The Stars know he deserves it.
I’m so sorry.
Aurora
I read it once, twice, three times, trying to wrap my head around what had happened. It took me until after the second read-through for me to realizethehementioned in the note was speaking of Dimitri—he was the only one that made sense in that context.
My breath was ragged, as ifI’djust returnedfrom a long run. Iwasn’tsure how long I stood there, stunned, reeling, reading itover and over. I glanced at the made bed, the bare room, the spaces where my friend had existed, where she no longer was—and a part of me mourned.
Then Byn’s hands were cupping my face,turning me toward him. He must have been talking, asking me things, but all I could do was meagerly hand the note to him.
He read it once, then wrapped me up in a tight embrace. I could feel him pushing a wave of relaxation toward me through our intertwined souls, and I drank it in—just enough to slow my breathing.
And once there was enough air in my lungs again, it clicked.
I pulled from Byn’s embrace, my eyes on the door and the corridor beyond.
“What is it, Avi?” he asked, following my gaze.
“Byn, what was in the room that you, Quinn, and Rayven were in earlier today?” I questioned, my mind begging the Stars for my gut not to be right.
“Our war plans, mostly. Maps, soldier andtrokavcounts, strategies—things of that nature. Why—”
Before he could finish his thought, I was slipping out of the room and breezing down the hallway until I was flingingopenthe lounge door—the same oneI’dslidshutnot long ago.
Only to find the main table in the center of the roombare.
The same place where I could only assume the plans had been earlier that day.
Bynrushedin behind me,thenpaused. Taking it in for a moment, he swore when he realized what had happened that day.
Aurora had betrayed us.
She’d betrayedme.
Chapter Thirty-Five
“You seem like you still have some energy left,” Val noted, leaning against the hidden door she’d just slid closed behind her.
“Possibly.” I readjusted the three new gold rings on my hands—each one holding a sun stone.
A day or two afterI’dshowed Mother the moon lilies,I’dtaken a quick, discreet trip back to theNeokellencampments.I’dgone alone to save time, despite receiving a lengthy scolding from Val upon my return. But ithad beennecessary.
A necessary disappointment, Father’s voice echoed in my mind.
I’dsnuck in, not wanting my presence to be common knowledge, and made my way to where all the prisoner’s confiscated items were kept. From there,I’dhadalmost too muchfun picking outsun stonesfor myself. It had come down to a bracelet or the rings I wore now, but Mother had told me if I ever got ahold of sun stones, to cast out my energy and see which stones responded.
And these rings had practically sung in my presence.
Disgraceful, the voice announced.
It’dbeen weeks since then, though, and thesunstones had become like a second skin to me. They were comfortable and helpedtremendously in focusing myzirilium—so much so that I had begun to best Mother in our training sessions, one after the other.
Except for when she played dirty, like she had tonight when she grew and used vines to trip me before I could advance.
It had been frustrating, making my blood boil, butshe’dpointed out that Southerners would do much worse in battle. And at that, Icouldn’targue.
“LadyEloreis in her chambers for the night,” Val said, confirming that her latest task of escorting Mother through the hidden tunnels was complete.
