My howl of defeat echoed through the chamber. Then everything went dark.
Chapter
Ten
LYRA
The mood was glum the following morning as we rose with the first rays of dawn. I’d spent the night shivering on the cold forest floor, tormented by visions of Kaden being tortured by demons.
I didn’t know whether they were dreams or not.
We had no provisions for breakfast and no fresh clothes to change into, so it was with grumbling bellies and sour moods that we set off in search of the Scolendra.
Sorsha was quiet again. Her complexion was even paler than it had been the night before, and her movements were unusually sluggish. I chalked it up to a combination of blood loss and a poor night’s sleep on the forest floor, though I couldn’t deny my concern.
The fae were gifted with extraordinary healing capabilities. She should have recovered from the vampire attack within hours, unless her depleted magic was affecting that as well.
The sun shone weakly through the trees, but soon Istarted to sweat. The thick canopy trapped the heat and humidity, making for a miserable walk. My body begged for water and something to fill my belly, but we’d left the stream behind and had yet to find another.
I could feel my strength waning and hoped this would not be the moment some ravenous demon chose to attack.
More than once, Sorsha stumbled, her face worryingly pale.
The third time this happened, Adriel furrowed his brows. “What’s the matter with you?”
The princess gave a sharp jerk of her head. “I’ll be fine.”
“But you’re not fine now,” he pressed, his tone too sharp to pass for friendly concern. “You haven’t been right since we left the in-between.”
“Do tell me . . . HowamI supposed to act after nearly being killed by a horde of monstrous creatures and then attacked by a ravenous vampire?” she snapped. “Not all of us are accustomed to leaving a trail of blood and carcasses everywhere we go.”
A muscle feathered in Adriel’s jaw, but when he spoke, his voice was surprisingly soft. “I know you were hurt, but your wounds should have healed by now. If your magic is so depleted that you —”
Sorsha let out a trill of bitter laughter. “Mymagicis just fine. But thank you for your concern.” The last part she bit out with undeniable venom, and I winced.
“Your magic isnotfine,” he shot back, his voice low and deadly. “Being unable to summon your wings is the opposite of fine.”
“I’m aware,” Sorsha gritted out, her eyes shimmeringwith tears. “Butplease, do continue. I so enjoy being constantly reminded of my shortcomings.”
“It’s not a shortcoming,” Adriel growled, and I could tell it was an effort for the royal guard to keep his tone even. “It’s a handicap. A danger to you and the rest of us, since it’ll be me dragging your sorry ass out of Dorthus when you cannot fly yourself.”
“Ah, I should have guessed. You care nothing for me or my magic. You just don’t want me slowing you down.”
“I didn’t —”
But Sorsha’s turquoise eyes were blazing with fury as she rounded on the royal guard. “Is that why you were so eager to drag me back to Cragsmuir? Because I was aliability?”
From the first time I’d sparred with the princess, I’d known Sorsha was lethal. But I’d never been afraid of her until now.
“No.” Adriel’s eyes flashed. “That’s not what I said.”
“You didn’t need to. That’s how you see me. It’s how you’vealwaysseen me. Weak. Useless.”
“That’s not true.”
“Why hold back? Your precious prince isn’t here. Tell me how you really feel. You’ve been dancing around it for centuries.”
Something within Adriel seemed to snap, and I stumbled back as his hazel eyes flared with murderous rage. “Fine. You want to know what I see when I look at you? A pampered princess who’s been safely sequestered on an island for two hundred years while the rest of us have been fighting like hell to protect her. Kaden has spentlifetimesdragging souls back to Dorthus to feed Semphrys, all to keep you safe.”
