I push my hair back. “That doesn’t help me at all.”
He gives me a droll look. “I’m sorry. Were you under the impression that I have any fucks to give about your problems, wolf boy?”
“What the hell am I supposed to do? Just sit here and wait for… what? A signal?”
“Why are you asking me? I know as much as you do. Those are questions you should have asked King Ruel.”
“I tried, but it seems you lot can only speak in riddles.”
Selor lies down, links his hands behind his head, and closes his eyes.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m taking a nap. I have a feeling we’ll be here a while. Don’t bother me unless I’m about to die a horrible death.”
“You might,” I snarl.
“If that was a threat, you gotta work on it, wolf boy. Now shut up.”
I curl my hands into fists and turn away from the jackass. I’m too restless to sit down, so I keep pacing, practically digginga hole in the ground. Frustrated, I grab a pebble and toss it into the void. I wait to hear the noise of it landing below, but it never comes. Shit. Either the drop goes on forever, or the magic surrounding this place prevents any noise from reaching the top of this cliff. If that’s the case, even if Manu calls for me, I won’t be able to hear her.
I close my eyes and focus on the bond magic that links me to her. The connection is still there, but there’s no tug pulling me in a specific direction. It’s like the thread is slack. Hell. I hate feeling this useless. Dejected, I sit down and hug my knees.
Please, Manu. Send me a sign. Anything.
A sharp pain in my back robs me of air. It’s like the muscle has been slashed open, and it burns. I fall on my side, crying out in agony.
“What fresh hell is this?” Selor asks.
I’d answer him if I could speak. The pain is unbearable.
He crouches next to me. “What’s wrong with you? Are you hurt?”
“I… I don’t know. My back… it feels like it’s been ripped to shreds.”
Selor lifts my shirt, then a moment later says, “I see nothing. Are you sure you’re not losing your mind?”
“If I’m going insane… it must be this place.”
He moves away from me. “Perhaps. But since it’s all in your head, please suffer in silence.”
“Asshole,” I grit out.
“Eh, I’ve been called worse.”
Eventually, the pain lessens, becoming dull. Then I hear her voice, like a whisper:“Karl… I wish I could see your face one last time.”
The bond flares in my core, burning so bright that I can actually see Manu. She’s perched on a tree branch, hurt and alone.
In an instant, the wolf takes over. Before Selor can stop me, I’m in midair, plunging into the unknown.
Twenty-Three
CHERYL
ELLNESARI, PRESENT DAY
The jostling motion of a cart going over rough terrain wakes me from a disturbing dream. Masked men stormed the room I was in and took Ronan and me captive. I can’t see anything in front of me, and when I try to move, I’m restrained. My hands are bound behind my back, and my legs are tied at the ankles. It takes me a second to understand it wasn’t a dream. Ronan and I were captured for real.
