Page 128 of Realm of Dreams & Shadows

Chapter

Thirty-Three

Ishould have no idea where I’m going, but somehow my feet know the way, as if I’ve walked the route in a dream. I race through long corridors and around hard turns, past stunning artwork, and statues so perfect they seem alive. My lungs burn, and my bare feet slap against cold stone, but I don’t slow. I can’t. With every second that passes, Chase has less time, and I have the answer burning in my mind like a brand.

I run until I’m finally there, standing outside the ornate double doors of dark wood shot through with veins of silver that catch the moonlight and throw it back like captured stars.

Adric’s suite.

I pound on the door with both fists, screaming his name. Half of me is terrified someone will hear and drag me away. The other half wants someone to hear so they can go find him if he’s not here.

“Adric!” My voice cracks. “Adric, please!”

Dammit, where is he?

I’m about to race back the way I came, this time hunting for any castle worker who can find the man I need, when the door swings open.

And there he is.

Adric stands in the doorway wearing a robe of deep burgundy silk that hangs open at the chest, revealing smooth skin and the kind of body that should be illegal. His dark hair is slightly mussed, and his silver eyes are alert despite the late hour—or early morning, I have no idea anymore.

“Cora.” His voice is calm, but I see the flash of concern cross his face. “What’s wrong?”

“I need your help.” The words tumble out in a rush. “Chase is dying, and I found the cure, but I need you.”

He doesn’t waste time with questions. He steps aside and ushers me in with one hand, but I don’t move. Instead, I grab the material of his robe and tug him toward me, closing the distance between us.

“The cure,” I say, breathless. “It’s his own untainted blood.” I shove the book I’m still clutching into his hands, my finger jabbing at the passage. “You have to help me. Help him.”

He takes the book, his eyes scanning the text. When he looks up, his expression is carefully neutral. “My love, I am sorry. The cure requires his untainted blood. There is no way to remove the stain left by the wolf. His blood is tainted.”

“I know,” I say, my heart pounding. “But yours isn’t.”

His brow furrows. “My blood?”

“Don’t you see? You were one being. You and Chase—you were the Guardian. The same blood ran through your veins because you shared the same body. It’s the same.”

“I assure you,” he says slowly, “my brother and I are very different.”

“You were the Guardian,” I insist, my voice rising with desperation. “You were one body, weren’t you? One being?”

“We were.” His jaw tightens. “And that was so long ago the cosmos has forgotten it.”

“He hasn’t.” The words come out raw. “It still hurts him. What you did. That you left him. That you broke what you were and walked away.”

Adric says nothing. He turns to the window, the orange glow of the five moons giving him an eerie, powerful quality. I hurry to stand by him, noting how the light catches his eyes and makes them look almost molten.

“Please.” I move closer, shoving the book back into his hands. “You can save him. I know you can. Please, just read it. Tell me I’m not wrong.”

He’s silent for a long moment, his eyes moving over the page. I hold my breath, my heart hammering so hard I can feel it in my throat. Then he looks up at me, and something shifts in his expression.

“So it appears,” he says quietly.

Relief crashes through me so hard my knees nearly buckle. “You’ll do it, then? You’ll cure him?”

My heart pounds, and one more stray tear streaks down my cheek. I don’t bother wiping it away. “Please, Adric. If you care anything for me at all, please save him.”

“You love him.” It’s not a question.