Had things been different, perhaps in this moment it wouldhave seemed real. But it remained but a dream.
A heavy ball of guilt formed in my throat.
My magic would claim my life, even if I never set foot in the Acheron.
But if I told him, he’d pull away again.
Maybe it was selfish, but I wanted to know happiness before the end. And I had a feeling Seth would regret keeping distance between us. Regret the time we could have shared, when the future was stolen.
Closing my eyes, I breathed out, forcing myself to relax.
I hoped he found the strength to keep going when I was gone.
27
Seth
Most days, I didn’t dream. The few nights they darkened my sleep, I could always remember them as clearly as if they’d been real.
A grave loomed before me, forever out of reach. No matter how long I ran, I never reached it. Flowers grew from its base. Blue and bright, flecked with blood. Great shadows surged above, shaped like a serpent. Like the great cobra hood Father’s throne was carved to resemble.
I couldn’t reach the grave, couldn’t read the words etched on its stone. But I knew in my heart who it belonged to.
Separate from the blue flowers lay a bundle of white lilies, tied together by a necklace set with a small wood carving.
Sitting up, I blinked, adjusting my eyes to the darkness. Water trickled nearby, and Aethra slept soundly in my lap. The same necklace rested between her collarbones. Taking a breath, I rubbed my face.
The other Elpis maidens had died, yes, but that didn’t mean Aethra would, too. Those women had been sent into the Acheronalone. Aethra would have all of us to protect her.
I tried to swallow the lump of fear forming in my throat, but it wouldn’t abate. Nothing terrified me more than the thought of losing her.
Gently lifting Aethra, I set her down and wrapped a cloak around her shoulders. I dressed quietly, tracing the pile of curls blanketing her back.
One quick step outside—that was all I needed. Once I knew nothing horrible had happened in the night, I could return. Ideally, before she awoke.
I missed being a nameless assassin. Seth could have stayed with Aethra, held her in his arms for as long as he wanted.
Set couldn’t.
Part of me missed this feeling, though—helping protect the city my mother loved so much. The one place in Duath Nun where people needn’t live in fear.
Tying my cloak around my shoulders, I stared at Aethra longingly. Forcing myself away, I felt my way down the dark hall and tapped the brick, opening the hidden doorway. Light from a nearby torch burned my eyes when I stepped out into the main hall.
Whisper lay pressed against the wall. He roused from his nap and slapped his tail against the floor. Kneeling, I nudged him toward the tunnel.
“Go keep Aethra company,” I whispered.
Smelling her on me, he ducked into the shadows, and I closed the door behind him, sealing my princess safely inside.
“There you are.” Phaedrus’ voice startled me. I turned to see him standing a few paces down the hall. “You might want to come see this.”
Yanking my dagger from its sheath, I followed him. “What happened?”
“Our little heist had consequences,” Phaedrus answered, shimmying down a narrow passage.
An ancient ladder rested against the wall, leading up to a hidden hatch. Phaedrus ascended first and cranked the rusted hatch open before beckoning me to follow. We emerged in an overgrown yard bordering the river—the little sewer hatchblended into the soil the moment Phaedrus closed it behind us.
The sounds of commotion drifted from a nearby street—shouting, overlapping voices, clopping hooves. Following the noise, I found a dirt path leading back to civilization.
