From their spot, Lora could make out Saydren coming from their right. He halted in place as if he sensed their presence, but then continued onward—in the direction they had planned to go, the left corridor.
Before they could walk out of their hiding spot, another familiar face appeared from the narrow path Saydren had chosen. Layken. He didn’t walk in their direction; he disappeared down another path across from the one Saydren had taken.
Something compelled Lora forward, but a hand gripped her arm. She glanced down and found Eyden’s gentle grip on her. “What’s our plan?” he asked. She thought he would hold her back, but then he said, “I’ll follow your lead.” Her chest tightened.
“Wherever Saydren disappeared to, that’s where we need to go,” Lora said, frustration carrying her voice. “When he’s not there.” They had hoped everyone would be at the masquerade ball, giving them a window to explore without getting caught. That plan was ruined now.
“Ever since King Harten died, Saydren is always by Karwyn’s side,” Varsha observed. “Karwyn might join him.”
“What about Karwyn’s shadow?” Lora asked, having never seen the fae.
Varsha’s mouth formed a straight line. “Now that you say it, I haven’t seen him around lately. I will keep my ears out for any rumours. He has always been an enigma. The rare times I’ve seen him, he was quiet, impassive. Handsome, but no personality.”
Lora let out a heavy breath. “I think we should see where Layken is headed,” she said. If they couldn’t get to that secret door, something else needed to happen tonight. There was a clock ticking in her mind—all day, every day. Her life had an expiration date and she needed to find that loophole, if there was one, sooner rather than later.
Varsha sighed dramatically. “Well, I’d hoped this evening would prove more entertaining, but I can stay back and see if Saydren reappears alone or with someone else. Perhaps, the witch or Karwyn’s shadow.”
Eyden nodded. He drew his hand back from Lora’s skin, and she almost wished he hadn’t. “That leaves us, Lora.” She couldn’t help but think back on their missions of the past. Somehow, without knowing, they had become a team. A very reluctant and often dysfunctional one.
“Let’s go before we lose him,” Lora replied, brushing past Eyden.
They had to walk quickly to catch up, heading deeper into the tunnel Layken had taken. It led to a staircase. They glimpsed a shadowy figure at the bottom of the stairs.
Lora quickly removed her heels. They would slow her down, and it was hard to keep quiet with them. She felt Eyden’s eyes on her and hoped he was impressed and not quietly laughing at her.
They headed down the stairs. The air grew colder, and Lora shivered in her strappy satin dress. Her bare feet ached against the cold stone. Eyden seemed to notice, taking off his coat and draping it around her shoulders. Something about that gesture twisted her heart, but she forced her attention on the path in front of them.
Unable to see Layken, they kept going anyway, the corridor narrow and winding. Lora tried to commit it all to memory. When they encountered a set of doors, Eyden seemed to know which one Layken had taken—or maybe he guessed. Lora didn’t ask, afraid her voice would draw attention.
Finally, the path led upwards again, and another door appeared in front of them. Eyden walked ahead, opening it. He stepped outside and Lora followed, surprised to find herself in the woods on the outskirts of Chrysa. Her feet were cold from the dry earth beneath her.
Eyden pointed to a figure in the distance, heading into town.Layken.
There was a tunnel leading into Chrysa. Was that how Rhay went there so often without any guards? But it would be too dangerous to leave it unguarded. Eyden was already walking forward, but Lora pulled him back.
“Try to go back,” she said.
Eyden seemed antsy to get going, but he humoured her, trying to reopen the door they’d come through. It wouldn’t budge. Lora gestured for him to step aside. When she tried, the door opened. Whatever protection spell had been placed around the palace grounds, it didn’t affect her.
“Smart,” Eyden said before his gaze turned to Chrysa again. “We need to move.”
Lora felt the urgency in his voice. Layken could be hunting a high-level fae for Karwyn to experiment on. But now that he had Lora for his ritual, was he still after anyone else? In any case, they couldn’t afford to lose sight of Layken.
As they neared the town, she slipped her heels on again. Eyden removed his mask and gestured for Lora to do the same. Taking both masks, he hid them in the pocket of his coat that was still draped around Lora’s shoulders.
It didn’t take long for them to reach River’s Point. Layken entered the bar, and Lora’s feet seemed to slow down on their own accord. This was where it had happened. This was where everything had gone wrong and right at the same time. She’d gotten her cure, but everything else had taken a turn for the worse.
For a second, the bar in front of her turned into her mum’s diner. She could picture it so clearly as memories flooded through her. She and Oscar as children, running through the door after school to help out. Back then, Oscar wasn’t even tall enough to reach the register, but he’d loved hanging out in the kitchen, watching Mum cook. The older he got, the more he had divided his time between the kitchen and his laptop, playing video games or trying to code his own.
Eyden’s shoulder brushed hers, taking her out of her past. Lora focused her gaze on the window into River’s Point, spying Layken at the bar. His head was lowered, and his hand formed a fierce grip around his glass. He seemed almost…sad. Was he there on guard duty, or to get away?
Pushing his drink away, Layken got up and disappeared into the back. Too much time passed, and he didn’t reappear.
“Where the fuck did he go?” Eyden mumbled. He inclined his head to the alleyway, and Lora followed. A group of fae stumbled out of the back door, clearly drunk, but there was no Layken in sight. Eyden went to the back door.
“Wait, what if he’s still there and sees us?” Lora whisper-yelled.
“I’ll do a quick sweep. Wait here,” Eyden replied before disappearing into the bar.
