Chapter 41
Rylee
“Butterfly.” Jax’s voice calls to me from the dark recesses of my mind, echoing like he’s far away.
I reach toward the sound, feeling the bond between us stretch awake. “Jax?”
“I’m sorry.”
I’m instantly alert.
“For what? Jax?” I sit up in bed, blinking as I orient myself. I’m in my rooms in the palace, alone. The night sky stretches in a glittering sea of stars just outside my open balcony doors.
“Jax?” I send the plea down our bond.
Silence.
I must’ve been dreaming.
Throwing the covers off, I pad barefoot to the balcony, stepping outside and inhaling the crisp midnight air.
The reality of how lonely I am without them hits me like a ton of bricks.
I used to be fine on my own. We lost our parents to a Never List mission decades ago, and Erin would go off on her adventures whenever the mood struck.
Ivy and Layce could only keep me company so much, with me being from the Ashlands. So, I’d always been fine solo.
But after the Legends . . .
I smooth my hand over my chest, trying to soothe the longing ache I feel there.
I miss them.
I miss Kal’s unflinching optimism. His dreams and warmth.
I miss Axl’s playfulness. His ability to make me laugh even when I feel like I’m drowning.
I miss Pierce’s calm understanding. His intimate care of my mind.
I miss Jax’s sharp edges. His consuming, all-in mentality when it came to the two of us.
I swallow hard, looking up at the stars, wondering if they might be looking at the same sky from wherever they are.
The fierce ache turns into a restless energy that has me itching to move.
“You need to wake up.” Evaluna’s voice is soft, a whisper against my ear.
A blink and she’s there, standing on the balcony next to me, looking ethereal in a gown of starlight, her blue-black hair shimmering in waves over her bare shoulders.
I bow.
I’m definitely dreaming. But it feels real. I feel the cool stone beneath my bare feet. The kiss of wind against my cheeks. I feel awake.
“You need to wake . . .” Evaluna presses her lips together, a flinch racking her body.
“Are you okay?” I ask, rushing toward her, daring to reach out and touch her arm—
Moonlight and stars and the force of an eternity split my mind.
I clench my eyes against the pain slicing through me.
Images flash behind my closed lids—Neph splayed on a polished floor, her eyes shut.
Eirdis unconscious next to her. Tareena running.
Falling. Evaluna screaming, the sound like a thousand pieces of glass bursting at once.
There are two men in the room, but I can’t make out their faces.
Their voices are hushed, conspiring whispers.
Evaluna jerks her arm from my touch. “You’re a brave one,” she says, almost like she’s out of breath.
Can goddesses even get out of breath?
“Yes,” she answers the silent question. “We can. Especially when—” She groans, glaring up at the sky. “Damned meddling Fates.”
“Fates. I’ve learned a little more about them since the last time we spoke. Especially after I visited Silvac.”
She nods, flashing me an impressed look. “Did you explore the interior gardens in the Sanctuary?”
“We only saw the exterior gardens, the library, and the meditation room. We didn’t have much time.”
“I understand not having time,” she says. “Tareena would kill me if she knew I risked this as often as I have, but being the goddess of night has its advantages. Like dreamwalking.” Her eyes meet mine, something unspoken there.
My head spins.
“Listen to me,” she says.
I widen my gaze at her. “I am.” She eyes me, but I shrug. “Apparently, I’ve dreamed you up, so I’m not exactly afraid of your wrath.”
She laughs, moving to lean against the balcony. “I do love your fearlessness. It certainly helped win my son’s heart, but be careful. That same fearlessness could get you killed.”
“There are a lot of things trying to kill me right now. Plus, as you know, I’ve already died once.”
“Would you be so flippant as to do it again? Put my son through that torture—”
“Never.” I dare to cut her off. “Of course I wouldn’t want to put any of them through that. It’s hard enough being away from them now, and they’re merely doing princely duties.”
“Exactly. Listen.” Evaluna takes a breath. “Pierce is close to finding everything you need—” She groans again. Her eyes close for a moment, like she’s calculating what she can and can’t say. “Universal punishments for the sake of balance are so damned frustrating.”
I frown. “I want to help you. I know you need it. I just don’t know what to do.”
She smiles softly at me. “Keep being you,” she says. “Never forget who you are, Rylee Gray.”
Okay? “I hadn’t planned on it?”
“When you wake up,” she says, testing her words carefully, “I need you to do exactly what I say.”
I remain silent, intently listening.
“Take a left, go down the long corridor, and take the first right. Then, immediately left. There, you’ll find a painting I hate.
It’s the palace when it was in the process of being built.
Move it to the side. Behind it, you’ll find a door.
” Victory glitters in her eyes as she gets the words out quickly.
“Go through it. You’ll find a small alcove, a hallway, and then another painting.
Don’t move it. Barely breathe. You’ll be able to see through it. ”
My heart is racing now.
“And then what?”
“You’ll need to—” She gasps, flinching again. Wrath contorts her features in such a way that I bow again.
“Fucking. Fates.” She blows out a breath. “The journal you found,” she says. “You’re missing a page.”
And then she’s gone.
I stand there blinking, wondering—
I startle awake in an instant, my mind whirling from the transition from balcony back to bed. My feet still feel cold, like I was standing outside just now.
Ash growls from where he sits near the balcony, his tail twitching back and forth in an irritated way.
I blink a few times. Was that real? Or did I just spiral down a maddening dream again?
The balcony doors are wide open, though there’s no sign of Jax’s mother.
I look toward my door and move before I can stop myself. I slide into a pair of slippers, shoving my arms through my black silk robe as I peer into the hallway.
No enforcers.
I hurry, following every direction Evaluna gave. It’ll be easy enough to prove it was just a dream if I take the path she spoke of and don’t find any hidden doors.
I pause, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I spot the painting she mentioned. It’s a monstrosity of a piece, almost as big as the wall. It depicts the bones of the palace, and all the people, mostly Ashlanders, building it. I hate it, too. It’s devoid of life, of hope and color.
Okay, just because the painting is here doesn’t mean there’s a hidden door behind it. I hesitate, biting my lower lip as my heart thuds against my chest. I could’ve seen this during my exploration of the palace and it simply popped up in my dream.
I reach for the edge of the gilded wooden frame but hesitate. If I move this and there’s a door behind it, then my dreams of Evaluna aren’t just dreams.
If I move it and there’s a wall here, I might be descending into madness.
I’m not sure which outcome I dread most.
I shift the frame.
My breath stalls at the sight of the carved door hidden behind the painting. I reach for the knob, fingers shaking as I turn it and push. I grab a lone candle burning atop a decorative table in the hallway, then step into the tunnel and quietly shut it behind me.
Wind softly spirals around my body as I step in to the small, slightly uneven hallway, ducking my head to follow its path.
Pierce’s power is still his, far down our bond and tightly sealed.
The effort is like constantly flexing a muscle I never knew I had.
It’s draining at times, but a victory all the same.
I ignore the instinct to yank it toward me, to fill myself with as much power as possible.
I have no clue what Evaluna is leading me toward. What if it’s another test? Some otherworldly trial I have to face? Again?
The notion doesn’t stop me, but when will I be done proving my worth?
I pause as an end to the tunnel comes into view.
It’s not a stone wall or a dead end. A thin canvas is stretched and supported by thick wooden beams that are built into the rock.
It’s the back of another painting, the details illuminated by the soft, golden light from the candle.
I slow my breathing as best I can, making my footsteps lighter than the air in my blood.
I cover the small flame flickering, just in case someone on the other side of this painting looks my way.
Nerves tangle with each second that goes by, silence buzzing in my ears. Did Evaluna want me to merely uncover this secret passage’s existence? Will it help me somehow in the future—
Two shadows move just beyond the canvas, halting all my thoughts.
“What’s so important you drew me from bed?” Baydel’s voice is angry. “I have company.”
Eww.
“He calls,” Frenrick, Baydel’s Occuli, says, and a spark of green flame bursts beyond the painting.
“He what—”
“You broke your promise.” An eerie voice reverberates in the space beyond the painting, though I see no one else. Frenrick lifts his palm higher, the green flames sparking brighter with each word from the mystery voice.
Baydel’s shadow straightens at the sound.
“What?” Baydel sputters, his tone agitated and fearful.
“Do you deny it?” the voice calls, the power in it shaking me to my core.
I clamp my lips shut. The last thing I need is a gasp giving me away.
“I . . . I . . .” It’s like Baydel has forgotten how to speak.
“You broke your promise,” the voice calls again. “I’ve given you the time we agreed upon. Now you’re suffering the consequences.”
Baydel clears his throat. “I haven’t,” he argues. “The payment is on its way. Call off your dogs.”
“I don’t think I will,” the voice finally says. “In fact, I think I’ll double my efforts. Perhaps I should rescind my help as a punishment for your lack of fulfilment.”
A burst of pure, undiluted fear rattles me so hard, I almost cry out. I grip my mouth harder, curling in on myself to stop the onslaught of panic rippling across Jax’s power.
For as much as I hate Baydel, I would’ve thought his fear would taste better.
It doesn’t. It’s an acidic, sour sensation that stirs my stomach.
I take a deep, quiet breath, shoving the emotion back, separating it from mine.
“Don’t,” he says. “Please.”
Holy fucking shit, I’ve never heard him beg.
“I promise your payment is on the way. I sent it. There’s no need for anything more.”
“I will determine that when the payment arrives. Until then, I suggest you calculate other ways to satisfy our bargain. I’ve grown terribly bored over here, and you know exactly what happens when my hands are idle.”
Another burst of fear slices through me.
The flames disappear, and Baydel falls against the wall, using it to hold himself up.
What the actual fuck?
“What’s the status on the payment?” he asks, his voice so thin. As if the conversation with whoever that was just stripped him of all his narcissistic bravado.
“Within the day,” Frenrick says.
“Let’s hope so,” he says, as if he’s uncertain. “If it doesn’t . . .” His voice trails off. “Come.” He shoves off the wall. “We need to prepare.”
The two whisk down the hallway at a speed that’s uncanny for this late hour.
I stand frozen behind the painting far longer than necessary, not wanting to risk running into them in the hallways, should they walk near my chambers.
Luckily, the space is clear when I return, shutting and locking the door behind me like I’m chased by their ghosts.
I curl into my bed, beckoning Ash in a desperate plea for comfort. He doesn’t budge from his spot sprawled on the stone floor near the balcony. Sleep is long forgotten, but the sun is so far from rising. I tug the covers over me, my mind whirling.
Two things are certain.
One, Evaluna has been speaking to me through my dreams, and she wanted me to see Baydel’s interaction. Two, there’s someone out there more powerful than Baydel, and he’s terrified of him.
And I have no clue what I’m supposed to do about it. Because if Baydel, the most powerful king in Lumathyst, is afraid of this person, then we most certainly should be, too.