Never again.
That started with protecting her from the god of death and darkness who had his hands wrapped around her wrists.
“You,” I growled, like the animal I was at my core. I might shift into a raven, but the creature had a taste for blood stronger than any predator.
“Good morning, halfling,” the Dark God said in that dark velvet voice, as soft as the fabric of Koryn’s gown, which he swiped a thumb over as he held my gaze.
My entire body was rigid. Whether it was Koryn’s presence, the fact that they were still touching, or this damned room in this damned palace, I could not get my body or my voice to comply with my will.
“Why are you here?” The words were too thick with emotion.
“I came to teach our bonded to control her power.” He swept his tongue over his lower lip in time with his thumb across Koryn’s wrist. “You will not always be at her side to offer a calming hand.”
Koryn jerked her hands free of his grip, telltale whorls of sparkling frost visible on the backs of her hands. She slid off the bed, crossing her arms over her chest and dividing her glare between the two of us.
Satisfaction bloomed in my chest. “Seems like it is going well.”
“Fuck you both,” Koryn said vehemently.
The Dark God slid to his feet as well, the unnatural grace and smoothness of his movements betraying his otherworldly origin. Not that I was in any danger of forgetting.
“An engaging proposal,” he said, flicking his blue-black eyes between Koryn and me. “But I have other places to be—and so do you.”
My hand itched for the blade strapped to my belt, though I doubted it would have any lasting effect on him. How did one even kill a god? “Have you ever said something directly in your life?”
His eyes slid to my waist, to the blade sheathed there. He could not read my mind, I told myself. Among the rare mind gifts the fae possessed, that was not among them. And the other gods we’d encountered had not been able to see our thoughts, either. If they had, the Seven Gates would have gone very differently.
“You cannot conceptualize the life of a god, immortal though you might be.”
“Another non-answer.” I was tired of talking to him. Every word out of his mouth was a manipulation. And while the Seven Gates were the ultimate danger, Balar Shan would try to kill Koryn, too. The king could not help but be interested in her, the witch that had caused so much trouble, who came to his court with a creature of legend at her side. A dragon who was conspicuously missing. “Where is Isanara?”
Koryn’s eyes darted to the window. “Finding food. She doesn’t trust this place.”
“Good. Neither should you.” I realized how condescending it sounded, but I did not care. “Nor him—why does he do that?”
In the single second that I’d looked away, the same moment that Koryn had glanced at the window, the Dark God had gone. Disappeared. Leaving behind only the chaos that his presence always created.
“Probably because he knows you hate it,” Koryn sighed. She dropped her arms from across her body, but her hands were curled into fists by the time they reached her sides. Her eyes went slightly unfocused, the way they often were when she conversed with Isanara in her mind.
Isanara must not have gone far. That was a bit of a surprise; I’d have wagered that the fae would have stripped all the surrounding lands of their precious ores.
“We have to go,” Koryn said suddenly.
Her eyes were not unfocused now. They were sharp, bright with moisture, not quite tears. I had no idea what had caused the sudden shift, but if she wanted to leave, then it was decided.
Energy flooded my body, sharpening my already honed senses. I carried everything of necessity on my person at all times. Koryn had very little. We’d have to leave her clothing and the cloak I’d given her in the forest, but they weren’t worth the time it would take to search for them. I would need every precious minute.
“Give me an hour to convince my mother.” It was a request. If Koryn denied it—I couldn’t let my thoughts go there, even for a fraction of a second.
Koryn shook her head violently, dark hair flying. “Not that—” She stilled, then reached out for the nearest bedpost as a wave of something swept through her. “We have to go,” she croaked.
I almost reached for her. But before I could, she’d regained herself and maneuvered around me. She dashed out of the room, and I had no choice but to follow. I’d follow Koryn anywhere.
“Where are we going?”
Not out of Balar Shan, that much was clear. I’d misunderstood her. I hated the relief that spread through my shoulders. I did not know how I would have convinced my mother, not after the argument we had this morning. My bargain with the king was fulfilled after the Memory Gate. She was free to leave for the first time in twenty years. But she refused.
Koryn half-jogged through the twisting corridors of Balar Shan. Despite her speed, her breathing was still steady. All those months of driving her mercilessly through the mountains had done their job. She was more independent than ever.
