“Hey.” I rattle the bars of my cage. “How can I trust your word that Aradia is safe if I don’t get to talk to her?”
No one answers. Fucking figures.
Trembling, I slowly lower myself to the damp, stone floor. I hug my knees to my chest; my corseted undergarments provide little warmth against the iron-cold surroundings after shedding my borrowed gown. The situation I’m in closely mirrors when Chiron locked me in that vault several years ago. The same claustrophobic walls closing in, the same helplessness tearing at my throat. Only this time, no one is here to save me. Kosac got what he wanted. I’m stuck like a fly in amber, forever trapped in my mistake.
More seconds tick by. I play with the fabric of my silk slip, the fine material now torn and soiled—the perfect metaphor for my ruined plans.
This cannot be my future. I need to escape and ensure that the prophecy—true or not—doesn’t fall apart without me.
The bars are reinforced steel, hard and unyielding. The keys hang tantalizingly out of reach, placed there by one of Kosac’s cronies, who had locked me in here earlier.
The Dullahan can leave this realm, and so can the daemons. If I can escape this cell, there’s a chance I can go as well. I’m not a ghost. If I can break free from this world, I can help Ravi seal it. I’ll confront Kosac after my death.
“Leigh?”
I sit straighter.
“Leigh?”
My heart rate increases. It can’t be. “Aradia?”
“Where are you?” Aradia calls.
I push to my feet, ignoring the whine of my tired muscles. I stick one hand between the bars, waving her down.
“I’m here!”
Aradia appears before me, and I can hardly believe my eyes. She looks so real, with her dark hair tied back and her light eyes full of life. Her cheeks have color, and tears prick my eyes.
I did that. Although I may be trapped here, seeing her vitality restored makes part of my hasty decision worthwhile.
“Leigh, what the devil did you do?” Aradia asks.
My hands fall to my sides.
“I wanted to help you,” I say, though it justifies nothing. I’m a fool.
She frowns. “By trading your soul for mine? Do you have any idea the damage you’ve done?”
“I have an idea… Are you going to Heaven?”
“Yes.” Aradia sighs. “But you should have left everything alone.”
“I did it to help you. It’s my fault you’re here. If I had crossed you over?—”
“No, I am here on my own volition because I was afraid. Afraid that, despite helping you right the wrongs of my life, it would still not be enough to undo the evil I let persist during my reign. I was scared I’d end up in Hell, but all that got me is a one-way ticket to limbo, which is a hell in and of itself.”
“See, that’s why I couldn’t leave you here.” Aradia’s the reason the world found peace.
She raises a thin brow. “So, it’s better you were stuck here instead of me?”
I say nothing, staring at the ground.
“Stop prioritizing others over yourself, Leigh. I know that as a queen, you must be dedicated to your people, but it’s essential to take care of yourself first.”
I can’t meet her eyes. She’s right.
“I didn’t want to tell you about the prophecy because I couldn’t handle seeing that pressure land on your shoulders. But I can see now that you thought your joy didn’t matter when, in fact, it does. You were chosen to finally undo my mistakes and lead our people to peace. You deserved to know. Maybe if you did, you wouldn’t be imprisoned here.”
