Chapter 14 #2
“Thayden knows Elariya’s powers weren’t bound. He saw her using them. He’s threatened her family if she doesn’t marry him.”
I straightened, too fast again, but I didn’t care about the pain that shot through me.
“No fucking way.”
“Elariya agreed to come with us to rescue you, but she said she needed to get back before Thayden returned to Stormfell. Their wedding is next week.”
Holy fucking hell. “No. That’s not happening. I’m gonna kill that bastard.”
“Wolfe.” Alaric stepped forward.
“Don’t.” I held up a hand.
“You need to listen to me. Right now, we don’t know what’s going on.
All sorts of shit is hanging over our heads.
You were nearly killed, and it’s clear Thayden had help from high places.
We need to find out who that is.” His gaze hardened.
“Don’t make the mistake of severing a lead.
And don’t think they don’t already know we rescued you. ”
My mind went straight to Zyrra—her damning face, her taunts, her sneers.
She was part of the darkness. She would’ve reported back that I was alive. That I was still a threat.
“What if Thayden talks?” Garrick asked.
“Wolfe and Thayden both have something over the other, but his crime is worse,” Alaric cut in. “He tried to kill Wolfe. That’s punishable by death if it’s exposed—and the dragons are witnesses. Running his mouth would cost him his life.”
“If Thayden doesn’t talk, then Dreynthor won’t be a problem.” Garrick shrugged. “I say we kill him.”
Alaric cut him a hard stare. “Thayden is more useful to us alive. If we kill him now, we learn nothing. A dead man cannot lead us to his master.”
“I get that, but what about the wrong he’s done?”
“Damn it, Garrick, I want to kill him as much as you, but why fuck up an opportunity? Especially when we’re grasping for answers. We can kill his fucking ass after we get what we need.”
I saw where he was going with the argument, and it made sense. But how was I supposed to just let Elariya go?
“You can’t ask me to allow my girl to marry someone else.” I pinned Alaric with a hard stare.
“Wolfe, it’s just part of a plan. You know she belongs with you.”
“She does. And what about the ring? We know how to find it. If she returns to the mortal land, that stalls everything.”
“Don’t make it sound as though you only have to speak two words and the ring will appear.
” Alaric frowned, flipping his palms up in frustration.
“It’s not that simple. It’s dangerous for Elariya to be in Galaythia right now.
You were going to send her back to her family when her memory reset. That was the plan.”
“But Thayden wasn’t part of that plan.”
“But now that he is, we have to factor him in.” Alaric gave me a hopeless stare, one that told me he was choosing duty and sense over heart. “Elariya should return to the mortal lands. Sending her back will make Thayden think he has leverage.”
“And what if he’s in council with the enemy?” I challenged. “He’d know I’m alive. Then there is no leverage.”
Alaric’s stare didn’t waver. “That’s exactly why we let him believe he’s won. If he’s reporting to someone, he’ll do it when he thinks he’s safe—when he thinks you’re gone and Elariya is back where he can control her.”
He leaned in slightly. “Thayden may not even know who fed him that power. But he’ll reach for that power again. And when he does, we follow the trail. We don’t spook him. We don’t cut the thread. We use him. And once we know who’s behind him, you get her back—and you protect her family.”
I dragged a hand down my face. “You’re asking me to give her up. That’s a hard thing to even consider.”
“You wanted to keep her safe, Wolfe.” He riveted his gaze to mine. “This is how you do it. We should never have had to drag her to somewhere like Morg?ven. And we nearly didn’t make it.”
The ache that bloomed in my chest was different from the one caused by the wound. Guilt crawled under my lungs and squeezed its miserable way inside.
Elariya could have died trying to save me. None of that was right. But giving her up wasn’t right either.
“If we’re right and this traces back to the enemy, they used Thayden as a tool,” I said. “Which means he’s still a tool. If they plan to move through him, they’ll try again. Especially if he thinks nothing’s changed.”
“If they know you’re alive, their sights will be turned back to you. As long as you’re alive, you’re a threat.” Alaric spoke with a firmness I’d never heard. “That makes Galaythia the most dangerous for Elariya.”
I glanced at Bastian, who’d gone quiet. As had Garrick.
They agreed with Alaric, my brother, who was probably making more sense than me right now. My brother, who hadn’t fucked up by being blindsided and nearly got himself killed.
“Let’s stop pretending this was only about Elariya.” Alaric’s voice cut through the tension. “They didn’t bind dragons and breach the Southern Isles just to snatch a girl whose magic hasn’t even fully awakened. They went to that trouble to remove you.” His gaze locked on me.
I nodded once. Because it was true.
“You are the threat. You have dragons. Bloodsworn. Authority. Intelligence. Experience. Elariya is potential. They know she’s only just coming into her power, and that the ring won’t be easy to find.
” The words settled like iron. “If they’d succeeded in killing you, they could have taken their time shaping her into whatever they needed.
Now you’re alive. That complicates things.
As long as you stand, you’re in their way. ”
I thought back to Zyrra. She’d wanted me to up and die. She could have only wanted that if everything Alaric said was right.
“Why don’t we push this conversation aside for the moment,” Bastian suggested with a curt nod. I didn’t answer. Because if I did, it would be no.
“It’s a lot to deal with,” he continued. “Right now, we have bigger problems to maneuver. We don’t know where we are.”
It was wise to rest the conversation, but everything was tearing me apart from the inside out.
Right and wrong felt like the same thing to me. And I couldn’t think straight.
So, yeah. We needed to rest the conversation. And we needed to get home. Fast.
I gazed outside at the strange metal color of the moon. I’d known where we were from the moment I breathed the air.
“We’re in Boerl?ch, one of the gateways to the underworld. It has passage to the first hell and the first heaven.”
They looked at each other again.
“How did you know and we didn’t?” Garrick asked.
“My powers. Death calls to death.” I spoke in a low voice, wondering just how close I’d gone to the edge.
“You wouldn’t have been able to use a locator spell here because you don’t have death magic.
And you’re not supposed to be able to leave here.
My Deathwalker magic forced entry. Being here is different from the ethereal planes like the ghost roads. Everything here thrives on death.”
“If we’re not supposed to be here, how can we get back?” Bastian asked.
“Our host will allow us to leave.”
His stare thinned. “Host? There is no one else here but us and the girls.”
“That’s what he allowed you to think.” I raised my brows.
“Who are we talking about, Wolfe?” Garrick asked nervously.
“A Reaper. This one ferries lost souls who die at sea. The house is a working illusion. Probably borrowed from the mortal land because Elariya is half human.”
“How do you know all this?” Alaric asked, his voice wavering.
I met his worried gaze. “Let’s just say my Deathwalker powers have introduced me to a few interesting beings over the years.” I paused for a beat. “Our host is not a threat at the moment, but it would not be wise to overstay our welcome.”
He blew out a ragged breath. “Can you portal?”
“No. You can portal in but not out. The only way to leave is by ship.”
Bastian raised his brows. “Is there a way to summon the ship here?”
I thought for a moment, and an idea came to me. “I can’t summon the ship, but I can contact someone who can.” The one guy I knew who was crazy enough to sail the dead seas.
“Are you strong enough to do that?” Alaric studied me.
I nodded.
“Okay. Good. Wolfe, I’m sorry about Elariya. I—”
“I know. Let’s just leave that conversation here.” I glanced at each of them. “Thanks for rescuing me.”
“That’s not something you have to thank us for.”
“Yes, I do.” My Bloodsworn were more than just dutybound. They cared. I also knew they had my best interest at heart. But I needed some time to think. “I’d like to be alone now.”
“Give us a shout if you need anything,” Bastian offered, pushing to his feet.
“Sure.”
They left, and I settled back against the pillows.
I gazed up at the ceiling feeling…
Weak.
Fuck. I hated that word. Hated the reality of it even more.
I’d survived wars.
I’d walked through death itself.
But none of that mattered.
Nothing had ever mattered more to me than Elariya Grayson.