“You said you went to the Vale,” I say slowly, trying to make sense of my world being turned upside down in a matter of minutes. “That your mother was there.”
Opal’s features twist into an eager, gleaming smile.
“I thought you’d never ask,” she squeals.
My stomach drops.
I feel like the little girl stuck in camp again, the one shut out of her house while her father had important meetings. The one who was never picked to spar becausegirls don’t do that.
But this time, the feeling caused by someone I once thought was my ally—my friend. And from the look on her face, whatever she’s about to tell me is going to change everything.
“My mother is Carwyn,” Opal says with a sly smile. A smile that once made me feel safe now leaves ice stabbing at my chest. “Sisterof Queen Evelina, and rightful heir to the Valon Empire throne.”
I squeeze the hilt of my blade. “You’re?—”
“That’s right.” Opal walks closer to me, her movements as fluid as a fox. “Hello, cousin.”
Sixty-Nine
Moldavite
I stumble into a dim hallway,steadying my feet beneath me to lurch off of the stairs. Something soft and furry tumbles into me, pushing me forward. No—not just something; Soren.
The dreadwolf shakes his fur out as he steps around me, blinking—looking just as confused as me.
“What the fuck was that?” I mutter.
Soren’s ears suddenly pin back, a growl vibrating in his chest.
He leaps away from me, darting down the hallway.
Lu.
I race after him, my confusion turning into a desperate need to find her. Something was keeping us from her—trapping us in that staircase so we couldn’t get to her.
“Lu,”I shout into her mind.“Hold on, we’re coming.”
Nothing but silence answers me.
I don’t feel her, either. It’s different from how she felt aftershe rescued me from the Vale. This feels…broken. Like our connection is severed entirely.
I curse, picking up my pace as Soren and I race through the castle.
The creature is far quicker than me—even my fae speed is nothing compared to a dreadwolf.
Soren disappears around corner after corner, me only catching a glimpse of a hind leg or tail as he gains speed. Soon, I realize where we’re headed.
The library—where Lu was headed with Adrian.
Soren hauls ass across the room, his white fur bright against the moonlight. I don’t break stride as I follow him to the other side, where a door hangs open.
I slide to a halt at the entrance, the scene before me causing me to pause.
My gaze finds two figures splayed out on the ground first, blood surrounding their still bodies. Panic slices through me, but then I realize they’re both male.
I release an exhale, but only for a moment when I see who they are.
Moros andAdrian.
