Chapter 28
Camryn
My ass is numb by the time we crest the ridge and the palace comes into sight.
Darkness fell a few hours ago, but I can see the summit that rests atop Lord Arc’s royal residence like a vertex on a crown.
The moon, full and bright in the velvet sky, illuminates its haunting beauty and, for a moment, I’m filled with wonder.
Though the ride from Ni’haan took less than a day, we rode through every climate imaginable, Caelum keeping a close eye on me and the brooding cursed lord.
From the chill of the snowy mountains up north, through the warm arid canyons, and the light mist that drifted through the forest before we arrived at the cloud-covered land that Arc calls home.
On the surface, the land Arc is bound to doesn’t seem so bad.
It’s beautiful. A realm within a realm. But then I think of how out of my mind I’ve been being confined for just a few months that I can’t imagine being imprisoned for centuries, unable to leave.
Cut off from and feared by the rest of Silverveil.
It almost makes me feel bad for his fuck-assery. Almost.
As we move toward the palace, our group splits, and my heart splinters right along with it.
Arc rides in front, curving off toward the palace stables.
I halt my horse, waiting for Aurora. Travelers pass by, some giving me a hopeful smile.
Others cast warning glances my way. Soren and Aurora are toward the middle of the pack, with Caelum and Mei bringing up the rear.
I think about the conflict this morning and how Caelum proudly defended doing what he did to save Mei from Arc’s imprisonment.
I wonder what would have happened if he had done the same for me.
Maybe I wouldn’t be here now. I want to be mad at him for it.
Hate him, even. But there’s something about the big guy that keeps my heart soft.
And I’m not Arc’s prisoner anymore. I’m here of my own volition.
Caelum gives Mei a kind smile and pulls his horse past me, his amber eyes lingering on my face before he continues toward Arc. As much as I didn’t fear coming back alone with Arc, I’m secretly glad Caelum’s here. His lips curl at the corners, and I roll my eyes, knowing he heard my thought.
Soren guides his horse toward me, Aurora smiling wistfully in front of him. Despite my sense of uncertainty about what waits for me back at the palace, my heart swells for Rory.
She’s been alone for so long. Never wanting to open her heart to anyone. She’s always feared rejection, and the presumed expiration date on love.
But seeing the way she looks at Soren, and him at her, makes me happy. She is happy. Anyone can see it. Even my jaded self.
I swallow down my swelling emotions. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a bath,” I say as the pair halts beside me, moving out of the way for riders to continue around them.
Aurora chuckles, her eyelids heavy. “You’re telling me.”
“You sure you don’t want to stay in the palace for the night? It’s been a long day.” I secretly cross my fingers beneath the reins.
Soren tilts his head to look at Aurora. She tips her head back and smiles softly at him.
“Whispering Glen is just through the valley. It will only be another hour or so until we break for the night,” Soren responds kindly.
Aurora forces a grin. “Besides, I doubt Lord Icy Pants wants to host a dozen people who betrayed him with their secrets for hundreds of years.”
I chuckle. She’s right about that.
Her gaze drops. “I guess this is where I leave you.”
I sigh and shift in the saddle. “You’re not leaving me. And I’m not leaving you. It’s just something I have to do. And Caelum is here, so you shouldn’t worry.” I try to ease the ache building in my chest.
Aurora leans over the side of Ash, falling into my lap for a hug. I cling to her.
“Be good,” she whispers in my ear.
“Never,” I murmur as Soren helps settle her back against him.
And then they are gone.
I watch them until they disappear over the hill, and the silence becomes deafening.
I am about to be angry that I was left alone outside in the dark, but when I turn my horse, I’m surprised to find Caelum just a few yards away waiting for me.
My chin tips to the sky as I pull up beside him. “What are you, my chaperone?”
I nudge my horse past him, but his casual charm carries with the wind. “I’ll be anything you want me to be.”
I roll my eyes to the sky and halt my horse, turning back to face him. His face is warm and his eyes shimmer in the moonlight. But the corners of his lips don’t quite reach his eyes.
“Cut the crap, Caelum. Why are you here?” I watch the grin slide from his face.
His voice drops, but his eyes stay focused on me. “Because I’m a coward and I failed so many women by bringing them here. And I can’t bring them back. I can’t change the choices I made. But I can do what I can now to protect you. To ensure you don’t become one of them.”
His honesty knocks the air from my lungs. Whatever excuse I was expecting from him, it certainly wasn’t that.
“Oh,” I mumble as my eyes look away from the sheer sadness on his face. I don’t know what else to say, so I turn my horse and continue down the hill.
We ride in silence to the stables, and I feel a shocking sense of relief as we leave the horses with the stable hands and walk toward the garden, Arc nowhere in sight.
I stuff my hands into the pockets of my cloak. “What are your plans? Are you just going to follow me around, make sure Arc doesn’t put the moves on me?” I choke down a gag.
Caelum’s dark and fiery hair dances across his forehead as he looks down at me. His eyes hold something, but I can’t decide if it’s sadness or disgust. “If Arc lays a finger on you, it will be the last time he’s among the living.”
My eyes tear away from him to see sparks flicker between his fingertips. I swallow but can’t help the smile that curves at the corners of my lips.
The pebbles of the garden path crunch beneath our feet.
He exhales, his breath hanging suspended in the cool air. “You need rest. I will stay in the room next to yours if you need anything.”
My shoulders ease at the thought of him being close.
I nod. “Whose room is that, by the way?”
He swallows, and his gaze drops to the ground. “It was Isolde’s room.”
“Oh,” I say for the second time in less than five minutes. “She was your friend, huh?”
His jaw clenches. “Yes. And I failed her too. I tried to protect her, but I didn’t do enough.”
My eyes skim over his profile. His tan skin creases ever so slightly in thin lines around his eyes.
I exhale. “You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. People have free will and you can’t control everything that happens in life. I’m sure she appreciated you, just as you are.”
His gaze flashes to mine and his spirit lifts just a smidge. I offer him a smile as we reach the patio doors.
He gives me a lop-sided grin as his fingers grip the handle, and a warm burst of air kisses my cool skin. I step into the grand hall, the wall sconces and chandeliers flickering to life.
We climb the stairs in silence and walk down the corridor to our rooms. When we reach my door, I turn to him, the question gnawing in my mind. “Why her? Why did you save Mei?” I look up into his eyes and he doesn’t appear surprised by my question.
“I don’t know. It was an urge. Something I felt compelled to do.” He watches me absorb his answer.
I narrow my gaze. “And you two never … got together?” I feel silly asking, as if I’m jealous.
Caelum’s eyes stay locked onto mine, unblinking. “No. It’s never been anything intimate. Just a familiarity. A friendship.”
My lips press into a line, and I nod. “Interesting.” I turn toward my door, pushing it open before turning back to the winged male. His head is tilted to the side and I don’t miss the corner of his lips curve up slightly as he watches me.
I swallow, suddenly feeling very warm. “Goodnight, Caelum.”
“Goodnight, Camryn,” he replies as I close the door in his beautiful face.
I press my back to the door and exhale, dizzied by emotions and the events of the day.
“Get a grip, girl,” I whisper to myself.