Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The promise
nik
After sending word to the healers about the tear in the Veil, Matthias and I rushed back to my home to change and charcoal our wings.
I smeared the powder through the feathers, dulling their crimson sheen until they drank in the light instead of reflecting it.
The act felt like a violation—not of duty, but of identity.
I hesitated for half a breath, then I thought of the blue-eyed woman crying for help and I couldn’t finish the job quick enough.
When my wings no longer looked like they belonged to me, I stripped off my Lightner gear and replaced it with the black leathers Hadassah had made for me the first time we’d entered Oscuro.
The fabric felt tight on my body but when I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my room, it was safe to say I looked the part.
Wisp mewed up at me from the floor as I stepped into the living room. I scooped her up in one hand, which nearly swallowed her tiny body whole. “I’m going to get her. I’ll bring her home,” I whispered into the kitten's fur before placing her back down.
Matthias was leaning over the kitchen table, wings blackened, and pen on paper. I glanced over his shoulder briefly as he scribbled.
“I’m telling Ada of our plan. She needs to know just in case—” he stopped mid-sentence. “You know—”
I nodded. “I won’t let that happen. We will winnow into Abby’s courtyard under the cloak of night, check the surroundings, then we get in, grab Sapphire, and you’ll winnow us out. It’s a flawless plan.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he kept writing his note.
There was no further discussion of contingencies. No more mention of what might go wrong. We both knew better than to pretend this was a controlled operation.
It was a retrieval. One that the king would hear of at some point. After all, he did tell me to bring her home. So that’s what I was doing.
We checked weapons. This time I took my bow and arrows, concealing multiple blades on my body—as did Matthias. In truth, he probably had more than me.
Matthias sent the ashink letter off to Adalia and then we were ready to go. I glanced around my house one last time. Soon Blythe would be back here safely where she belonged. I’d make sure of it.
“You ready?” Matthias asked, wings tucked in tight and hand outstretched.
I nodded once. Then he clasped my forearm. The winnow pulled hard, cold rushing up around us as the world tore sideways. Oscuro settled over my skin the moment we landed—heavier air, darker weight, the tang of rot hanging over me.
We landed in the shadowed corner of Abby’s courtyard, boots barely making a sound against the worn stone. I stilled instantly, senses sharpening as I scanned the space—no movement, no voices, just the faint rustle of dry leaves and the distant hum of Oscuro beyond the walls.
My hand hovered over the blade at my hip. I’d be ready if this was an ambush.
Matthias slowly scanned the area. “Seems normal, just be ready for what might lay on the other side of that door.”
I nodded once and we moved. The door that led to the back room opened with ease, and we stepped through. I held my breath for what seemed like forever, muscles coiled with tension as I braced myself for impact.
Yet none came.
I was grateful for the scent of herbs and soap that Abby’s house usually smelled of to counteract the stench of Oscuro. My gaze snapped to the corner of the room, towards the bed, already expecting to see Blythe there.
But it was neatly made, as if no one had used it for a while.
My heart dropped.
The absence hit harder than it should have. Too quiet. Too empty.
I took one step forwards before Matthias caught my arm. He tipped his head towards the door.
Voices.
Muffled. Close.
We moved without speaking, careful as shadows, stopping just short of the narrow crack between the door and its frame. I angled myself just enough to see into the adjoining room.
Abby stood with her back towards us, a male—short and round—admired the new ink on his skin opposite her. She was with a customer. We’d have to wait until they left before alerting her to our presence.
Every second the male talked was torture.
I wanted to burst into the room and snap his neck.
Silence him with my bare hands. If it wasn’t for the steel stature of the prince beside me, I probably would have.
Being in Oscuro brought the anger out of me in ways I couldn’t explain.
I tried my best to heed Blythe's words, the king's words, River’s words .
. . but it was harder than drawing blood from stone.
Finally, the male took his leave, shutting the door behind him solidly.
Moments later, Abby pushed through the door and froze. Her eyes widened as she took us in, hand flying to her chest. “Fuck,” she hissed under her breath. “You can’t just suddenly appear without a little warning.”
Matthias stepped out of the way so she could come further into the room. “Sorry, but we had no time.”
I stepped forward, hands on hips. “It’s Bly—Sapphire. I got her ashink letter.”
Abby’s shoulders fell, and a slight sigh escaped her lips. “Thank the light,” she whispered.
“She said to meet her here,” I managed to say through the fog already circling my mind.
Her expression shifted instantly. She turned and shut the door behind her, lowering her voice. “Tonight?”
I nodded once.
Abby shook her head softly. “She’ll not get past the guards.”
My jaw clenched so hard it ached. “What do you mean?”
“Snake . . . he has her on a leash,” she replied, her green eyes full of sorrow. “He parades her through the streets like a prize. Once a week. Sometimes more if he’s feeling particularly proud of himself.” Her mouth tightened. “I finally managed to slip a note into her boot.”
“How did she look?” I asked, stumbling over the words as my mind refused to picture Blythe in the hands of Snake.
Abby dropped her gaze to the floor. “Her body is there, but it’s not hard to see her mind is elsewhere. Snake he—”
I took a step towards her. “He what?”
She sighed again, louder this time. “He doesn’t let her out of his sight. Getting the note to her today was the closest I’ve come in weeks. I tried to reach her sooner.”
I reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently. “You’ve done more for her than most folk have. Thank you.”
Matthias shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, a furrowed brow evident on his face. “How can we get to Sapphire?”
Abby flicked her gaze towards the prince. “You can’t? Not tonight anyway. He’s throwing another one of his parties. It’s on everyone's lips.”
My blood went cold, then it boiled as rage ripped through me. If she couldn’t come to me, then I had to find a way to get to her. “I guess I’d better pay the king a visit then.”
Matthias shot me a glance. “You’re a fool if you go in there alone, Nik. This is bigger than the fight you want to pick with Snake.”
I gritted my teeth. “I don’t want to fight him. I want to end him.”
“And you’ll end us in pursuit of her,” Matthias snapped before turning his back on me to walk a small circle. When he faced me again, his eyes were dark, his jaw set tight. “You forgot this is his kingdom. We’re not in the light. Here is where darkness rules.”
“She told us to come to Abby’s,” he added, sharper now. “That means something. She wouldn’t risk getting a message out unless she had a plan. We have to trust her.”
My jaw flexed. “Or Snake found out.”
Matthias stilled.
“Or she couldn’t get away like Abby said,” I pushed, the words coming faster now, darker. “Or it was never her plan to begin with. What if this is his?”
“Just give me a second, I need to think,” Matthias hissed, running a hand over his face.
I bit my tongue. I’d never seen the prince so animated.
It was clear that he knew this place and how it worked more than me.
I was aware that I needed to heed his warning, but picturing Blythe trapped inside an obsidian cage with Snake as her captor had me wild and reckless.
I would do whatever it took to get her free.
“What do you suggest I do?” I finally asked, when I couldn’t take the silence any longer.
He began to pace across the room, the sound of his boots matching the solid thump in my chest. I was torn up inside. A beast wanting to be free from its cage. Yet I couldn’t let Matthias or Abby suffer from my actions, so I’d hear the prince out first.
Matthias stopped pacing, faced me, and then shrugged. “We get Abby out of here, and then you and I will sneak into the palace to look for Sapphire.”
Abby’s head whipped around to lock onto Matthias. “What do you mean out of here? . . . Oscuro?”
“Well, of course. Snake will True Death you if he finds out you're helping us,” he replied.
Tears gathered in Abby’s eyes, spilling from the corners in glistening drops. “But—do you really mean it?”
Matthias looked to me, then back at her. “Of course.”
Abby wiped her eyes. “No one ever gave me the chance when I was younger to toss a coin in the well. I never had someone come for me like Adalia did for you, or like you for Sapphire, Nik.” Her voice caught on my name, a small sob escaping her lips.
My heart ached for her. Another soul like Blythe. Never given the choice. The king of light would understand. I reached out to squeeze her shoulder, offering her a gentle smile before turning to Matthias. “You take Abby back to my place. Get her safe.”
He nodded. “Wait for me here.”
I shook my head, taking a step towards the door to the front room. “I can’t wait any longer, Matthias. She needs me.”
The prince walked towards me, eyes wide. “You could be killed.”
“What would you do if it was Adalia?” I said, trying to keep the sting from my tone.
He sighed, hands dropping loosely by his side in defeat. “I wouldn’t even be having this conversation with you.”
“Exactly.”
Matthias studied me for a heartbeat, jaw tight, and eyes assessing. Then his shoulders dropped and he let out a slow breath. “Fine,” he said. “But I’m coming back with extra help.”
A grin spread across my face as I took a few steps back towards the door. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Abby took a step towards me. “Nik . . . be careful in there. Snake is everything his name represents.”
Mathias held my gaze too. “Stay alive.”
I nodded at them both, squaring my shoulders. “I intend to.” Not because I was certain, but because Blythe needed me to be.
The prince gently took Abby’s arm, and she swore under her breath as the air shifted, sharp and sudden. The winnow snapped shut behind them, leaving the room unnervingly silent. For half a heartbeat, I stood there alone, the weight of what I was about to do settling into my bones.
I closed my eyes. Smokey rose scent wove through my memories. Blue eyes, soft skin. Laughter like sunshine, and a heart so big I could climb inside and feel warm.
“I’m coming, Blythe,” I whispered as I pulled the hood of my cloak up and over my face.
Oscuro waited beyond the door—loud, cruel and desperate—but none of that mattered anymore. I wouldn’t abandon her a second time.
I stepped out into the street, screwing up my nose at the stench and uncomfortably thick air. Snake's castle lingered in the distance like a tired beast made of stone. The sun was setting, so dark shadows were my friend. With every sense honed, every step deliberate, I headed for the palace.
The king was about to learn a lesson in taking something that didn’t belong to him.