This woman was going to be the death of him.
Matthias wanted to go back in time to undo all that had played out in these last few weeks to erase it all, so he never had to see it. If only he could stop her from ever entering Oscuro in the first place, then his father wouldn’t even know she existed. Guilt crashed around him and he felt sick.
Waking early in the morning brought unwanted feelings of sadness and pain. At least she knew the truth now. He was free of that guilt, only for it to be replaced with the guilt of knowing she would never be safe.
Feeling unsatisfied with how the conversation ended, Matthias wrote what he wished he’d said down in a letter.
Little Dove,
We have shared some incredible moments together in Lucius, and thank you for your kindness, your guidance, and for allowing me into your world. Your warmth and the beauty of this kingdom have shown me that there is more than this life offers. It pains me to no end, but I must go. My head is a mess and I need some time to think. I want you to know that this decision was not made lightly. Leaving you, even for a short time, feels like tearing a piece of my soul away. I am so deeply sorry for the pain and confusion I may have caused you. Please understand that I never intended to hurt you. I will carry the memory of your smile and the sound of your laughter with me forever.
Until we meet again . . .May the light guide you and keep you.
Beast.
He placed it on the kitchen table before collecting his things and heading out of the house. With one last look, he called Bones, and they started the journey to the Veil.
A few Lightners stopped him along the way to ask if they could pat Bones, who lapped up the attention. It was a beautiful morning and Matthias found that each step towards the Veil was harder and harder to take. Leaving her the way things were just didn’t feel right. Adalia had either still been asleep or left the house by the time he awoke, not that he could blame her. It was better this way, right?
Matthias reached the Veil just as Shiloh landed—and she’d brought company.
Nikolas was the last person he wanted to see.
“Morning,” he spoke to them cooly.
Shiloh offered him a small smile, and Nikolas nodded his head in greeting.
“What are you guys doing here?” Matthias asked.
“Ada told me everything last night. We had a feeling you would leave this morning and didn’t want to miss saying goodbye. Nikand I thought we might walk you to The Grey.” Shiloh offered him a smile.
Nikolas awkwardly shuffled his feet.
Bones whimpered quietly, and Matthias scratched him on the head. “Thank you. Don’t feel you have to, though.”
Shiloh shook her white curls gently. “It’s really no trouble.”
Matthias nodded. “I appreciate it. I was concerned for a minute there that I’d worry people by wandering through Lucius.”
“I think most people in this region know who you are. I’d say you’re mostly safe here.” Shiloh winked at the prince.
The three started the small journey to the gates at the Lucius Veil.
Blue was waiting for them with three horses in hand.
Matthias looked at his companions warily. “Why horses? I can just walk through.”
“That’s no way to send off a prince. We will walk with you,” Shiloh replied kindly.
“I appreciate it . . . as long as it’s not some ploy to make sure I actually go through the Veil?” Matthias mused.
Nikolas huffed. “There’s no trick, we just wanted to see you off . . . a proper goodbye.”
Shiloh thanked Blue before the trio stepped through the Veil and entered The Grey. The sleepy village was waking as sunlight pierced the watery grey morning.
Matthias took in a deep breath and savoured these last few moments of peace and tranquillity. Soon, he’d be back in Oscuro. And there was no telling what would happen. Either his father would reign down on him like molten lava or everything would be the same and he would go back to being invisible. Something told Matthias it would be the former.
The trio plodded through District Seven. Fishmongers had been awake for hours and were already emptying boats laden with fish and sea critters on the Drayton shores. Matthias heard gulls screeching as they fought over the bait scraps thrown to them. Even their horrid caw would be missed once he was on the other side.
