The same large lump she’d seen in the middle of the night still lay in the center of the bed. Cade grabbed her arm, clearly saying something, but the sharp ringing in her ears drowned out every noise except her own heartbeat. Bridget flipped the covers off the four-poster bed. Two fluffy pillows stared up at her.
For a split second, it was like every single atom of her body had imploded and escaped through a gaping hole in her chest. When specks of light began to flood her vision again, Bridget found herself collapsed in Cade’s arms. Her entire body trembled as a singular, slicing message erupted through her brain: Nylah was gone.
Chapter twenty-nine
Cassia
The throne room was a mess of voices, movement, and too many people Cassia couldn’t name. Not that she cared to. She lingered near the corner, half in shadow, observing more than participating. Watching. Listening. It was easier that way. She’d perfected the art of fading into the background, of being the silent one no one noticed until she decided to let out a brash comment.
Plus, the last thing Cassia wanted to do was touch someone. Or something magical. The lingering hum of the Bloodstone’s power still clung to her fingers, even through the gloves she’d hastily pulled back on. Too intoxicating. Too addictive. Her hands ached with the memory of it… of how natural it had felt, how much she’d wanted more.
A shiver slid down her spine.
Cassia clenched her jaw and stared at the floor. She hated remembering what she’d done. The image of her fingers buried in Bridget’s side was still too fresh. So was the sound of her scream. And now, on top of that, she was stuck in her least favorite room… crammed in with a crowd, hemmed inby firelight and walls that swallowed all trace of sunlight. Windowless. Airless. Smothering.
Or maybe the feeling was caused by a certain person. Her eyes drifted to her father. He stood across the room, speaking in clipped, stern tones to one of his advisors. She’d barely come to terms with the revelation that he’d known what she was foryearsand tried to smother it. Despite his claims his actions had stemmed from his desire to protect his children, she wasn’t sure she could forgive him. Even if he did seem like he was trying to help. With a rough flick of his wrist, her father summoned Orion away from him with a growl.
“I’ve checked the kitchens and eastern apartments. Everyone there is accounted for,” Delphine said, hurrying into the room with her dark hair messily wrapped atop her head. She made a beeline for Cade and Bridget.
Cassia almost wanted to laugh. So the girls still trapped on the palace grounds because of the tournament wouldn’t be joining them? She glanced at Bridget and Cade pressed together by one of the marble columns. Actually, it was probably a smart move by her brother to keep them away. Bridget already looked like she was one breath away from combusting. For the last ten minutes, she’d been staring at nothing, her expression carved from stone.
“You’re turning blue. I don’t know if you’ve heard of this thing called air, but…”
The whispered words from Archer to Bridget earned him a tired glare from Cade.
Cassia strained her ears to hear Cade’s low reply, but a presence to her left sent her heart rate spiking. She didn’t have to look to know it was Castor. The mere inch between them buzzed with more tension than she could handle. Her body ached to close it. Just lean over, touch his arm, and feel something real. But she couldn’t tell if that pull was hers or the magic still simmering beneath her skin, greedy for more.
Instead, she asked him, “How did this happen?”
The palace grounds were under protection spells, and her father had almost the entire army stationed inside. The tunnel Quinn and the Wraith had entered from were still covered by rubble. A little girl couldn’t have just disappeared.
“She must have wandered off,” Castor said.
She didn’t think that was the case. Cade had basically sent the entire palace into a lockdown. She’d learned a long time to always trust her brother’s hunches.
“I don’t think so.”
Tapping into the lingering current of magic in her veins, Cassia reached out to Cade’s mind. With a sharp pop of energy, she slipped inside. The weight of his thoughts nearly knocked her flat. His mind was in chaos. For a second, she almost couldn’t breathe from the frantic flashes of memory, fear, and the burn of responsibility gnawing at him.
Do you have any ideas?
No.His voice was tinted with frustration.And Bridget won’t let me in her head to know what she’s thinking.
“Ah,” Castor said. “Have you two ever thought some of these conversations would be better said aloud?”
Cassia ignored him.
Why?she asked.
Two deep lines marred Cade’s forehead as he watched Bridget and Delphine exchange whispers.There’s something she saw in the past that she doesn’t want me to know.
Cassia sent him the bits and pieces she’d seen. A dungeon. A waterfall. Ballrooms and dresses. A brief image of him in a tavern.
Cade sent her a droll look over his shoulder.That’s all very vague.
Like I said, she did most of the searching.
“Wait, where’s Finn?”
