Chapter 32
Raine watched Thorne pace in the dining room from his seat at the table.
His stride, the way he muttered under his breath…
He and Ava were so similar sometimes, it was astonishing.
Though he remained much calmer than her in most situations, their quirks and facial expressions were almost exactly the same.
Thorne paused, tapping his fingers together as he scanned the room. “The daemons are coming here?”
“Yes,” said Raine.
“When?”
“We don’t know. The last intel we were able to gather was that they were meeting up with the remainder of their forces in Frosthaven.
” Maeryn leaned over the table, examining the maps.
Raine couldn’t help but focus on the way her triceps flexed with the movement.
“It will take them a while to get organized…but they could arrive within a few weeks. Perhaps earlier. We must prepare.”
“Has anyone heard from my sister or the others yet?” Thorne asked.
Everyone shook their heads. The room was silent, wind whispering through the vines in the open windows. Birds sang their afternoon melodies as if they hadn’t a care in the world. As if a daemon army wasn’t marching straight for their capital.
“The only way in is through the mountain tunnels,” Thorne said, resuming his pacing. “They’re currently being guarded, but if their entire army is headed this way, I do not know if that will be enough to stop them. We must move our forces there immediately.”
“They can’t cross over the mountains?” asked Astrid.
Thorne sucked his teeth. “Well…technically they could. But it’s treacherous and would take significantly longer. The tunnels are much more direct.”
“Alright,” Raine said, rising from his seat. “We need to get organ—”
The doors were flung open. In walked Quinn, Ava, Casimir and Jorrar.
Their faces were grave.
“We have information,” said Jorrar.
“Wait.” Raine threw his hands in the air, his voice rising. “You’re telling us Andras is a god? And we must journey to the Wastelands?”
“Yes,” Casimir responded.
“And while we’re doing this task, Mosshaven could be under attack?”
“It appears that way,” Thorne muttered.
Raine ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t want to leave his family here when they were so vulnerable. Couldn’t bear it. But he also wasn’t going to let Maeryn go without him. Just the thought of leaving her side made his heart ache.
“Can you give them obstacles?” Maeryn asked. “Have the fae of Saxumdale create a stone barrier?”
Thorne nodded. “Excellent idea. And you don’t think Caelestia is going to help?”
“My father refuses,” Jareth’s voice cut through the noise.
A hush fell over the room and everyone turned to the doorway. There stood Casimir’s half-brother, a smug look on his face. Raine tried not to roll his eyes. Gods, he fucking hated Jareth.
The guards hurried after the astral prince, out of breath. “I’m so sorry, Your Majesty. We told him you were in a meeting, but he refused to listen.”
Casimir sprang to his feet. “What are you doing here? Did you follow us through the portal?”
“Who is that?” Maeryn leaned over and whispered.
“Casimir’s half-brother. King Orion’s son.”
“I sense family strife.”
Raine gripped the wine goblet in his hand. “That’s an understatement.”
She raised a black brow, observing the interaction, Casimir and Jareth arguing loudly.
“Enough, you two,” Thorne commanded. “Jareth, if you’re here to help, take a seat. If not, then leave. I have no patience for your insults.”
“You all left so quickly, I didn’t get to say my goodbyes,” he said.
Raine leaned over the table. “We don’t have time for your games, you arrogant prick.”
Jareth eyed Raine with contempt. “Games? That’s rich coming from a man-whore such as yourself. What would your dead lover think of your games? About how you now live your life?”
Raine froze.
Everyone knew about what had happened with Finnick—it wasn’t a secret—but for Jareth to bring it up in such a way…
He shouldn’t be surprised. Jareth always did this.
Knew exactly what would push everyone’s buttons and used it against them.
All because he was an insecure asshole who couldn’t face his own demons.
Raine should ignore it. Not rise to the bait. But the rage and hurt nearly overwhelmed him and he was unable to control the trembling in his hands. His heart pounded so hard, he couldn’t hear what was being said, the murmurs and angry words a distant rumble under the buzzing in his ears.
There was shouting. A chair fell over. Ava had Jareth by the throat against the wall, his arms pinned with her vines.
When did they get over there?
Someone called his name. A soft, subtly accented voice. He met eyes with Maeryn. “Raine,” she repeated, gently touching his arm. “Are you alright?”
He nodded, rising from his chair. “I just need a moment.”
He left the dining hall, hands still trembling as he fought against the magic urging to break free. It wasn’t long before he emerged outside, the sun just finishing its descent below the horizon. Evening already? They must have been in there for hours.
No idea where he was going, he found himself heading into the woods when Sabriel appeared, trotting beside him.
What happened? she asked.
“Jareth is just an asshole. That’s all.”
What did he say?
“It doesn’t matter. I just need time away from everyone.”
It was about Finnick wasn’t it? You only get like this when it’s about him.
“I should know better than to keep things from you.”
Indeed. Would you like me to go rip off Jareth’s arm?
He scratched her head.
“As much as I’d love to see it, you can’t do that.”
You’re no fun.
Raine shook his head. He stopped in the middle of a clearing deep in the forest, unsheathing a dagger and whipping it toward the trunk of a large tree.
It pierced the bark with ease. Sending a vine to retrieve it, he repeated the motion.
Again, and again he threw the dagger, swallowing the lump forming in his throat.
And as he took out his grief on the tree, his mind wandered back to that day.
The worst day of his life.
“I found us a house,” Raine said with excitement, seated at the table with his father and sister in the farmhouse kitchen.
“Where?” Fanya asked brightly.
“Not far from here.”
Raine’s father sipped his wine. His short brown hair almost gold in the firelight, matching the stubble on his face. “I’m happy to have the two of you so close to me,” he said.
“When does Finnick return?” Fanya asked. “Have you told him about the house?”
“He should arrive in a couple of days. No, I haven’t told him. It’s a surprise.”
“I’m so happy for you, brother.” Fanya reached across the table and grasped his hand.
Raine was ecstatic. He’d met the love of his life and couldn’t wait to surprise him with the home he’d purchased.
Couldn’t wait to marry him and spend the rest of their days together.
Finnick was loyal and kind. Good down to his very core.
And soon Raine would have the honor of calling him his husband.
A frantic pounding on the door jarred him. Raine’s father rose from the table. “Now who could that be at this hour?”
His father answered, low voices murmured, setting Raine’s nerves on edge. Something was wrong. The door clicked shut and his father returned to the kitchen. Raine stood.
“What is it?” he whispered, his heart nearly beating out of his chest.
His father’s face fell. “There was an attack on the party Finnick was traveling with…”
“Please don’t say it,” Raine begged, his eyes blurring with tears. “Please…”
His father took a step forward, placing a gentle hand on Raine’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “No.”
“There were no survivors.”
The room spun. Knees buckling, he collapsed to the floor.
And then Raine fell apart.
A snarl left Raine’s lips as he flicked the dagger into the tree again, the bark now chipped away. It sunk deeper this time, all the way to the hilt. He stood there, glaring at the tree, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.
“That poor tree,” Maeryn spoke from his left, startling him. “Though it might be easier to use an axe if you mean to cut it down.”
Raine let out a mirthless laugh. He strode forward and retrieved his blade, sheathing it on his thigh before he met Maeryn’s gaze. “I suppose you’re right.”
She leaned against a tree, arms crossed, kindness in her eyes. “You have been through a great heartbreak, no?”
He nodded, his throat tight.
“And Casimir’s brother knew where to hurt you…”
Raine sat on a stump facing her, elbows on his knees. “He knows where to hurt everyone. A massive prick, if you hadn’t already figured that out.”
She hummed her agreement. “If you know he is this way…why do you let it affect you?”
Good question.
Because it’s been at the forefront of my mind lately. Because of you. Because I lost him and now I’ve met you. And you’re all I can think about and I don’t know what to fucking do about it. Because I’m terrified.
But he couldn’t say that.
“I suppose it's the one thing I’m sensitive about.”
They were silent for a long moment. Fireflies had emerged from their hiding places among the foliage and Raine watched a particularly bright one, its yellow glow warm in the dark forest. A painful reminder of his lost love, but this time it was different.
Like a small beacon of hope in the night.
A ghost of a smile floated across his face.
Because the light looked exactly like Maeryn’s eyes.
Firefly.
“Would you like to talk about it?” she asked.
“Not at the moment.”
“Then I shall tell you about mine.”
“Yours?”
“Come.” She gestured. “Walk with me through the garden.”
Raine rose and followed, silent again as an owl called in the distance. Wandering back through the woods, they entered a gate, opening to the formal gardens connected to the ballroom.