The room began to darken suddenly, and I twisted around to look out the window.
I raised my arm to cover my eyes at the blinding flash of light that sped by. A loud crash shook the palace, and I gripped the sides of the tub as water splashed over the rim and soaked the ornate tile below.
I slowly got out of the water, making my way to the window. The blue, sunny sky had darkened during the battle thanks to Cyrus’s magic, but his storm clouds had cleared, and yet the sky… it looked like it was the darkest night. Except this was a dark void, all light sucked from the usual beauty of the night sky.
I could see absolutely none of the usual illumination that should have been there. No moon or stars, nothing but pure darkness. There was only what appeared to be a large, dark spot. One that was barely noticeably different from the rest of the void, in exactly the spot where the moon had once shone down on us.
A horrible feeling began in my gut and spread throughout my body.
Our plans would need to be expedited.
Epilogue 2
Nithe
Walking among the wounded,I attempted to calm those I could and heal those I knew I couldn’t. Frustration was ever present when I dealt with the results of other nobles' actions. While Calix and those in Night treated their subjects the way a ruler should, the other nobles across the realm left much to be desired.
Case in point: Cyrus Tynan.
The bloody mess he caused us all was almost impressive in its scope.
Panic was spreading through the warriors present. Hardened men and women who’d fought many horrors in their time, but none had ever encountered a situation such as this.
A world without the sun. How long would it last like this? What would be the result? I didn’t know, no one did. And that fear was spreading like wildfire the more they discussed it between themselves.
And then there was the magic.
My own felt muffled and strange. Not gone, thank all the damn gods, but less than it should be, by far. The idea of not being able to use magic at all, to not be able to shift into my beast form and slither through vents and holes to do my job… made a pronounced shudder wrack through my body.
Everything was a fucking mess now. And not a soul seemed to know where Cyrus had run off to like the craven he is. But his absence meant one good thing, and I was determined to get to it as soon as possible. I couldn’t just leave our people to flounder, however, so I spent the time needed to help as best I could.
Not that it did much good, but I tried anyway. That was all a man could do, wasn’t it?
But now, it was time to break into the Tartarus damned palace. I shifted, the process slow and laborious, nearly making me sweat from the effort, but I managed it.
I slithered along, avoiding the boots and pounding steps that hit the ground and remained an ever-present threat in this form. I wound up a column, finding the small hole at the top that would take me through the ceiling and into the upper levels of the palace that the royal family called home.
I moved through the walls, twisting and turning down them, until I found the right entrance and made my way in. He was standing by the window, staring out at the sky with stiff shoulders. I yearned to help him relax. But now was not the time for such things.
There mayneverbe time forthat.
I shifted back, the rough process making me groan and causing him to spin around, dagger drawn. Spotting me, he sighed, putting the dagger down and making his way to me as I finally stood upright in my Fae form.
His body hit mine, arms coming around me in a tight hold. I threw my arms around him, holding him as tightly back as I could. I sighed deeply, my shoulders relaxing as a sense of peace overcame me.
“What the fuck happened?” Kian asked, pulling back to look me in the eyes. His blue ones were filled with so much worry that I wished I could tell him anything but the truth.
Kian was a grown man, however, and an accomplished spy. I couldn’t leave him any further in the dark than we were already. This wasexactlywhy one does not fraternize with their spies. It created messy complications that could jeopardize the mission.
I explained to him everything he had missed, fisting my hands to avoid reaching out and easing the crease between his brows with my fingers. He got up and started to pace when I finished, and I relaxed a bit with that temptation removed.
“I think it’s time we got you out, Kian,” I told him honestly, hoping I was making this decision for the right reasons. I thought I was, but as I said—complications.
“What?” He stopped pacing and turned to face me. “Why? You have no one who is as close to Cyrus as I am.”
“Cyrus already suspects you and is keeping you under heavy guard. We have others who can observe him once he surfaces. You’re more valuable where you can actually help. The humans are going to need us, Kian. You can’t help from a gilded cage,” I explained, hoping he would see the reason in my argument.
Kian had always been an excellent spy. From the day I recruited him, I knew he was special. Dusk had been a focus of ours for a while, as the increasingly brutal reports trickled in. Getting a member of the court to spy was essential, but getting a member of the royal family?
