I turn my gaze to him. I didn’t even feel his hands on my face before, but now it pulls me back to the present where everyone is still in an uproar.
I replay the rest of the news in my head:All of Erleya is under the duress of a military coup.
My breathing grows shallow as I try to focus on our surroundings. That proves to be unhelpful; people seem to be shouting over each other, some clinging to their loved ones as though it could protect them from the truth.
Chief Badeaux’s knuckles are white on the head of his cane. His face remains a mask of serenity as he methodically addresses one person at a time—as the uproar continues. I’ve never been so grateful that I can’t hear.
Tiernan quickly motions, “Let’s get back to the house.”
I rise on unsteady feet, making eye contact with Chiyo who nods and passes Taig to Tiernan. Together, we maneuver our way through the panicking crowd.
By the time we get to the house, my head throbs in time with the hammering of my heart. My legs take me straight to the bedroom where I drink a small vial of tincture for my headache and sit on the mattress to gather my composure.
A military coup.
Carys, dead.
I close my eyes and clasp my shaky hands together. She can’t be dead. Grounding myself in the present, I breathe in slowly through my nose and out through my mouth. In and out until my heart rate slows and my mind stops racing. I turn my thoughts to Carys, trying to find even the smallest thread of her presence. Some proof that she’s somewhere in this realm.
Shehasto be.
I sit there until the throbbing in my head resurfaces despite the tincture, and my limbs start to fall asleep.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
When I open my eyes, Tiernan is leaning against the closed bedroom door. He steps away from it, signing to me, “Anything?”
I shake my head, tears welling. “I was certain she would escape Paramount,” I say. “So certain, I would’ve wagered my own life on it. That dream I had … the … goddess.” I remember the song of Sunlagh that gave me the extra boost of willpower to daywalk to Carys. After swallowing a few times, I say, “It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. I keep trying to daywalk to her but …” I slowly shake my head again.
Tiernan sits on the bed, facing me. His hands are clenched in his lap, his jaw so tight that a muscle twitches in his cheek. My eyes trail the silvery scar that goes from his collarbone up the side of his neck. The scar he’s not wanted to discuss.
Back in Paramount, I’d dreamt of him bound in a dark room, a man looming over him. My blood chills at the memory of it—at the very tactile fear that exuded from Tiernan and the tormented look in his eyes. It’s similar to the look in his eyes now. He’s always trying to comfort me; always the calm presence when I need him to be. But what about whenheneeds comfort?
“Do you know anything about this new sovereign?” I ask. “Chief Badeaux said he’s the commander of the Royal Brigade?”
His throat bobs before he nods. “Yes, I reported directly to him when I was still in the ranks,” he signs. “He’s someone who uses fear tactics to gain power.”
The hair stands up on the back of my neck.
“Carys—” I begin, my throat immediately constricting. “Do you think he would’ve killed her to take the crown?”
The color rushes from Tiernan’s face. I slide my hand into his surprisingly damp palm.
“I don’t believe he would’ve killed her,” Tiernan says after a few heartbeats. “I believe he’d want to use her.” He releases my hand suddenly. “We should get Taig ready for bed.”
I blink at him and nod as tears sting my eyes. He gets up without another word and stalks out of the room, leaving me behind to ruminate over the horrifying uncertainty of everythingand the odd feeling that he’s keeping something important from me.
Chapter 6
Daughter of Embers.Why do you run from me?
A cold, black flame sputters in the back of my mind. I’m too cold and too warm all at once. My body is impossibly heavy, my lungs struggling to reinflate with each breath.
Don’t be afraid. I am not your enemy,coos the voice of the enchantress.
Yet I’m paralyzed with fear as I remember the sensation of icy fingers raking against the recesses of my mind. Of her powers pouring into me and instigating a primal rage like I’ve never felt before. I remember my control slipping away from me along with my mind, and the insatiable thirst for vengeance taking over, demanding eternal sustenance.
