Twenty-Four
CHAPTER
My eyes fluttered open. My vision was blurry, seeing double, and not recognizing my surroundings. They were not bathed in pure white in the way the Realm of Clouds was, but I didn’t remember leaving, either. My vision focused, and that was when I saw the bars.
I was in a cell.
Memories I wished to forget danced across my mind. The blood, the pain, the—
Wincing, the pain in my abdomen from where Neil had stabbed me grew, traveling across my body. I couldn’t fully process that I wasn’t alone. That I wasn’t there. That I—the warm feeling of muscular arms wrapped around me brought me back from the past and instead to the present.
I recognized that scent. The scent of vanilla bean and bourbon.
“Shh. Shh. You’re not in here alone. We’re here.
I’m here.” Zathrian spoke just barely above a whisper.
His eyes were soft with relief, but his brow was furrowed and his mouth set in a straight line.
He was disheveled, with one arm supporting me against him, while the other slid to my cheek, grazing my face with his thumb. “You’re going to be okay.”
“Why didn’t you call for help?” I whispered.
A line formed between his brow, the furrow growing deeper. I observed his blood-splattered features as I struggled to swallow, tasting iron between my teeth.
Zathrian said nothing. Shaking his head, he pulled me to his chest. The hand that was on my cheek slid up the back of my neck and to my hairline, massaging the back of my scalp with his fingers as he cradled me carefully in his arms.
“I didn’t want to risk you getting hurt. You aren’t a pawn to us, Aerilyn. You never were. Never will be, either. You’re one of us,” Zathrian choked out with tears in his eyes.
He was being sincere. The last time I had seen Zathrian this emotional was when he apologized for his actions in the Mortal Realm. My heart sank, seeing him like that again. It was then that I noticed the pain he was in.
“You’re hurt.” I lifted a shaky hand to his face. “What happened?”
Chains rattled, and my head turned toward the sound to see Mateo in rough shape. His hands were chained behind his back, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
“The damn bastard ambushed us,” Mateo croaked, his voice echoing against the walls.
“Not so loud.” Viotto huffed.
Nevan didn’t say anything. Actually, I hadn’t seen him at all. Where is Nevan?
I attempted to sit up, resting against Zathrian as he embraced me. “What do you mean ambushed?” I asked, trying to assess the damage done to him—to all of them. My eyes drifted down to my own wound, at my dress, stained red and ripped open where the blade cut through.
“They knew we were coming,” Mateo explained before Zathrian could even open his mouth.
“But how?” I paused. “Where’s—”
Viotto interrupted. “Nevan,” he hissed. “That snake ratted us out. We didn’t stand a goddamn chance, and now we’re stuck down here because of him.”
“I don’t understand. Why would Nevan do that?” I croaked, my throat dry and sore.
Zathrian shook his head. “We don’t know.
” He sounded hurt, and I could see why. They had all grown up together.
They weren’t just friends, they were family, and deep down, I really did want to be part of that family, too.
The Court of Stars were good people. Zathrian was a good person, too.
I hated to admit it. He had done things in the past and made mistakes, but Mateo was right about him.
Exhaling deeply, I winced and mustered up the courage to shift enough to angle myself to help. I knew I couldn’t heal myself, but I could heal them if I tried.
“It was a trap all along, Aerilyn. To get you here,” Mateo whispered.
“I don’t care. There’s nothing he can do to me that hasn’t already been done,” I replied.
Viotto stared past the bars and into the hallway. Mateo slouched with his back against the wall. My hand slid from Zathrian’s face to his chest. Closing my eyes, I attempted to focus.
“What are you doing?” Mateo asked.
“Aerilyn, don’t,” Zathrian begged.
I didn’t respond, instead channeling all my strength into healing Zathrian’s wounds.
That once familiar aura of light beamed from my palm, instantly causing my nose to bleed and exhausting my magic, and myself in doing so.
I paid no mind to it. All I wanted to do was to make myself useful for once in my life, no matter how it hurt me in the end.
I had to help. I had to show them I wasn’t dead weight.
My eyes fluttered open before slouching back into Zathrian.
“Better?” I mumbled, the room was spinning.
“Why would you do that? You, you Airhead. I told you not to,” he scolded, cradling me in his arms. He buried his face into my neck, and I could have sworn I felt his lips caress my skin, but maybe I was imagining things.
I smiled. “Because you told me I’m stronger than I think I am.” Lifting my hand toward Mateo, I motioned for him to come closer so I could heal him, too.
Mateo’s chains rattled against the cold floor beneath us, trying to come closer. He only made it about a foot before the chain yanked him backward and sent him sliding into the wall again. He let out a pained noise, one we all reacted to until his voice drew our attention.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Neil tilted head to the side. Staring right at me, his eyes devoid of emotion.
Zathrian tightened his grip on me.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, pulling away from Zathrian despite his attempts to hold me closer. I shakily stood before Neil. “I’m not afraid of you anymore.” It was one thing to hurt me, but another to hurt them.
“You should be.” Neil’s jaw clenched, and he turned his head back just enough to glare at his guards who stood in the hall. “Grab her,” he commanded.
“You will do no such thing!” I hissed as shadowy tendrils emerged from my sides, threatening to strike. Blood dripped down my nose and the front of my dress.
Oh, no. Not now.
Looking down at my hands, a flash of blood appeared across them.
Images flashed in my mind, like I was seeing the future, but not at the same time.
The images kept flashing between the present and…
whatever it was I was seeing. My hearing was muffled, no longer able to hear what everyone was saying around me.
My vision blurred, and I slumped forward.
My body worked against my mind, falling right into Neil’s cold embrace.
Everything went black.