CHAPTER 27

The song of impending fatality filled Aurelia’s sky. I didn’t need to see it to know the Hunters were under siege. I heard it in their raw-throated screams and begging pleas, before their bodies sizzled beneath the fire or they were silenced with steel.

The attack persisted until the sky had brightened behind the swell of dark thunderclouds that sparked with the warning of lightning. Still, Erix hadn’t returned for me. Time stretched on uncomfortably. I swallowed the desire to shout for him or cry out a name of someone I’d thought dead. Although the flashes of fire and the bursts of lightning suggested Duncan and Althea had survived, until I saw them in the flesh, I wouldn’t allow myself to hope.

I sobbed when Gyah sliced through the sky, roaring hell-fury across Aurelia. Even from my distance, I could see her maw stained with blood and the mound of flesh trapped between her teeth. There was no stopping me as I screamed her name, begging her to come and free me. The feeling bubbled through the ground and burst out of me without the ability to stop it.

The Eldrae released the corpse within her jaw, which soon revealed itself to be the body of a Hunter. I felt the ground shudder under the impact as it fell from the great height. Then Gyah was out of sight, roaring once again, chasing after her next meal. And yet, within her cry, I felt as though she called out for me.

The patience Erix asked me to keep had grown thin. I couldn’t stand to listen to the unknown battle that raged above ground. My heart threatened to burst if I didn’t help. Blood swelled beneath my nails as I clawed at the narrow walls pressing on either side of me. I attempted to climb up the slick-damp wall and grasp the bar. After the umpteenth try, I hung from the rusted bars as the aged metal sliced into my palms. When I dropped, I howled with a mix of frustration and desperation, my twisted ankle sparking pain up my leg.

Until the iron cuff was removed, my healing and magic would be kept away. And if I wanted to do all the dark things that harboured in my mind, I’d need to be at full potential.

For a moment, I confused the sound of pounding feet with my heart, which was clogging up my throat. Once the sounds had desynchronised, I stopped my struggling.

It was a set of feet. One person.

This was it. Erix was coming for me.

I prepared myself, jaw aching. Would it be Erix, or perhaps Duncan would’ve found me first? Rafaela would tear through the city to find me, tasked with saving me or keeping me from Aldrick’s grasp.

But none of them gloomed over my cell, peering down with a stare overcome with the need for death.

Kayne was back. I fought the urge to cower from him, to force my body into a ball so he couldn’t reach me.

“You are going to do as I fucking tell you!” He panted, face pale against the smudges of ash and blood that covered him. The skin around his nose was bruised and swollen. Dirt, and a burnt smudge of rust, was spread across his neck as though bloodied hands had grasped for it. “Do you understand?”

I traced every detail of him, devouring it all. His panting, frantic breathing. The way his eyes left me and flickered across the unseen landscape. Beads of sweat coursed down his grime-covered face, attempting to clean a path through it. I even glimpsed Kayne’s constellation of freckles beneath.

“How do you feel watching everything you’ve worked for burn around you?” I asked, staring daggers through him as Kayne fumbled with a key from his pocket. He almost dropped it in his rush as he thrust it into the old lock that kept the bars in place.

He mumbled something under his breath.

“I asked you a question,” I said, surprising myself with how calm I felt. “How do you feel knowing you’ve failed?”

“No!” Kayne screamed back at me, slamming his fist into the lock. I heard bone crack and skin rip. “This isn’t the end. I’ll drag you to Elmdew if I have to. I’m so close…”

He swallowed his words, unable to focus on anything but unlocking the gate. Stone chipped beneath the force of the iron gate that Kayne threw open. There was nothing keeping us from one another. Kayne watched me for a moment, glaring down into the dungeon space as he considered his options.

“This ends now,” I said, fists balled and ready at my sides. “It’s over. I would suggest you get a head start with running before Duncan finds you.”

Or before I get my teeth into you again.

Kayne flashed a bloodied dagger and pointed the tip toward me. “I should have killed you myself. It would have saved me the hassle of weeks of lies and secrets.”

“But Aldrick needs me, so you wouldn’t dare–”

“I couldn’t give a fuck what that fey scum wants. It’s what I want that matters. And that is to see you dead. Once you are gone, that wretched spell you have placed on Duncan will break. He will come back to me. I will free him from you.”

Kayne’s frantic, demented expression hid nothing of his intentions. I could see from the wide set of his unblinking eyes that he believed everything he spat upon me.

“All of this deception, all of this death, because you loved a man who never loved you back.” I couldn’t hide my deranged smile. “You sad, little man.”

My words hit their mark.

Kayne lunged down, one hand free and the other gripping the dagger. There was nowhere for me to move within the narrow space. No place to hide or shield myself from his attack.

But that was never my intention.

A feral sound tore out of me as I thrust my open hand toward the blade. It was close enough to reach as Kayne swung blindly, all in the hopes of hurting me. And he did, because I allowed the edge to slice into my palm. I felt the echo of pain, but it was kept at bay by the adrenaline that turned my blood to fire.

I wrapped my fingers around the dagger and squeezed. The momentum caught Kayne off guard as he leaned himself into my hole. I reached up with my spare hand and smashed my closed knuckles into Kayne’s shattered nose. It popped again beneath the impact. The weak bone breaking easier than before. Kayne reeled back, scrambling away from my now-open cell. I didn’t make the mistake my last attack had on him, this time, I left more than a bruise.

The dagger slipped out of his grasp, falling to the muddied puddle beneath my feet, just out of reach from both of us.

If he wanted to hurt me, he’d have to get me out, or come in. Either way, I liked my odds.

“Duncan was never yours,” Kayne screamed down at me. He was like a child, gripped in the thralls of a tantrum. “He was mine, and I waited patiently for years, knowing that one day Duncan would see me in the light I wished. Then you came and trapped him in your web. It is my duty to free him. To protect him from your kind, just as we vowed in our oaths to the Hand.”

I squared my jaw, teeth grinding across one another until the bones in my face ached.

“Free him, then,” I begged, preparing myself for my next move. Kayne needed to act fast because the feeling in my hand faded. The pain was demanding to let itself known. “Get it over with, Kayne. Do what you have to, just break this fucking spell. I’m waiting.”

Something caught Kayne’s attention out of my view. He smiled, lips curled upward as blood oozed down his face, smudging across his skin until it looked like he wore a mask obscuring his nose, mouth and chin.

My breathing hitched as he moved out of my line of sight, toward what had caught his attention. I hardly had a moment to steady myself before he slunk back into view, a torch of burning fire gripped in his hand.

The glow of furious flames reflected off his sinister expression. I saw his intention gilded in his eyes. He lifted the torch away from him and held it horizontally over the entrance to my narrow dungeon.

“Aldrick may punish me, but at least I will be known for being the one who killed the Icethorn King. Tell me, Robin, will you burn, or will you melt?”

I winced as the fire dripped from the oil-sodden tip of the torch. Burning ash fell upon my shoulders like snow, hissing upon impact.

“Come on, then,” I shouted, panicking but refusing to let him see. My sliced palm slapped against the brick wall as I tried to scramble up toward the exit. My feet slipped across the smoothed stone, my weak fingers unable to grasp anything. I’d rather fight in my last moments than stand still and wait for the fire to consume me. “I die knowing you will suffer. And in the next life, I’ll find you and make you pay tenfold for everything you’ve done.”

Biting down on my lip, I refused to snivel for Kayne to spare me. Steeling myself, I stopped my clambering and tried to control my breathing.

“I’ve often wondered what it would sound like to hear you scream for me.”

I let the smile creep across my face. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard it before, every time Duncan fucked me.”

Kayne faltered, hissing spit through clenched teeth as he stabbed the burning torch toward me. Heat licked over my skin, and I thought it was going to be the end. But then he withdrew.

“Indulge me for a moment, Robin,” Kayne forced out. “If you survive this, will Duncan love you when that face is a ruined mess? When your skin is a map of scars that rivals the constellation of marks across your lover’s skin? Would Duncan wish to bed you, or will he finally have space for another?”

I wouldn’t entertain him with the reply he wanted. Instead, I spoke with calm clarity, which mirrored the rush of serenity that cooled my body and numbed my panic and pain. “It may not have been enough for you, but Duncan did love you, Kayne. As a brother. Do not punish him because it was not what you demanded of him. That was never his fault. It was yours .”

“No.” Kayne’s lip curled upward, exposing his blood-stained teeth. “This is all because of you–”

The fire winked out as though it was a candle blown out by an unseen wind. Kayne looked down to the smoke-curling tip, surprise working across his face.

“He is all yours,” the unseen, deep voice said. The baritone voice warmed my skin, tickling across my consciousness until it conjured an image of a man, half gryvern and half fey. “Duncan.”

Hearing Erix shocked me, but knowing he spoke directly to another person I couldn’t see had the power to sharpen every one of my senses.

Kayne thrust the splinter of wood outward as though it was a sword made from deadly metal. He gripped it in both hands, pointing it before him.

“Robin was right.” Another voice joined the fray, one I expected. Duncan. “I did love you.”

“Duncan, please hear me out,” Kayne pleaded, eyes filling immediately with tears. “This isn’t you! Aldrick has told me… he has said this will break the fey’s sway on you. I can help you. Once Duwar is free, you will be shown the light again–”

“I’ve heard enough,” Duncan replied. I could almost taste his dismissal when he spoke. “Erix, see that Robin is taken far away from here. I don’t wish for him to see what happens next.”

My chest thundered alongside the sudden clang of power that filled the skies. The thick, grey clouds burst with blue light as Duncan fuelled and called upon his power. I couldn’t see Duncan or Erix, but in my mind’s eye, I had a clear image of them both standing side by side. The chaotic thought was almost hard to believe. But it was real, even if I could only see the horror rise across Kayne’s face… Both men, my past and present, faced down the threat to my life as one.

I heard the heavy footsteps on the ground above me. They froze Kayne to the spot. He shook like a leaf captured in the wind of a storm. Then Duncan was there, standing beside the mouth of my cell. He glanced down at me, horror darkening his expression, his eyes glowing with power. “I will come back for you, darling.”

The sudden urge to scramble out of the dungeon toward him was overwhelming. I longed to reach for him and encase myself in his protective embrace.

I gritted my teeth, reading the future in Duncan’s eyes.

“Make him pay,” I commanded.

“I will. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you,” Duncan said softly, regret twisting his face into a scowl. “You’re in pain because friendship blinded me. Robin, you are safe from Kayne, we will ensure nothing happens to you again.”

His voice, although loud and demanding, was for me and me alone. Each word crackled with his power, burying Kayne’s pleading as nothing more than background noise.

“Wait,” Kayne pleaded again. “Just let me explain–”

“This ends tonight,” Duncan said, drawing his gaze from me. He looked to Kayne, who swung the fireless torch like a sword before him, tears, snot and spit lacing down his panicked face.

Duncan offered a single word, humming with his dark desires. “ Run .”

Kayne didn’t waste a moment before he threw the cold torch at Duncan and sprinted away from view. The splinter of wood bounced across his powerful chest, but Duncan was running before it hit the ground.

The sight of the swaying, dead Cedarfall royals was once again in perfect view. No longer obscured, it reminded me of the severity of Kayne’s deception. I scrunched my eyes closed and refused to open them again.

“Do not be afraid, little bird.” I peered through one eye to see Erix leaning on his front on the floor above me and offering me a hand. His nails were pointed into claws, his skin as grey as stone. “No further harm will come to you. I swear it.”

I didn’t waste another moment. My slick fingers gripped around Erix’s firm hand and held on. I cried out, almost surprised at the pain my mutilated hand gifted me. Part of me required the pain his grip on my sliced palm provided – it made this moment feel real.

The joints in my arm screamed as Erix pulled me out. His leather-stretched wings flapped, providing him with the extra strength he needed. Once I was half out of the narrow dungeon, he took another hand and gripped the material of my shirt. My belly grazed the harsh stone edging as he yanked me to freedom.

We both lay on our backs upon the ground, panting. The rain was falling harder now, splashing its fresh kiss upon the skin of my face. Erix was at my side, looking at the ominous storm clouds, but I sensed he knew I was looking at him. I wondered if he wished to look back at me or if he didn’t out of respect for Duncan.

“Tell me when you feel ready,” Erix said finally, whispering beneath the crash of Duncan’s thunder, “and we will leave. Unless you wish to lie here forever, then I will allow it.”

I watched as the droplets of rain splashed across the sharp structure of Erix’s face. They fell on his skin and ran down his hollowed cheeks as though he cried.

“Thank you,” I breathed out slowly, feeling the tension in my chest unravel. It was the only thing I felt like I could say.

“Never thank me,” he whispered.

“But I will. Thank you for not listening to me. For coming back…”

Erix rolled his head and faced me. I didn’t need to explain what I meant. In the glow of his silver eyes, I could see he knew exactly what I spoke of.

He flashed me a smile, but it was brief. I waited for him to say something, but his silence continued. Then his eyes fell upon the iron cuff around my neck, and he released a taut breath.

“There is a small band of Hunters left alive. They’ve hauled themselves within the capital building. Do you have the energy to help eradicate them and reclaim the city?”

My body was mine once again. I sat up, weak but willing to fight. “More will return by morning. We must be ready.”

The Hunters had spoken about a teleporter who would return to Aurelia to take me to Aldrick. By the time they returned, we had to be prepared.

This was our one chance, my initial plan still had life left in it yet.

“First, I need to get that cuff from your neck,” Erix said, eyes fixed on the bolt that hung above my collarbone. “I’m going to need your power to see that this city is taken back… for them.”

He looked over his shoulder to the dead Cedarfall family.

I stood, uncaring for the pain and the tiredness embedded in my bones. Glancing down at Erix, it was my time to offer him a hand. He looked at it as though it were the strangest of things. Then he took my offering, held my gaze, and smiled mischievously.

“Yes, for everyone who has lost their lives because of this mad petition of demons and gods.”

Erix’s jaw gritted. “Just like the old days.”

“Just like the old days,” I repeated as he towered above me. Inches apart, I allowed myself a moment to inhale him. A scent my body recognised and my soul had missed. If I stared into his eyes, I easily forgot the rest of his changed appearance. It was like looking into the man I had once known, before he left me in bed alone on that fateful day.

“Quick,” Erix muttered, his gaze flickering across every inch of my face. I felt my skin warm where his eyes graced. “Before there isn’t a single one left for you to enjoy yourself.”

My mouth watered at the thought of a fight. I glanced again at the dead Cedarfall family. I felt their fire course through my body. This was for them.

“I’m ready.”