Page 103 of Veil of Night & Flames

“Noted,” I say. “But it’s Riley you need to be talking to, not me.”

“Yeah,” she says. “Working up the nerve.” She nods up toward the apartment. “Now go say goodbye to one of your men so you can go tell the other his right hand’s a traitor. And remember,” she adds, “you come back safe, or I will totally beat the crap out of you.”

“Roger that,” I say. And then, because I just don’t want to deal with goodbyes, I stand up, check the street for lingering pedestrians, then take a single step and cross over to the Nightmare Realm.

Chapter

Thirty

Iland on the terrace with the moons arcing above me and Chase’s hoodie still wrapped around me—which is a little weird, since I’m wearing it over the silky gown the realm has decided is appropriate for its queen.

Apparently, the realm has a sense of humor.

I unzip the thing, breathing in Chase’s scent for courage. Since I was aiming for Adric when I crossed into the realm, I know he must be close, and sure enough, he’s at the far end of it, one hand resting against the long jaw of a familiar black dragon—Leth.

I smile, remembering the last time I rode her—those enormous wings, the silver eyes that are now taking me in like she remembers me, too.

Adric stands beside her, but as I watch, he turns slowly, as if he’s sensed that I’ve arrived. And the moment he sees me, I melt a bit under the glow of pure happiness that lights his face.

“Beloved,” he says, his eyes roaming over me. Then his brow furrows, and he cocks his head. “My love, what troubles you?”

“I need to talk to you. But not in the castle. Somewhere no one can overhear.”

As he goes still, Leth swings her head toward me, and I wonder if she can understand our words.

“How bad?”

“Um, hello? Bad enough we’re not talking about it here.”

He doesn’t ask another question. He motions to Leth, and a moment later, he’s swinging up onto her back, then reaching down to pull me up behind him.

Five minutes later, we’re above the castle, and Chase’s voice in my head is an unpleasant soundtrack to this incredible sensation.

Does he care about the rest of it, or only you?

For a moment, I wonder if I even care myself. Because it’s hard to hold onto anything dark when the whole world drops away beneath a dragon’s wings.

I gasp as Leth climbs, and the castle shrinks to the size of a toy, and the air goes cold and clean. Adric’s body is solid between my arms, the leather of his coat warm where I’m pressed against his back, and for a few seconds, I forget the soldiers and the Threnir and the questions. In this moment, there’s just this—him, and the height, and how huge and strange and beautiful his realm is from up here.

Then I remember why I’m here, and I hold on tighter, as if that can make this last longer so that I never actually have to do the hard thing.

It can’t, of course, and soon enough we land on a high outcropping, far enough from the castle that the lights are a smudge on the horizon. Adric helps me down, and Leth settles onto the ground a few yards away, her body curled, her head tucked under her wing.

Some insect chirps, but other than that, all is silence.

“Tell me,” Adric says.

“Whistler’s doing well. Solenne really helped him.”

“I’m so glad to hear that, Beloved.”

“Well, there’s more,” I say grimly. “You’re not going to like it.”

His eyes narrow, but he says nothing, just waits for me to continue. I clear my throat and wish there were an easier way to do this. Because as much as I enjoy ratting Kali out, I also know it’s going to hurt him. He trusts her, after all. Stupid, maybe. But he does.

“It was Kali,” I blurt, because otherwise I’d sit here forever trying to figure out how to say it.

“What are you talking about?”