“No.” Her free hand clenched around her phone. If only she could ask Eyden for a WiFi cube. But if she did, it would lead to questions she couldn’t answer. It wasn’t her life that was on the line.
Usually, this was the part where Lora would rush to say goodbye, but she wasn’t fast enough. “Are you sure?” Eyden’s voice sounded uncertain. “You seem…different.”
Lora laughed, but it sounded sad. She couldn’t help herself as she asked, “You can tell just from my voice?”
“Yes.” Lora’s heart might have skipped a beat. Eyden cleared his throat on the other end. “It’s obvious.”
“It’s nothing. I’m not getting anywhere. I wish we had more allies here instead of fae like Saydren roaming the halls.” She cut herself off. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure that, as the royal healer, Saydren must be deeply linked to Karwyn’s disgusting mission to steal power from high-level fae. But Eyden didn’t know any of that, and she couldn’t tell anyone because of her blood contract.
“Helping Karwyn with his evil schemes?” Eyden finished for her, bringing her back to the present.
“Who knows,” she replied curtly.Why wasn’t she hanging up?She knew she should.
“He didn’t…he didn’t do anything to you, did he?” At first, she thought he meant Karwyn. What hadn’t he done to her? He’d locked her up, threatened her and the entire human race, strangled her, and sentenced her to an early death. “Lora? Did Saydren do something to you?” Eyden’s voice was razor sharp.
Besides dragging her to this God forsaken place? “No, but I should keep an eye on him.”
“If he’s threatening you, stay away, okay?”
His voice sounded so earnest, so worried. She needed to change the tone of this conversation. She needed toendit. “I thought you wanted me to be your spy?” she said instead, chasing it with a quick laugh.
Eyden didn’t reply right away. “Only as long as you’re safe.”
Lora swallowed the lump in the back of her throat as she finally let go of the runia, cutting herself off from replying. Tears burned behind her eyes.Safe.Eyden didn’t know how far from safe she was.
No matter what path Lora would have taken, staying on Earth or crossing to Liraen, she would have always ended up here, doomed to die.
Chapter23
Rhay
Rhay swigged down the content of his shiny honey coloured flask before entering the room. After training with Lora, he had made a quick trip to Chrysa. Walking around the open market, Rhay had hoped to run into Rio to distract himself, but he hadn’t seen the trader anywhere.
He had thought about asking Rio for a phone, like Lora had requested. It could be a nice addition to his collection. Although he wondered why Lora had taken back her wish, Rhay knew a thing or two about holding onto hopeless crushes.
After throwing out money to brighten his mood, as his father would say, Rhay had returned to the palace, sporting a new rainbow coloured blouse. He would have preferred to spend the rest of the afternoon in Chrysa, but he couldn’t miss any court meetings after agreeing to Karwyn’s terms. With their trip to Quarnian just around the corner, this council promised to be interesting. The past meetings in the last weeks had been dull, but at least Rhay had been able to focus more on training Lora. If he could prove to Karwyn that she was fit to be part of the Adelway line, maybe he would reconsider his wedding to Amira.
As the guards opened the double doors to the council room, his father’s disapproving look—at his honestly amazing outfit—greeted him. It was true that in this sea of dull clothes, his new blouse stood out.
“Rhay, son,” his father said with nervous eyes, “you’re late.”
“Father, I was busy with my other royal assignment,” Rhay lied. He glanced around the room at the other advisors already seated at the round table. “And Karwyn isn’t even here yet.”
“How is Princess Lora’s training going?” His father moved closer to him, almost hissing, “I’ve heard the king is growing impatient.” So was Rhay, but he felt they’d had a breakthrough in their last training session.
The door opened on Karwyn and Saydren deep in a serious conversation, saving Rhay from replying. All six advisors stood up and bowed to the king. Rhay made an exaggerated curtsy, to his father’s annoyance.
Karwyn raised his hand. “Let us start quickly. We have much to prepare before our departure for Quarnian tomorrow.”
“Have you made a decision concerning Princess Amira’s absence?” Rhay’s father asked.
Turning his head to Rhay, Karwyn said, “I have beenadvisedto visit Quarnian with my newfound cousin instead of my fiancée.”
Rhay couldn’t figure out Karwyn and Lora’s relationship. Growing up with only his father, Karwyn had never known the warm love of a happy family. Rhay had seen the cruelty of Harten Adelway first-hand and its effects on his son. Surely, Karwyn was capable of love, he had just never been taught how to express it. Even with Rhay, Karwyn kept a certain coldness, like an icy barrier keeping everyone out of his heart.
“Are we boring you, Rhay?” Karwyn’s voice echoed through Rhay’s thoughts. He had tuned out his father’s reply.
“Not at all. I was just thinking I should help Lora plan her outfit for the trip to Quarnian.”
