Stellan bowed over her. A broken sob escaped his chest, full of raw pain. Bridget wrapped an arm around Nylah, pulling her close as her own eyes blurred. Marin had jumped in front of Nylah. She’d saved her. A heavy wave of guilt and sorrow washed over her. Her eyes darted to Stellan, whoseface was pale and twisted with grief so deep it seemed to shatter the silence. Then she looked to Cade, whose clenched jaw and haunted eyes spoke of his own quiet torment.
Above them, the storm finally broke. One ray of sunlight pierced through the dark clouds to rest on Marin’s still form.
Chapter twenty-four
Heat pounded against Bridget’s back as she stood motionless beneath the shower, steam curling around her like a second skin. She had no idea how long she’d been standing there, frozen in place, letting the water scald her until her skin tingled. It didn’t matter. Nothing could wash away the images etched into her mind like scars: Archer flying into the wall. A burning Wraith. Endless black sludge. Blood. Constant blood. Marin and Quinn’s crumpled bodies.
Deckard and a legion of guards had barged into the courtyard seconds after Marin took her last breath. Their bodies had quickly been removed. She didn’t know where to.
She didn’t understand it—how the sword had felt like an extension of herself, how her hands had moved as if answering muscle memory she didn’t know she had. It had been instinct. Like something ancient had woken up inside her. Despite the heat of the water, she shivered.
Archer and Finn were fine, she told herself. They were both in the other room with Nylah, playing a game and trying to make her laugh despite the heaviness in the air. Cade had turned on the shower for her… had placed asoft kiss against her lips and whispered that he’d be waiting for her. But Stellan…
A sharp ache coiled through her chest. His grief had been unbearable to watch. When her body had been lifted from the ground, he’d stormed out of the courtyard before anyone could stop him. She wondered where he was now and hoped someone was with him. And with Cassia, too. Castor had paled when they’d told him what happened and rushed to find her.
Bridget drew in a slow breath and finally reached for the knob, shutting off the water. The silence afterward rang louder than the storm. She dried off with aching limbs and slipped into a pair of leggings and a dark blue sweater. Her damp hair clung to her skin, soaking into the wool. Heavy bags hung beneath her storm-dark eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept. And couldn't think of a reason to try. The day felt endless, and the moon had only just begun to rise.
She laced up her boots with stiff fingers and padded back into Cade’s room.
Archer, Finn, and Nylah sat on the floor in front of one of the fireplaces. A board game she didn’t recognize lay between them. Bandages were wrapped around Finn’s neck and Archer held up a bag of ice to his temple given to him by the healers in the infirmary. They were both too busy arguing about the rules to notice Nylah sneaking a peak at their cards.
But there was one thing missing. Cade. The power was still out so Bridget grabbed a flashlight from his desk drawer. The guilt on his face had been impossible to ignore. She needed to find him before it ate him alive.
Nylah noticed her movements and placed her cards face down on the floor. “Where are you going?”
Despite her assurances that she wasfine, an underlying fright hadn’t left her gaze. And it was no longer full of blissful innocence. The thought made Bridget’s stomach twist. She glanced at the amethyst necklace she’d forced around her sister’s neck. At least she was protected now.
“The attic,” Finn answered. His knowing gaze cut to Bridget. “There’s a ladder to the roof in there.”
Bridget nodded, hoping Finn sensed the overwhelming gratitude rushing through her veins that he knew where to find his best friend. Clicking on the flashlight, she took off to the servant stairwell hidden behind the library. The stone steps groaned beneath her boots, the air growing colder the higher she climbed.
The attic greeted her with a musty hush, dust thick in the air. She sneezed as it hit her nose, brushing cobwebs away with one hand as she carefully made her way through the maze of draped furniture and forgotten trunks. At last, her beam of light caught the outline of a steel ladder stretching up through a half-open skylight.
It looked barely functional. The metal was rusted and rickety. But she didn’t hesitate.
The metal groaned in protest as she climbed.
When Bridget emerged onto the roof, wind tore at her damp sweater and lashed her hair across her face. Her gaze locked on Cade. He sat near the edge, his back to her. His feet dangled off the narrow stone ledge as if the drop below didn’t exist. Gravel crunched softly beneath her boots as she stepped forward. He didn’t turn. Wordlessly, Bridget lowered herself beside him and mirrored his pose. Shoulder to shoulder, legs hanging into the darkness.
Finally, his golden-brown eyes met hers. Frowning, Cade brushed the ends of her damp hair.
Reading his mind, Bridget said, “That’s an old wives’ tale. I went without heat for a long time in New York one year to figure that out.”
Silence enveloped them. Bridget laced her fingers between his and laid her head on his shoulder. Her heart ached as she waited for him to speak. She could feel the weight of the day hanging between them.
After a long moment, Cade turned his head and pressed his lips into her hair. Hoarsely, he whispered, “This is where I came after Riker died.It was the only place that could get rid of that final terrible moment out of my head.” His voice broke. After clearing his throat, he continued, “Right after it happened, I lost control of my abilities. Everyone’s thoughts invaded my mind, including their grief. It didn’t silence until I crossed the gate.”
Bridget bit the inside of her cheek, the sting behind her eyes burning harder. Cade rarely spoke about Riker. About what camebefore. She didn’t dare move.
“I came here after Cavamyne, too. You went through the gate and I wasn’t sure…” Cade paused again. His grip on her fingers tightened. “I used to sit here and think it should’ve been me. I should’ve been the one taking that bullet. I would look down at my hands and still see your blood.”
Bridget finally turned her head. “Cade…”
His jaw was clenched, hard enough to tremble. The look in his eyes twisted something deep inside her.
“Marin could’ve survived if she already wasn’t so weak from taking that damned consequence from me,” he muttered, voice rough with guilt. “Maybe if the powers I supposedly used to have weren’t buried somewhere inside me, I could have helped her.”
“You don’t know that,” Bridget said softly. She reached up and stroked his cheek, flinching at how cold his skin felt under her fingers. “Besides, shechosethose things. She chose to protect you. And Nylah.”
