“You’ve let your guard down with her, Asterious. She still hasn’t told you anything. What if she’s working for Sinevia? You saw the way she ran out of here. She could be sending her word of everything we say. Ever since we found her, things have worsened in the kingdom far faster than anyone would have imagined. And you’ve been unravelling in ways I thought we’d finally beaten out of you.”
Asterious bristled at his words. He wasn’t wrong. Something about Caramyn had triggered the return of the most beastly part of himself, and he didn’t know why. The part Wyran had worked so hard to teach him to subdue through blood and tears, quite literally. But that was because of his own weakness. Not hers.
“That is not her fault,” he said plainly.
Wyran frowned. “She doesn’t even want to help you. In fact, she’s putting us all in more danger. You know the consequences of falling for that pretty face. You know what will happen if you lose a grip on that heart of yours.Do. Not. Feel.”
“Wyran, you of all people know I’m aware of what can happen. Don’t worry. I’ll fight it. I’ll discipline myself more to keep anything from happening. I’ll get it under control again. Longenough to just get her to take us through the Woods. And then I’ll be free…of everything.”
“You mean she’s going to help you?” Wyran’s face snapped into a doubtful expression quickly.
“She hasn’t said that exactly. But she’s going to stay, and that’s a start.”
Wyran groaned with a sigh and looked away. “Hopefully a good start. For all our sakes.”
“Your dismissed, Wyran.” Asterious shook his head. Wyran especially knew better than to provoke him, so he didn’t understand why he seemed so intent on doing it.
But Wyran was right about one thing. Asterious certainly did notice the strange way Caramyn left the room in a hurry, as though she’d seen a ghost. And it troubled him deeply to think that it was one more layer added to her—to his mystery that he was growing ever more desperate to unravel.
28
The Letter
Caramyn
Two hours had passed since the meeting. Caramyn had wandered outside, waiting in the garden as she mustered the strength to tell Asterious of her decision, and to ask something of him return. She stared into the petals of a withering rose, unable to get the image of the undead soldier and the sigil on his arm out of her head. She had no idea what it truly meant, or if it was just a disturbing coincidence.
And to think moments before, in the arena, she had been so close to revealing herself to Asterious. She had almost told him who she was, because he’d made her feel like she could. But now thinking back to that vile corpse on the table and thenightmarish possibility that she might bear any connection to it…she was certain that if anyone in that room—if Asterious—knew, it would change everything. It might even cost her her life.
When the sun was hanging low in the sky and she'd walked the garden's perimeter a countless number of times, Nocthar appeared, briefly landing on a sculpture nearby before flying down to rest on her shoulder. She stroked the bird's glossy feathers with a sigh. "Nocthar, how do I know if am I making the right choice?"
The truth was, it hardly felt like a choice anymore. If she didn’t help Asterious find the Shadowblood’s Blade, his sister was coming to steal her Shadows’ power. Either way, a Blackwynd wanted something from her Woods, and it seemed she needed one to stop the other.
And she would stop it, even if it meant partnering with this prince that twisted her heart in knots. The prince who would likely cast her aside once he realized she belonged to the very darkness he thought he saved her from. This prince that had let her taste a life beyond the Woods she thought she’d never find—a life never meant for a Shadowblood—and it made some part of her balk at the thought of hiding herself away once again.
Nocthar cawed and flew away into the castle where Caramyn followed. She hadn't made it far into the arched torchlit corridors before Asterious’ looming figure appeared at the other end, concern written across his face even from a distance. He approached, broad and tall, the ends of his black coat flowing behind him as he walked. "I was coming to check on you," he said. "Are you alright? You seemed troubled earlier in the meeting. I'm sorry you had to see that thing—"
"No, it wasn't that. I just…I was actually coming to find you, too." There was a pause as they closed the distance between them. She looked up at him, and Asterious nodded for her to go on. "I wanted to tell you…to tell you that I’ll do it. I’ll lead youthrough the Shadow Woods to find your weapon. I can't promise you it won’t be difficult. To be honest, I don’t know what will happen. I will try…But seeing as you like bargaining, I’d like to ask something in return.”
"Ask anything. I'll see to it that it's done." The prince said, the warmth of his voice chasing away the chill from outside.
"Show me the West Wing.”
There was a flicker of hesitation…a shadow of reluctance he must have thought she couldn’t see. He blinked a few times, and his shoulders lifted with a sundered breath before he merely said, “I told you it’s not safe.”
“Neither is crossing the Shadow Woods. But it’s what you’re asking me to do. This is what I’m asking of you.”
"You believe I’m keeping something from you.” It wasn’t a question. Just a cold, emotionless statement.
“Are you trying to convince me that you’re not?”
The prince's eyes narrowed. “No.” He drew in a breath and glanced up briefly, as if catching a fleeting thought. Then he reached out his hand. “Come on then. I’ll take you there now.”
She was surprised it came that easily. But she wasn’t about to ask questions. She placed a cautious hand in his, and he swept her away with a gentle tug, taking a torch from the wall as they passed into the dark heart of the castle.
She was silent for a long time, observing the way he drew inward, his eyes cold and haunted as though he was about to expose her to something from her darkest nightmares. They passed the armor hall and the garb displays, and turned down the hallway leading to the West side of the castle until they found themselves face to face with that dark hallway lined with cobwebs from before. That eerie, chilling portal that led to whatever secrets Asterious had tucked away.
As they stepped into the darkness, with only the single torch’s light to guide them, she spoke to ease the tension, and perhapsto reassure herself out loud. “For what it’s worth, whatever it is can be no worse than what I’ve faced before. You said it yourself. Even Shadows must fear me. I’ve been on the other side of the Woods and lived to tell the tale.”
