Chapter 21

Grey Evernight

A few hours earlier

The dark mocked me,the magic in those clouds twice as powerful as that of the Whispering Woods. It stopped me with twice as much strength the first three times I'd tried to get to the other side.

I was about to try for the fourth soon.

I stood atop the tomb mountain, the rocks broken and blackened by time, by the magic of the curse that had withered everything it had touched on the Eighth Isle. Every tree and every plant and every animal mutated, deformed, a shadow of what they used to be—all because Syra's body rested inside this mountain, and all the magic that the sirens had put upon the small piece of land to keep her here, to keep her dormant, had ruined everything.

Just like it had in the rest of Ennaris.

From the rocks, I could hardly see movement behind the trees—my eyesight was not what it used to be. My movements, either. My stamina, my speed—nothing at all was what it used to be three weeks ago. I was being consumed by the curse little by little, and I was well aware that this was the last time I'd be able to use my wings. It was the last time I'd be able to try to fly out of this Isle and get back to Fall.

And when it didn't work, I'd die.

Which was almost funny because I should have been long dead by now.

By my calculations, I'd been banished some three weeks ago. For three weeks the curse had taken from me—strength and magic and sanity. For three weeks this fucking Isle had tried to kill me in every way possible, and if it wasn't for this tomb and what was in it, the mutated animals would have torn me apart long ago, the same way they'd done each one of my ancestors who'd ended up in this place.

Not me, though. I was still alive, which shouldn't have been possible. I was still able to fly into those clouds that shielded the Eighth Isle from the rest of Ennaris, albeit for the last time.

Not that I was complaining; it just made no sense. I should have been dead by now. I should have been long gone.

"Een aeva," I said to the darkness, looking up at those clouds as I prepared to launch myself in the air. If I was strong enough to withstand the magic of the curse, there was a chance that I could break through it. There was a chance I could force my way out of this hell and get back to the Whispering Woods, to Fall.

The thought that she was all alone, that she was suffering at the hands of the people who lived in that castle, tortured me worse than any magic of any curse. The idea that those fucking vultures were circling her and waiting for her to give in was worse than a knife straight through my gut. It made me mad to think that she was alone with my brothers. Defenseless—and I couldn't be there to keep her safe.

The rage made me jump even before I'd fully made up my mind. The image in my head of my wife surrounded by my brothers, those vile fucking beings, didn't leave me any space to think. I just shot for the sky, beating my wings as hard as I could, and I reached both hands for it, for the magic, releasing my own, everything that was left inside me.

It made impact.

The sound of my magic hitting that of the last layer of the curse was deafening. They clashed hard, and the idea was to weaken it a little bit so that when I slammed onto it, it gave. It broke. It let me through.

I'd tried this three other times already and it hadn't worked. The fourth would be the last.

I didn't pray as I lost sight of everything around me and entered the thick darkness that surrounded the Eighth Isle. Praying was useless—I'd learned that at a very young age. Purpose was far more powerful than any prayer, and I had the strongest of all—my wife was trapped in a den of monsters all by herself, and if there was a chance for me to get to her, even by breaking this curse in the process, then I would.

I slammed onto the layer of magic with my whole body a moment later, and it suspended me on air.

Hope was a wonderful thing. I'd held onto it because it was the only way to survive these endless days trapped on this Isle, but hope only gets you so far. Hope doesn't magically make impossible things possible, no matter how strong it is.

That's why the magic crumpled me like a piece of paper in its fist and spit me back down to the ground like it was irritated by my attempt at breaking it.

I fell.

Not for a long time because I fell fast, as if gravity had a better hold on me here, and though my wings were still on my back, I couldn't move them. They were completely paralyzed, same as my limbs.

I hit the ground on my back, smashing trees in the process, making dents in the ground as I bounced off it, until I finally stopped in front of a tree. The pain didn't even register. It paled in comparison to that one thought—I'd failed. Even though I knew I would, even though I'd expected it, I'd failed to get out of the Eighth Isle for the fourth time, and I wouldn't have the strength to try again.

A shout came out of me as my body tried to rid itself of the desperation, the sudden hopelessness, the horror of accepting that I was never going to see my Fall again. It was a bad idea to be making that much noise in the woods surrounding the tomb, but at that point I didn't care. Maybe it was a better idea to let the mutated beasts eat me right now. It would end my suffering once and for all, and I would never have to wonder again. I would never have to feel so powerless, so fucking useless in this skin.

As if on cue, the first three beasts were already prowling nearby, heads lowered, their eyes on me. I pushed myself up to my knees, instinctively assessing my surroundings—trees, dead twisted trees, and wood, and leaves that could have been made out of plastic.

And bones.

There were bones close enough to my right that I could reach them easily if I tried. A skull and a femur and a ribcage—fucking bones that could have belonged to one of my ancestors. One of the Evernights who'd ended up in this place before me. One of the Evernights who were most probably torn apart by these beasts long before the magic of the curse killed them.

Maybe I should have accepted my fate and closed my eyes and waited because it would be quick. These beasts were hungry, on the brink of starvation, and they turned on each other constantly, and they'd make my death very fast.

Except when the three of them leaped in the air, I was already moving, breaking the biggest ribs off that ribcage of whoever was lying there, forgotten by the world, and I struck.

Rage. It rushed through the cold blood in my veins, whatever was left of it. Fall was out there all by herself, and I wouldn't give up trying to get to her until I ceased to exist. Fuck giving up—there could be other ways. I just needed to be patient. I just needed to be smart.

My strength was minimal and my speed that of a normal human being, but I'd dealt with wildlings my whole life, and I wasn't afraid of these oversized beasts. With my fangs and with those sharp ribs in my hands, I tore them apart before they had the chance to graze me. Their blood was tainted, impossible to even smell, let alone drink. Part of the banishment deal, I figured. If vampires who came here could feed off these beasts, none of them would have ever died.

By the time I stabbed the rib on the side of one beast's neck and stuck the other in the back of its throat when it opened its mouth to bite my face off, more had already approached. Well aware of my limitations, I jumped and climbed the nearest tree, saving strength for that leap I'd have to make to the tomb mountain. There, I'd be safe from these creatures. Nobody dared to wander near the guardian for fear they'd awaken him.

To do that meant certain death for everything that lived on this Isle.

That first day I was thrown into these woods, I'd run without aim, confused, disoriented, unwilling to accept that I'd actually been banished by Romin. I'd run and I'd managed to get to the mountain, hoping to get to the top of it to better see my surroundings, to know where I was, foolishly thinking I was still in the Whispering Woods somewhere because of the dark cloud hiding the sky here, too.

Only after I'd reached the top had I realized that none of the beasts had followed me, and when I'd started to explore, I'd found out why.

Now, I did the same—jumped off the top of a tree and forced my wings to beat a couple of times so I could land on top of another, and another, until I was close enough to the edge of the tomb that it was safe to continue running on foot. Some of the beasts, the smaller faster ones, risked coming closer and one almost bit my foot off, but I jumped on the rocks a second before it did, and the frustrated hiss that came from it sounded exactly like breaking glass.

Look what I've been reduced to,I thought as I straightened my shoulders and turned to look at the woods from atop the rocks, while the beasts, big and small, slowly retreated. Running from animals. Grey Evernight—the prey.

I would have laughed if I had any more energy to spare.

The bloody ribs of one of my ancestors were still in my hands. I held onto them, if only to give myself a sense of safety, which was another goddamn illusion, just like every time I imagined—vividly—that Fall was here, that she was coming for me, that she was smiling at me, calling my name.

I would die in those illusions if I could, but right now, I needed to lie down. Right now, I needed to make my way to the other side of the tomb where I'd built myself a small cave to rest in uninterrupted—and to hide. To be inside the mountain where Syra's body was, wasn't a good idea—the dragon that guarded her could awaken with the slightest noise, and if he did, I'd be dead. No question about it.

So, the other side it was.

My head buzzed. I could barely keep my eyes open—that magic blast and the way the curse had thrown me back inside the Isle had really done a number on me. My legs were shaking, which never happened, and I was pretty sure I'd be bruised and bleeding in a lot of places if I bothered to look.

It didn't budge. The fucking magic didn't budge, and I was still stuck in this hell with no clue what to try next.

The curse of Ennaris was made out of a hundred and one layers. The very last one bound each one of Hansil Knight's descendants to the Whispering Woods, and should they be forced out of it by banishment, they'd perish in a matter of days because the magic would take back what it initially gave to his bloodline. It would take back the vampire in us, if you will, and without it, we'd be only human.

Only-humanscould never live in a place like the Eighth Isle, not with all the other layers of magic cramped up in this tiny place to keep Syra under.

No wonder nobody knew that this Isle even existed. If anyone even came near it and tried to come through, they'd die. Not to mention if boats approached it, then these mutated beasts could find their way onto the other Isles, too, and wreak havoc on people who were not equipped with nearly enough magic to deal with them. No, because this curse needed a very big source of magic, and the sirens, who were supposed to supply the rest of Ennaris and its people with it year after year, now poured all of their power to keep this curse running.

The people suffered—the people always suffered. I had no problem with that.

What I had a problem with was that Fall was out there, and she was suffering, too.

I didn't know her well enough, not even close to how I wanted to know her. I wanted to study her even more than I already had. I wanted to know her mind inside out the way I knew her body. But from what little I did know, she was in pain. She was stuck. She was trapped in that fucking castle, and she would not accept the help of anyone in it—and rightly so. They would all betray her if given the chance, but to be all alone among men like my brothers was a death sentence, just like mine.

It drove me crazy, that thought, even though I knew she'd figure out how to survive eventually.

When she came to the castle, the first thing I noticed about her was that she wasn't a quitter. Her beauty had disarmed me completely at first sight, yes, but the depth of her had ensnared me for good. She'd ended up in the Whispering Woods without her consent, and she'd quickly found out exactly what that meant, and she still constantly defied my brothers and me. Constantly tried to find a way out and she wasn't afraid to tell anyone that she would escape the first chance she got.

How fascinating. I had never before met anyone like her. I had never before come across someone who didn't care about who I was or what my last name was or what it meant.

No, she was not affected by the looks of us, by the appeal of magic, the promise of fake glamour and power and ruling. She was just…Fall.

It's no wonder I fell for her the way I did.

The surprise of finding out she existed did me in the most, but it was the little things that pulled me under all the way. How she smiled. How she laughed—only when she genuinely meant to. Her curiosity about everything and anything, the idea that the best days of her life were when she was sneaking into her school to make music, and the sound she loved most was that of birds. She wanted to make things, bring them to life, and she was so good at it. The first time she played the piano was the first time I decided the world was worth exploring if something so soulful could exist in it. It wasn't all darkness and deception, lies and manipulation. It was beautiful, too. Fall could make it so.

She really was good at it, at many things—except that awful, awful joke she told me that night. I was smiling as I climbed the rocks of the mountain even now. I'd never wanted to laugh as much as I did in those moments in the kitchen, and it had taken all my will to hold myself back.

Perfect. She was perfect. And I was pretty sure the memory of her was the reason I was still here. She kept me alive even when we were a world apart.

And I couldn't get to her, even knowing she needed me.

I made it all the way to the top of the mountain, but I had no more energy left to shout at the skies again. Death had never scared me. The thought of it had never even bothered me until now. Had I ended up here before I met Fall, I wouldn't have minded withering away in that cave.

In fact, I'd have welcomed my end with open arms.

But everything was different now, and despite it, there was no way out. Despite it, I was stuck here because of my brother's foolish jealousy.

Damn you, Romin, I thought to myself. He'd always been afraid of me, always thought I was after his position as the ruler of the court—which was fucking ridiculous. I wouldn't have accepted it if he offered. I didn't want to rule over two-faced people who'd stab me in the back the moment it was convenient. I guess that's why I got stabbed in the back by my brother the first chance he got.

I should have known. I should have fucking seen it coming. I should have expected him to try to find any reason to get rid of me, just so he didn't have to be afraid of me anymore. Just so he could have Fall all to himself.

The anger that rose inside me at the thought of him or any of them putting their hands on her burned me. I slammed my fists onto the rocks of the mountain with all my remaining strength.

The mountain groaned, and for a moment, I considered the dragon inside it might awaken. For a moment, I considered he'd come out of the tomb. I wasn't afraid—on the contrary. My mind kept trying to figure out more ways to get out of here, and half of me was convinced that that dragon could actually take me back.

Because there had to be a way out. I was sure of it. Valentine had been desperate to get banished, and I'd figured it out much too late, only when he sent his wounded dragon after Fall, knowing Storm was right there. Knowing he would be stopped in time. Whether he meant to really hurt Fall or not didn't matter—he was hoping to be accused of trying and get banished.

When Storm smashed that small dragon of his to the ground, I was about to tell Romin not to banish him yet. I was about to pull Romin to the side and tell him that we needed to question him first, find out what he was planning, because he'd found a way out of the Eighth Isle, no doubt. Valentine was no fool—on the contrary. He was a very smart young man. If he wanted to get banished, it was because he knew a way out.

It all made sense when Fall said he'd taken her to Faeries' Aerie. He"d done that with magic. And whatever kind of magic he'd used for that, he would use the same to set himself free of the Eighth Isle forever.

The consequences to that could be dire, and so I'd planned to force the truth out of him as soon as Fall was in our bedroom, safe from everyone and their dragons.

I'd planned—and then my coward of a brother had banished me because he knew he'd never get a better chance. He'd doomed me and Fall, not to mention Storm. My dragon who would be withering in Agva now, waiting to die.

Maybe that's why the mountain was still groaning even though I had no strength to slam my fists to it again. Maybe it felt what I was feeling, and it was raging with me.

It took me a while to realize that all that noise wasn't coming from the mountain at all. I'd been so lost in my own head, my thoughts chaotic, a fucking mess, that I hadn't noticed that the sky was moving. That the darkness had begun to swirl around itself, creating a hole in it, and it was spinning faster by the second.

Realization froze me right there on top of the mountain as the first lightning strike illuminated the entire Isle.

Someone was coming.

Another Evernight had been banished, and the sky was about to spit them out any second.

Lightning struck again. I saw the small figure in the distance spinning around itself as it fell. I saw him, and even though I couldn't make out his clothes or his face, I already knew who it was.

He slammed against the ground between the dead trees just like I had when the sky had spit me out—because of him.

Valentine.

That man was Valentine. He'd finally managed to get Romin to banish him.

Hope filled me from head to toe like a boost of magic, stronger than fresh blood. I was running before I knew it, jumping on rocks and spreading my wings to keep my balance, even if I couldn't fly.

It didn't matter anymore, though. Nothing mattered because Valentine was here, and whichever way he planned to get off this Isle, he'd take me with.

I was going back to Fall tonight no matter what I had to do.