“Let them,”I remind him quickly through our bond.“Find Nightfall and reconnect the shard to it. My magic and us retrieving the weapon to gain the upper hand depends on us.”
Still, he hesitates, his back rigid and a small vein popping out along the side of his neck.
“Graylen.”I wrap my hand around his forearm, the muscles tense.“This is the plan, remember? We’re just starting it early.”
I step around him and sheathe my dagger. Graylen doesn’t stop me.
Michael reaches for the collar, but Adrian jerks it away.
“Iwill put it on her,” Adrian hisses. “You don’t get to touch her.”
A flicker of surprise ripples through me.
Adrian stalks over to me, his jaw set as he stops in front of us. His gaze lands on Graylen as he whispers, “I wouldn’t do it if there was any other way.”
My lips part. Something shifts between them—an understanding. It’s easy to forget that they were once friends, almost like brothers. Graylen hasn’t talked about Adrian much, but there were moments when I first arrived at the castle that I saw it.
They’ve been bickering the entire trip here, but at this moment, they’re on the same side.
Graylen dips his chin, and Adrian returns the gesture before turning to me.
My eyes fall to the cool metal resting in Adrian’s grasp. The sight of it still makes my stomach turn, despite knowing this was our plan.
“I’m sorry,” Adrian rasps, his voice too low for the soldiers to hear. His gaze meets mine, and all I can find is genuine guilt swirling behind those golden-brown eyes.
I nod, letting him know I’m ready.
As he lifts the collar and sets it against my throat, my hands begin to shake. It’s one thing toknowthis is a part of the plan, and another thing to actuallygetto this step.
Graylen’s pinky curls around mine, tugging my hand with a gentle pull.“Breathe, little princess,”he soothes as Adrian snaps the sickening metal in place. His voice fades as the collar begins to work, cutting off my connection to him.“Don’t let them see you afraid. Show them that even with your magic quelled, it’s them who should be afraid of you.”
My lungs expand, letting a rush of air in as my body listens to him.
The connection to my Essence dims sharply, like all of the air being sucked out of the room. The collar does what it’s supposed to, severing what’s left of my ties to the depths of my soul.
A lump forms in my throat, and I work to swallow it down. Now, just a never-ending sense of loneliness accompanies me as the thread that binds me to Graylen goes quiet.
My stomach turns as the realization hits me. What if I lose my magic for good? What happens if we don’t get the shard to Nightfall in time?
Adrian doesn’t linger. The moment the icy ring encircles my neck, he steps away, a burst of cold air brushing against me in his wake. He spins around, his eyes hardened, and nearly runs out of the stable.
The guards make a path for him, instantly shuffling aside to let him pass.
“Find a house in need that could use these two horses,” Adrian calls over his shoulder to no one in particular.
The man who called usfilthstutters, “But, Your Majesty, we only have enough horses for us?—”
“Then give away your fucking horses too!” Adrian shouts, whirling toward him. His red-rimmed eyes flash, his hair sticking in odd directions with straws of hay poking out. He looks a bit…deranged. “Youallare capable of walking, are you not? Give your horses to someone who deserves it.” Adrian starts back toward the open double doors and adds, “You fucking lot certainly don’t.”
He disappears from the barn, leaving the guards all looking at each other as if they can’t process what he just said.
Finally, Michael grits out, “You heard him.” Then he turns to us and says roughly, “Time to go.”
When he takes a step toward us, I instantly mirror the movement, my chin lifted and eyes blazing. I’m on edge, exhausted from lack of sleep and fueled by adrenaline alone.
He must see something in my eyes, because he doesn’t come closer. “Out you go.” He gestures to the door and shuffles aside.
The guards remain parted down the middle, and we begin to walk. Their eyes linger on my throat, on the collar shackled there, as we pass.
