“Leigh, Aradia is dead. I know you blame yourself, but her fear of what was waiting for her on the other side is not on you.”
I sniff. “I had to try to save her.”
“How did you even plan to do that?”
“A story I read. There was this prince who got permission from the gods to tether the soul of his dead bride to him for all eternity by calling on the gods. I could bargain for her, since the gods legitimized my family’s right to rule.”
Wilder releases me, and I want to beg him to touch me again—to hold me as he would if we were back home, sneaking into each other’s rooms because we couldn’t stay apart before the ceremony.
“That’s just a story,” he says.
My heart stutters at his tone—the doubt.
“I had to try.”
“You risked everything by coming here. What if something happened to you?”
“What if something happens to Fynn?”
“I get it, okay? This whole situation is a nightmare. But you should have come to us—Jaxson, Soter, me, anyone. We were working on a plan, and if we’d known about the portal’s location, we could have prepared for this.”
I grip his lapels and push him away. “It’s my fuck-up, Wilder. Which means it’s myresponsibility. The peace we’ve fought so hard for could have been at risk if Janus caught wind of how irresponsible I’d been trying to bring back Aradia. She might have tried to push me out again.”
“She’ll be angrier that you didn’t consult her. When we’re home, you can talk?—”
I glare at him. “I’m not leaving without Fynn.”
Wilder sighs. “I had a feeling you’d say that, so tell me your plan. How are we saving Fynn and getting the hell out of here?”
My heart flutters and sinks at the same time.
“Kosac has Fynn and wants something from me,” I say, and he nods. “If I can figure out what it is?—”
“You’ve made enough deals with devils to last a lifetime. What else?”
I exhale. “The guests in the ballroom are trapped here, just like Fynn. They might know where he is, and with the right leverage, they could tell us.”
Wilder frowns. “Considering you came here with nothing, I’d say you don’t have much to bargain with. So maybe we start by talking to them. Ask them leading questions to get them to trip up and reveal something they otherwise would have kept secret.”
“Or you could go back home and wait for me at the altar? I’ll be the one in white.”
“Leigh.”
“You win. Let’s question them.”
“Why the hellis everyone just standing around?”
It’s still dark outside as I run through the trees behind the castle, but daylight isn’t far off. We might have another hour or two of darkness, then I’ll want to head back inside to escape the sun. Mom and Vane are several yards behind me. Judging by the somber mood among the Blades present at the lake, Leigh and Wilder haven’t returned. I scan the serious faces but don’t see Jaxson.
“What are you all waiting for?” I shout, pointing toward the lake. “My brother is in there.” I rip off my jacket. Wilder is my twin—my flesh and blood. I will not stand by and wait to see if he’ll make it back like these jerks. I run toward the water’s edge, but two uniformed Blades step in front of me.
One grabs my shoulders and plants his feet wide, while the other snags me around the waist.
“Let go,” I shout, squirming against them. “Please. What if he’s in trouble?”
“It’s not safe,” one Blade says to me, voice strained.
If the Blades had discovered the rift sooner, or gone in after the little boy themselves, Leigh and Wilder would be getting ready for their wedding—scheduled to occur in about twelve hours—instead of battling through who-knows-what horrors.
