Chapter 41
Forty-One
Sabina
All I want to do is take a bath and soak in the hot water until my limbs no longer ache. Training with Caiden is helpful, but I think it’s more exhausting than the work I did with Brevan. I had no idea how much using magic could hurt.
Nate nods at me, and I give him a weak smile. I’m too tired for any other conversation and every time I see him, I feel more guilty for not telling him about Rosalyn. Eventually, I need to, but I wanted to make sure it was the same kind of magic before I got his hopes up.
I open my door and step into my room to find it occupied by all of my ladies. That’s not entirely unusual, but the fact that they all instantly paused their conversation and turned to me is.
“What’s going on?” I take a few more steps into the room, then stop.
“Have you seen him yet?” Antonia asks.
“Who?” The second the word leaves my lips, my stomach flips. I think I know exactly who they’re asking about.
Anya must see it in my expression because she hops up from her chair and starts toward me. “He arrived back a couple of days ago. At least that’s the gossip.”
“Days ago?” The words feel like sand in my mouth. Brevan’s back. He’s been back, but he didn’t even say hello. Things must really be over between us.
“So, you haven’t seen him,” Charlotte says sadly.
I look over at her, and the expression on her face is like a punch to my gut. “None of that. There’s nothing between us. Not anymore.”
“I hate that for you,” Charlotte says.
“It’s probably better that way,” Genevieve adds.
Everyone turns to her, and I can feel the tension rise.
“She’s right,” I say quickly.
“But she loves him,” Charlotte whines.
“He’s working with Ludis,” Genevieve says. “I saw them together when he returned, and he was not happy. But I’ve seen them a couple more times. Whispering. They don’t let me close enough to hear.”
“You knew this and you didn’t tell us?” Antonia hisses.
“I didn’t want to hurt her,” Genevieve explains. “I mean Ludis and Brevan can’t be good. And with her history with them…”
I turn and head back to the door.
“Where are you going?” Anya calls.
“To welcome back the enforcer, of course,” I say.
“I don’t think you should do that,” she says.
“Why not? If he’s spending time with Ludis, I need to know why.”
“I’ll come with you.” Anya starts toward the door, but I hold up my hand then shake my head. She stops.
“I think it’s better if it’s just me.”
“Are you sure about this?” Antonia asks.
“No, but I’m going anyway.” Before anyone else can talk me out of it, I leave my room.
I have no idea where he’d be right now or where I’m going. I walk without direction, my thoughts racing. It’s like another reminder of how poorly I judge people. Never, not ever, would I have thought that Brevan and Ludis would be working together. But I guess it’s possible I misjudged him.
How well did we know each other, anyway?
He has secrets. I can’t blame him for hiding his sister, but there’s more.
I know there is. And then there were the things he said to me.
Right after making me believe we could figure out a way to be together.
How could he confess his love, then reject me so coldly?
Even after everything he’s put me through, I don’t think I could say any of that to him.
My feet take me downstairs and halls and before I realize where I’m going, I’m outside and nearly to the barn. I was just here an hour ago. Caiden and I trained all morning, then I had lunch with him in his quarters before returning to my room.
I walk a little farther, figuring that at least I can calm myself down. Get this whole Brevan thing out of my head. I should go back to my rooms, take a bath, and return to my research. There isn’t much time before I will have to figure out what I’m doing about Iskvaland.
Sounds coming from the barn draw my attention and instead of turning around, I continue.
Thwack.
Thwack.
Thwack.
It’s the familiar sound of knives hitting a target and I realize my wanderings have taken me right to him.
As soon as I step through the wide entryway, he drops the knife in his hand. It hits the dusty ground with a dull thud.
He turns, and I can see some signs of healing injuries on his face and neck. The creatures attacked him even though they came from his own sister.
“I heard about what happened. I’m sorry. How is your sister? How are you?” I ask.
“She’ll be fine. How’s Anya? They said she’s awake. Healing.” His whole body is stiff, his voice flat. He’s talking to me as if I’m a stranger.
My heart feels like it’s being compressed, like it’s at risk of being completely crushed. “Yes, she’s better. She’s going to be fine.”
“Good. That’s good.” He leans down and picks up the knife.
“Are we going to be like this forever?” I want to shake him. To force him to look at me the way he used to. I’d give almost anything for him to take me in his arms, and tell me that he’s going to fight for us.
“I’m going away for a while,” he announces.
I hate that he didn’t actually answer my question. “Where?”
“A few different towns. More relic hunting.”
My brow furrows. “Caiden’s making you do that?”
“No, it’s something I need to finish.”
“Why?”
“I just do, alright?” he says defensively.
“Alright.” I cross my arms over my chest and will myself to stand there, maintaining eye contact. This is not how things are supposed to be between us.
“I heard you’ve been training your magic,” he says.
I nod.
“Shadows? Like Caiden?”
“Would you be kinder to me if I had magic like yours?” I ask.
“I’m not—Taylan, that’s not…” he sighs. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to be around you anymore.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t.” I turn before he can see the tears, but I only get two steps before the floor gives way, and I’m falling.
“Taylan!”
I reach out for anything I can grab, but there’s nothing. I land hard, rocks shift and crack under me, some of them rolling onto me.
“Taylan?” Brevan calls.
“I’m here!” I answer.
She’s here.
She came.
“Who’s there?” I ask.
She shouldn’t be here. She’ll figure everything out.
She can save us.
Nobody can save us.
My heart thunders, and I wrap my hand around one of the rocks next to me. It’s long and narrow. The texture is wrong.
It’s not rocks.
I’m sitting on a pile of bones.
Can she hear us?
Should we tell her?
More voices join in, suddenly talking over each other, arguing. Then more, some of them wailing or screaming. Some begging.
My mind feels like it might explode from the cacophony.
I get up, but slide on the pile, falling every time I try to stand. So, I crawl until I feel stone under my fingertips.
Something runs across my hand and I pull it away, the sensation almost too much while all the voices fill my mind.
Light draws my attention and suddenly I can see the space. It’s a tomb. Not a catacomb like I was used to. A chamber full of bones. None of them separated, organized, or left with belongings or gifts for the afterlife.
Just bones.
Everywhere.
And they’re all crying out to me, warring with each other or releasing the sounds of their misery.
Someone grabs me and I spin, eyes wide. Brevan grips my shoulders. He’s speaking, but I can’t hear him over the voices. I wince, then cover my ears. He touches my face, his eyes searching me as if looking for an injury. His mouth moves, but all I can hear is the dead.
I squeeze my eyes closed, trying to silence them. Brevan grabs my wrists and when he pulls my arms down, the sound reaches a crescendo that makes me want to tear off my own skin. I scream, then start shouting at them, “Stop talking, all of you! Stop it!”
The voices rise, matching my intensity, and I yell as loud as I can, the sound echoing around us, creating a chorus of my cries.
It sends an explosion vibrating through my bones, reaching the place where my magic resides.
When I feel it, I tie it off, forcing the dead to quiet.
It’s taking everything I have to maintain the hold, but the voices are gone.
Brevan is staring at me like he’s never seen me before, but I don’t have anything left. My limbs are heavy and my head throbs. It feels like I’ve been training for three days straight. It’s a kind of tired I’ve never felt. I just want out of here and crawl into bed.
“Taylan…” Brevan isn’t looking at me anymore. He’s staring at something behind me, and I think I see fear in his expression for the first time.
My stomach is instantly in knots before I turn to see what’s causing his concern.
“Oh, gods.” I back up until I’m against him, staring in disbelief at the army of skeletons walking toward us.
“Get behind me,” Brevan demands. He moves quickly now, the initial shock gone. He picks up a femur and charges toward the oncoming hoard.
The hits are sharp and decisive, resulting in a loud crack when the bone strikes bone. The first two skeletons break apart, but the third lifts its arm to block his blow. When the bones clash, they splinter, sending shards flying.
Brevan is left standing holding a piece of bone, jagged edges helpful if he needed to stab flesh, but useless here.
My senses are returning and I rush toward him. “We need to get out of here.”
“They took down our exit.” He points to a ladder on the ground, skeletons marching across it on their way toward us. They stop out of reach, then more come toward us, filling in all the space until we’re surrounded. They stop and wait, as if expecting something.
Brevan pulls me against him possessively. “Where did they all come from?”
“I think it was me,” I admit.
“What do you mean?”
“I can wake the dead.”
He looks at me. “You brought the emperor back after we killed him.”
It sounds more like an accusation than a question, but I answer, “yes.”
His expression hardens. “I was hoping I was wrong about that.”
“Like you are one to judge someone’s magic,” I hiss.
“Send them back,” he insists.
When I don’t reply, he lifts his brows. “If you called them, you can stop them.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Try,” he says.
I open a channel to reach for my magic the way I’ve been practicing with Caiden and the voices return.