24. Arrick

Chapter twenty-four

Arrick

T he harpies circle overhead momentarily before descending and plucking Kalevi and me off the ground as a hawk would to a field mouse.

Neither of us is small by any means. However, in the grasp of the beasts, I feel like a child. I wonder why they have come. I'm sure it's another sick game Dia intends to play with me. Maybe they'll fly us to the castle in one piece, only to have us tortured in front of Yera. The thoughts quake in my mind, digging little needles that poke my subconscious, forcing me to imagine everything that could go wrong.

Kalevi is in my head, listening to my intrusive thoughts. I can hear his worry as well, and we make eye contact.

What is the plan when we land? Do we kill the harpies ?

I genuinely don't know. I need to see Yera first, to hold her in my arms. Let's wait. If they walk us into a torture scene, we unleash hell. If not, I would like to see the point of all this .

As he looks to nod at me, the castle carved into the cliffside comes into view. It is magnificent. I've only seen images from Kalevi's mind, and they did not do it justice.

With the castle in sight, I reach my mind out to Yera, feel for her, and hope she can sense the touchback. My eyes widen when the small connection tendril reaches my inner consciousness. She's there and alive, but she can't sense me yet. Fuck, it's only been days, but now that I can feel her again, the weight of her loss lifts.

Knowing I'm close, I can take a deep breath for the first time in days. The flying creatures sweep us through two massive wooden doors leading into the castle. We land softly, the pressure from their claws immediately lifts, and they release us somewhat trustingly.

The stone-colored beasts take hasty steps back, knowing our power could eviscerate them in moments.

"If you follow us, we will take you to her."

Yera's presence is growing stronger by the second, so I agree. Kalevi walks next to me, his liquid moss-green eyes absorbing everything. This place is so strange, and its rules are so foreign. I wonder if he has ever been inside or met the Mother of Monsters.

Normally, he wouldn't interact with the beings that grant him the power he wields. They just took that power away, so I'm not entirely sure they are worth meeting.

I never thought to ask how he was dealing with all of this. He helped me on a whim because I showed him my connection with someone. I wonder if he hopes to find the same thing, if somehow helping me will lead him to a life he never thought he could have .

Looking over at my stoic new friend, I hope he finds what he craves—the life he pictures for himself.

We round a corner, two towering orcs flanking us and moving in stride. Their presence puts me on edge, but they don't appear hostile. Attacking us would have been much easier with the element of surprise.

This whole situation has me confused. I can't figure out what the point of all this was. They have put Yera through all this trouble and trauma, and for what?

My blood heats. Kalevi is in my mind, assessing my anger. He sends me some reassuring words, but they are brushed aside. Fury soaks into my bones and my soul. The closer Yera gets, the more my madness builds.

The heat of my rage is so distracted that I don't notice the subtle shift from granite to marble under my feet or the height of the ceiling, the cast of color from the muted sun streaming through stained glass.

Kalevi nudges me with a sharp elbow. I look up to find myself in the throne room. Yera's presence is so intense that it feels like walking down a path covered in lilac bushes. It's sweet and overwhelming in its loveliness. I reach my mind out for her. Yera, can you hear me? It's Arrick . I've never communicated with her before like this. It's strange in its intimacy. A gentle push at my mind answers back.

Holy shit, you're here? Are you okay? Where are you ? Her voice is so clear in my mind that it seems like she's next to me.

There is a sound like wood scraping a stone surface and then the soft click of metal. I whirl around toward the noise, scanning. A towering painting covers the distance from the floor to the ceiling.

I walk over, detecting the pull of her presence. The wall is textured from brush strokes, grazing my skin as I lay my ear on the rich wall, listening for what's behind it .

Movement and the sound of voices. Another louder click coming from the wall itself, and then a tiny seam forms and breaks the illusion of the flush mural.

The door creeks open slowly, and I watch with astonishment as brown curls and wide honey eyes poke out from behind.

Her soft fingers curl around the door frame, opening the trick door further. Not another moment passes before I find her hand and pull her from the hidden room.

Her eyes go wide when our hands meet, and I selfishly pull her into my arms before she can assess whom the hand belongs to.

My arms are wrapped tight around her warm, soft frame. Feeling her skin against mine again makes the air leach from my lungs in a long sigh of relief.

I bend down and press my lips to the top of her head, clinging to her like she could be pulled away at any moment. She looks up at me, her face so loving and sweet that I want to hold her gaze for the rest of my life.

"You're here. I was so worried about you," she says, hand reaching to cup the side of my face.

I can't help but smile at her. "I watched harpies drag you off in the middle of the night, and you were worried about me ." My hands clasp her waist tighter, emphasizing my need to be close to her.

Everything around us has stilled. I'm blissfully unaware of anything other than this perfect woman in my arms. She laughs at my comment, buries her face in my chest, and deeply embraces me like she's trying to absorb me.

My fingers find the soft cleft of her chin to bring her face back up to mine. At this moment, I don't care. I want her, all of her. So I tip her head back more and quickly turn her face from side to side, inspecting for injuries. Then I bring my lips to hers, just brushing them together, enjoying the intense sensation such a light touch can bring. Then I give in to the pull of her and bring her full mouth to mine in a deep, all-encompassing kiss.

I live in the moment for as long as I can, our breath twined together, her soft, full lips pressed hard and passionately to mine. Nothing exists—until it does.

The trick door creaks, and I reluctantly pull my mouth from hers. There, creeping out of the same room Yera emerged from, it's her—the queen, the Mother of Monsters, Echidna.