mind. I almost grasp it. Almost…
It’s lost to me like all my other senses. In my shock, I can’t even find Fury’s God power. Everything within me lies dormant, and I’m transported to the child I once was, imprisoned once again in a tomb of my own making.
There’s a bashing at the leaded door weighing my mind down, a rage of fire demanding to come in. I can’t find the key to unlock the door as I find myself falling.
My mouth gapes open. I gulp down air. I’m no longer falling through water. This time, I feel the cool breeze of space greet me. It’s a saviour to my dying lungs. I wheeze in and out before landing unceremoniously on my back in more water.
The slap of my body making contact with the surface is a jolt to the senses. I groan loudly, my body starfishing buoyantly atop the cold sea.What in the ever-loving fuck is going on?
I lay still in the water, every inch of my body aching, not just my wounded hand. A mix of salt and the metallic taste of blood lingers on my tongue. I stare at a strange sight above me. Ripples of water move overhead like the currents of the ocean, a haunting, deep blue.
Blinking rapidly, I notice a large object trailing through the unusual shimmering above, followed by a loud splash. Before I can understand what it is, the most beautiful face I have ever seen swims into my vision.
I blink a few times, sure of my concussion.
The creature smiles wickedly at me, showcasing pearlescent, razor-sharp teeth. Wet, pink hair falls over her face, her blue skin highlighting the fact that we are no longer in the Silver Sands. The female looks at me closely.
“I don’t understand the fuss.” Her sultry voice glides over my skin, her heavy, pink-lashed eyes moving over my face.
“Bland colours.” She trails a finger over my cheek.
“Blunt teeth and claws,” she adds, raising my lip and hand, dropping both when she has taken her measure of me.
