The gentle question made tears gather on her lashes. When she used to have nightmares, his simple touch was enough to keep them away. She was so tired of these relentless dreams, she almost allowed him in purely to find rest. But she couldn’t bear looking at him anymore. Because whenever Cassiel was near, she was highly aware of him and the way she fixated on the sound of his voice, on the heat of his presence, and over how much her broken heart ached with longing.
Dyna shoved the thought away.
She couldn’t allow him to come near her again.
At her silence, Cassiel’s sigh was heavy enough to slip through the cracks of her door. “Dyna, please talk to me.”
Shutting her wet eyes, she drew the blanket over her head. “Leave me alone.”
She didn’t want to talk to him. His pleading only made her angrier. He did this to them. To her.
It was doubtful his touch would soothe her anymore. Nothing he did now would be enough to keep those hands from pushing her over the cliff.
She glanced at her satchel sitting on the vanity, imagining the purple wilted leaves inside that would banish away the nightmares and pain. But she decided not to embrace her monster.
She would be somethingelse.
Dyna was glad she tossed the last of the Witch’s Brew, or she may have been tempted to drink it.
Fatigue weighed over her body, and her heavy eyelids drifted closed. She would face everything until she rose above it. The ache in her chest gradually faded, probably with Cassiel’s departure.
As she drifted off to sleep again, Dyna contemplated Raiden’s offer.
CHAPTER 52
Rawn
The carriage cell lurched to a stop, startling Rawn awake. His heart jumped next at the sound of rushing water. Sitting up, he exchanged a look with Elon. Both looked out at the glistening lake of Naiads Mere. The vast body of water was so large it resembled the ocean.
The scent of algae carried on the wind, and his pulse quickened. They were thirty feet away from freedom. Rawn discreetly flexed his stiff limbs, and Elon did the same. The guards allowed them out of their cell once a day to relieve themselves.
This would be their only chance.
They stayed still, feigning disinterest, as a guard unlocked the carriage cell door. As soon as he heard the bolt click, Rawn lurched up and threw his body against the door. It knocked back the guard, and he bolted outside.
“Follow me!” Elon hissed, sprinting alongside him. Rawn followed close behind as shouts rang out behind them.
His heart sped wildly at the sound of horses and Bloodhounds giving chase. He kept his gaze on the water. All he had to do was jump in.
He was twenty feet away.
Fifteen.
Ten.
Please.
A blast of orange magic hit them. The air tore from his lungs as he crashed into the ground headfirst. His vision skewed and sound dulled.But none of it compared to the devastation he felt. Rawn looked up, and Anon rammed a boot into his face.
Twenty-Five YearsAgo
Within the castle’s garden, Rawn pathetically attempted to drown himself in a bottle of wine. But he had chosen the worst place to do so, where he was surrounded by Aerina’s scent. The dynalya blossoms in the castle garden seemed to mock him as the wedding bells tolled.
A shadow fell over him, and he looked up at Sylar’s father.
“Master Eldred,” Rawn slurred. He held up the bottle to him in a toast. “To love and prosperity and wishes unattained.”
The old Magi Master sighed, and his sad eyes only saddened more. He sat beside Rawn and took a drink from the bottle. “Look at what grief has done to us.”
