Sensing my fear, Taliesin leaps the remaining distance, landing heavily on the stone entryway. The impact jolts me, snapping my teeth together and sending a ringing through my skull. Behind us, the last rope snaps. The bridge collapses and plunges into the froth below, planks vanishing like they never existed.
Taliesin sets me down gently. I expect to find him frowning at the gaping hole, having come to the same understanding I have. That was the only way to and from this tower. We’re trapped here until we can build another bridge.
But he doesn’t look back. Instead, his focus is on the tower. His body hums, muscles taut with tension. The tower doorcreaks as it swings in the wind, then violently slams against the frame. Muddy footprints stain the floor just inside.
Ominous.But as far as I can tell, no one’s near.
Ignoring his hesitation, I step over the threshold to get out of the rain. The instant my skin touches the calm, dry air, relief unspools in my chest. Stars be damned, that wind nearly drove me mad. I loose a ragged sigh, letting the stillness wash over me.
Taliesin makes no move to follow. He stands in the downpour, droplets tracing wet lines down his face.
“Careful,” he warns. “Looks like the rogues checked here first. Or some are still waiting.”
“I can see that.” I hold up my wrists. Again. “I can’t fight them chained. And besides, it’s not like I can escape now.”
“They know what I’ve been doing,” he murmurs, more to himself than to me.
Despite my sheer exhaustion, curiosity pricks the back of my mind.
“Who knows what you’ve been doing? The rogues?”
His eyes slide to mine. “Someone does.”
A tremor goes through me, whether it’s from fear or anticipation or something else entirely, I don’t know. I’m not sure what he’s implying. Does he thinkIknow his secrets? Or that I sent someone else ahead of me to uncover them while I kept him distracted?
Hmm, that wouldn’t have been a terrible idea, actually.
Wind screams past the tower, strong enough to force Taliesin to step inside, barely avoiding a broken tree limb as it plummets from the sky. It crashes onto the entryway, blocking the open door and spraying a plume dirt and water-logged leaves toward us. Coughing, I shield my face, but it doesn’t stop the dread from pooling in my gut.
We were already stuck because of the bridge, but now we’rereallytrapped.
“Well, fuck,” Taliesin sighs.
Another crash sounds from deeper in the tower. I grab his arm and freeze, staring into the cloying darkness. The sudden silence feels suffocating, like the tower has sucked all the sound from the world, leaving only my thundering heartbeat.
It must be more of those rogues…
Taliesin glances up at the ceiling, his thoughts clearly mirroring mine. This would be a much better place to trap him. Hang the net above, wait for him to step into place, and drop it before he suspects a thing. He lowers his gaze to mine and shakes his head. There’s nothing there.
He draws the sword and motions me behind him. I frown but let him take the lead, falling into place a step back. My gaze drifts to the sodden tunic clinging to his defined shoulders, his sculpted back. An unwelcome flare of heat warms my chest.
I shouldn’t be noticing things like that. What would Osian think?
At the thought of him, a wave of helplessness rolls over me, threatening to pull me under. How will I ever get back to his side? What will happen to him if I do? Even if I make it back to Caer Draen alive, it won’t be with another successful mission notched to my name. There must be another way, but what is it? All I know is the High Swynwragedd are determined to pick him apart until they know exactly how my magic works. They will never stop.
Not unless I kill Taliesin Wynn.
I stare at his back as we inch down the shadowed corridor. I could do it now. He wouldn’t understand what was happening until it was already too late, and maybe not even then. Death at my hand is quick. Merciful.
I only planned to abandon the mission because I thought we would go our separate ways, like the vision insisted we should.But if he refuses to accept that—if he chains me to his side—what choice do I have?
He said I would be the undoing of both of us. Maybe this is what the vision meant. I kill him, raise him, and deliver him to the Order. It will destroy a piece of my soul to do it. Until now, I’ve only ever used that part of my magic to protect myself.
But maybe thisisprotecting myself. I don’t know what he plans to do with me here…
But no, I can’t. It’s still too early yet. I don’t know enough about him for the resurrection to stick.
We reach the end of the corridor where another door hangs open. Taliesin pushes against it, the creak of the hinges echoing through the silence. He braces himself, sword at the ready. I hold my breath and wait. The moments stretch on, but neither of us relaxes.
