“When you read it, you will discover many truths, especially that Thayden is not your betrothed.” A gentle smile touched her lips. “You came to the magical realm and fell in love with Wolfe Nightblade, heir to the throne of the Fae kingdom of Galaythia. And he loved you deeply, too.”
My mouth fell open, and my heart lurched. For a moment, I stared, my thoughts scrambling to make sense of what she was saying.
“I…” I didn’t know what to be more shocked about. “Me?”
She nodded.
Blessed Mother. I—Elariya Grayson—fell in love with a Fae prince. The next king of Galaythia. And he loved me, too.
Wolfe Nightblade.
The name rose unbidden, pulled from somewhere deep inside my chest.
“What happened?” I asked. “What am I doing back here?” Back in this nightmare with Thayden.
Arielle shook her head. “That, I don’t know. Wolfe took you to the Southern Isles, and you were attacked. I was waiting for him to send word to meet you there, but it never came. My colleagues and I learned of the attack too late. You came here, and he’s been missing since.”
“Missing?”I gasped.
“Yes. We have no idea what happened to him.”
“Do you know who attacked us?” I held her gaze.
“No.” Arielle breathed, pressing her lips together. “The dragons weren’t able to tell us much. Right now, we don’t knowif Wolfe is alive. And we have no way of finding him. We’ve exhausted all resources. Except you.”
I let out a shaky breath. “Me? How would I help? I barely know who I am.”
Arielle’s gaze didn’t waver. “You have a link to him.”
“Alink?”
She inclined her head slightly. “A magical shackle.”
That didn’t exactly sound good. The only people I knew of who had shackles were prisoners.
“It’s here.” She reached for my marked hand—the one that burned last night—and turned it gently toward the light. Hope flickered in her eyes. “You can’t see it. It’s beneath the skin. It started as a chain. A tracker. But the Seer rewove it. She tethered your hearts through it.”
Gods. What was I hearing?
Magical shackle.
Tracker
Seer?
I’d read about Seers in Grandmother’s books. They were rare souls of
prophecy—more celestial than mortal, more spirit than flesh. Almost like the gods.
And one of them had threaded her magic through me. Being touched by a Seer
was considered a blessing.
None of this felt real. It was as though I’d slipped away in a dream. But I hadn’t. This was really happening.
Arielle’s smile lingered as her gaze fixed on the sigil on my wrist.
“Is that a mark of the shackle?” I asked.
