THIRTY-NINE
WILLOW
“Let’s try the door again,” I offer. “Maybe we just need to pry it open. I’ll use the rod, and you can twist the door handle.”
“Yeah.” Killian tosses me the broken rod, and I stick the end of it into the gap of the door, wedging it in deep. I grunt as I add more of my weight to it, and Killian twists as hard as he can.
I can feel the heat of the flames on the back of my neck. They’re so close. Fuck, we’re gonna burn alive in this place.
“It’s not working!” Killian shouts, the veins on his neck bulging as he twists.
I push the rod harder, and it snaps in half. “No!”
I drop the broken rod and press my back to the door as Killian does. The flames skid down the rest of the staircase. It’s only a matter of time before they reach us.
Smoke clouds the room, wafting past my nose and sneaking its way into my lungs, ready to claim me with its partner.
“I’m so sorry, Killian.” I put my attention on him. “I’m sorry for everything. If I’d just stayed on Earth—if I hadn’t come back here with Caz…” A sob builds in my chest. “None of this would be happening. None of it. You’d all be safe. I was so stupid to think I could create a life here. All that I had on Earth was taken, and I clearly brought that bad luck here.” I swallow hard as the flames near the tips of my shoes.
Killian starts to speak, but there’s a bang and a clatter next to us. A gust of wind sweeps inside, and the flames skitter backwards.
I look to our right to see Callista floating. In front of her is an open wall revealing the darkness outside and a pile of rubble before it.
“Come!” she shouts. “Now!”
We run her way, climbing over bricks and dirt, but Killian comes to an immediate halt at the top of the rubble. I stop right next to him, and my heart drops when I see the steep cliffs below along with the dark, crashing waves illuminated by the flames.
“You’ll let us fall!” Killian shouts at Callista.
“I will not let you fall!” Callista raises a hand, and the wind that’d blown by us wraps around us. It circles us like a tornado and carries us away from the cellar.
We drop onto ash-coated snow, and I fall onto my side as Killian tumbles over.
Groaning, I press up, balancing on my palms as Callista lands next to us, scowling up at the castle.
“She lied to us,” she hisses, eyes glistening. “She told us we’d have everything, but she just took it all away!” She screams as she throws her hands up and causes a nearby boulder to shatter.
Panting raggedly, she shoots her silver eyes down to mine. I drag in a few breaths, anticipating her next move. Will she blow me up too? Beat me up out of rage? For all I know, she only saved us to offer us to that psychopath who torched her castle.
Callista’s mouth parts open, but a flurry of lavender slams into her before she can speak. Her body sails a short distance away, crashing into nearby cliffs. And if that weren’t enough, that same burst of lavender snatches her back out and slams her into it again.
And again.
And again.
“You’re a fool!” Korah yells. “You were stupid to believe she’d ever help you!”
Callista falls to her stomach with a loud smack on the frigid waters. She’s close to the shoreline, water splashing onto one side of her bruised face.
“She said she’d give us everything—that she’d make us as powerful as Regals,” Callista calls out with a shaky voice.
“And you believed that?” Korah retorts. “She doesn’t have the capability to give anyone the power of a Regal unless one of The Regals makes a sacrifice!”
“I took her word! She guided us,” Callista cries. “For years, she spoke to us.”
“Yes, guided you straight to your demise. She doesn’t care about any of her creations.” Korah marches away from her and locks eyes on me. “Stay here,” she demands, then she flies toward the castle.
In a matter of seconds, she returns, and she’s not empty handed. Covered in soot and coughing is the man my heart knows all too well.
“Caz! Oh my God!” I scramble to my feet as relief floods me. When I crash into him, we topple sideways, bumping into a boulder.
“Oi, Willow,” he breathes, clutching my face. He kisses me repeatedly, dropping love on my cheeks, the tip of my nose, my forehead, my lips. “I looked all over that bloody castle for you.”
“You shouldn’t have done that. You’d have burned with it, Caz,” I whisper, eyes full of tears.
“I don’t care,” he asserts. “I knew you were in there somewhere, and I wasn’t leaving until I found you.”
“Well, you have her now,” Korah snaps at him. “Get on your ship and return to Blackwater. Now .” She tips her chin, peering up at the castle. “Selah is still around. I can sense her. Your ship will be protected during your journey.”
I let go of Caz to walk closer to Korah. “Don’t think that just because you saved our lives right now doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten that you helped kill my brother.”
Korah’s mouth clamps shut, and oddly, her eyes sadden. She looks over my shoulder, throat bobbing. “We spared him.”
“You murdered him,” I shoot back through gritted teeth.
She snaps her colored gaze to mine and steels her jaw. “Do you think that is what I wanted for him? All the sacrifices that have been made for the Cold Tethered and you—” Once again, her mouth snaps shut and she backs away, angrily shaking her head. “None of that matters anymore. I’m sorry about Warren, and you can be angry with me and Hassha all you want, but right now we need you alive.” She shifts her attention to Caz. “I need you both alive, so from now on, you’ll do exactly as I say. Even if it doesn’t make sense, even if you hate me to the depths of your souls, you’ll do it because Hassha and I are the only beings here who can help you. Is that understood?”
Out of stubbornness, I say nothing in return.
Caz meets at my side. “Yes. But no more beating around the bush. I expect you and Hassha to be completely transparent with us from now on.”
Korah’s mouth forms into a thin line before she provides him a curt nod. Done with us, she turns away and says, “Make your way back to Blackwater right now.”
“What about her?” Killian asks, pointing an agitated thumb at Callista.
A faint smirk appears on Korah’s lips as she cuts her eyes to the silver-eyed woman crawling on all fours. “Don’t worry about her. I’ll make sure she gets what she deserves.”
“Good. Oh, and by the way, Callista,” Caz calls, stepping closer to the shore. Callista picks her head up, her silver hair drenched with sea water as she glares at Caz. “I killed your snake of a brother.”
Callista blanches, the remaining color draining from her face. “Meanwhile, I spared your mate,” she grumbles.
“Yes, right after you were stabbed in the back by the one you loved most. You sought redemption, but it was a futile effort. None of us forgive you.” Caz’s nostrils flare as he steps even closer. He has that murderous look in his eyes, and I know the closer he gets to her, the more likely he’ll kill her.
Before he can reach her though, Korah presses a firm hand to his chest.
“I said return to Blackwater.” The Regal’s eyes spark as they stare into his. “I will handle her.”
He holds Callista’s gaze a few seconds longer before focusing on Korah. Taking a step back, he clenches his jaw and inhales deeply before exhaling.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Korah snatches Callista up by her cape, and they fly toward the burning castle.
I have no idea what she plans to do, and frankly, I don’t care. All I want right now is to get out of this frozen territory and return to some kind of normalcy.
I take Caz’s hand, give it a squeeze, and he drops his eyes to mine. “Let’s go home,” I murmur.
His mouth twitches before he leans down to kiss my temple.
When he shifts his attention to Killian, he says, “I’m glad to see you made it out of that place alive, brother. I was worried your temper would cause you to lose your head.”
Killian chuckles as he rubs the back of his neck. “Fortunately for us all, I kept my temper at bay... well, as best as I could anyway. I made you a promise that I would protect Willow, and I did, even if it meant swallowing some of my pride.” He swings his gaze to mine, and I can’t help smiling with gratitude.
Caz reels him in for a brotherly hug. “I appreciate you more than you know, brother.”
Killian smiles over his shoulder, patting his back. “Anything for family, eh?”
A chuckle from Caz. “That’s right.”
We near the ship where a few of Caz’s soldiers are standing guard. Killian lumbers onto it and Rowan appears.
“Get over here, asshole.” Rowan reels Killian in with a sigh of relief.
Their relationship always warms my heart.
Before Caz and I walk on, I tighten my grip around his hand again.
“I have to tell you something Selah said.”
A frown takes hold of him at the mention of Selah. He examines me closely, like he’s searching for wounds or damage.
“What, Willow?”
“I’m pregnant.”