My mouth parted as I stared into the silver silk in bewilderment.He wants to wear my blindfold?“If you wear it, then how are you going to be able to climb? You’ll be the blind one then.”
He laughed again, and my heart lurched at the sweet noise. “I know that, but I’m far less likely to fall than you are. If my eyes are covered, then you won’t be able to see any visions, right?”
My thoughts spun.I have never thought of it like that before.Of course it made sense, but never in my life would I have expected someone to take on the burden of my magic for me. “Are you sure?” I questioned wearily. “You’re not used to navigating blindly like I am. What if something happens?” My nerves kicked into full gear as I imagined the terrifying thought of Miron plummeting off the edge of the turret without even being able to see the sky.
Instead of answering, he approached me with slow, cautious steps until I could feel his breath brush against my skin. He placed a gentle hand on my cheek and I felt a rush of blood add a fresh pink to my face. He let his touch linger for a moment before sliding his hand behind my ear and gently tugging on the blindfold. I stiffened as the fabric shifted, but when I tried to summon up my caution, there was none to be found. I trusted him, and he trusted me.
“Open your eyes, Elle.” He whispered softly into my ear, and I felt the hairs on my arms stand up at his silky tone. With a soft tug, he slid the blindfold off of my head and I kept my eyes wide open.
When my sight was restored, I saw Miron was squeezing his eyes closed as he pulled the blindfold on. My breath caught as I stared wistfully at his charming features. I had seen him before, but had never truly looked at him. I knew he was handsome from my previous visions, but he was more than that. His dark hair and tanned skin reminded me of the warmth he had always displayed toward me, and his strong jaw and broad shoulder looked as protective as they had felt when Conan intruded. His smile was small at the moment, but it was so real now. The images I’d imagined of his sweet grin were nothing compared to his real one. I only wish I could see his eyes... Were they still as striking as I remember?
“This isn’t so bad,” he said with a goofy grin. I pressed a hand to my lips to hold back a snicker.He does have dimples!He spun around to head back for the window, and within three seconds, he stumbled over the leg of a chair. “Whoops, who put that there? Blasted Conan, I bet it was him.”
This time I couldn’t withhold my laugh as I approached his side and slipped my arm through his. “Here, allow me.” I smiled sweetly. It was strange to think that my smile would go completely unseen by him.
“Actually, why don’t I wait here...” Miron hesitated. “I think you should peek out the window before we do anything drastic. This seemed like a good idea at first, but now...” He tripped again over a riff in the stone floor and I reached out to steady him. “I’m feeling a little less confident.”
I nodded silently, then left him to observe the window. With a firm grip on the window’s frame, I peered my head up toward the peak of the turret and felt a heavy gulp force its way down my throat.That’s pretty steep. My eyes followed the edge of the roof in search of a safe climb down, but the more I looked, the more I felt the knot in my stomach tighten.
It’s no use. The tower’s too tall.Even if we could make it safely onto the tower’s roof, we would still be at risk of death while climbing down to the lower floors.
I turned back to the fumbling prince with a defeated frown. “We can’t climb it. Even if we both had full sight, it’s much too high. We’ll have to think of something else.” I slumped against the wall, sliding my back abrasively against the rigid stone.
Miron stumbled over to me with an almost comedic level of coordination. He stretched out his hands in search of me, and I took him by the wrist and directed him toward the floor. He slid down the wall next to me with a frustrated sigh. “I had a feeling it was a long shot.” He passed me a soft grin, but aimed it more at my forehead than my face. “I’m not about to unlock that door by accidentally throwing you off the tower.” His expression shifted, and I felt a soft tingle swell through my blood.My vision...He let out a heavy breath. “I can’t...imagine ever hurting you, Elle. If it was truly our only option, I would let you throw me out the window in an instant. I’ve lived freely for long enough, and now it’s your turn to see the sun.” His hand reached out for my face, but ended up drifting across my nose until he found his way to my cheek.
My heart pattered inside me, and I wondered if he could feel the heat of my blush. I placed my hand atop where he held my cheek and gazed wistfully at his caring expression, desperately wishing I could see his eyes. “Don’t even joke like that,” I breathed. “We both know you’re going to make it out of this tower alive. My visions are inevitable, and as much as it pains me to admit, you won’t die here...” My lip quivered, tightening my throat before I could finish my thought. A thick tear slid down my cheek and caught on Miron’s thumb.
He brushed the droplet from my cheek and leaned in closer so we were nearly embracing. “I don’t care what your visions say. Inevitable or not, I’m not playing by Conan’s rules. If I get out of here, it will be because you’re walking through that door with me. Your vision only proves that this cage won’t keep us for long.” He dropped his hand from my cheek and slipped his arm around my waist to pull me close. I melted into his embrace and found myself naturally resting my head on his shoulder.
“I wish they weren’t inescapable. I don’t want to be free if I have to lose you.” Another tear slipped down my cheek as I burrowed my face in his neck. His warm scent enveloped me, and I fought the urge to sob at the thought of losing him.
Miron leaned into me with a heartbroken sigh, then unexplainably began to sit up as if in a trance. I lifted off of his shoulder as he turned to face me with a gaping expression. His bewilderment caused my tears to stifle as I stared at him in confusion. “Wait a moment... If your visions are truly unavoidable, then doesn’t that make them as solid as the present?” I couldn’t see his eyes, but I imagined they were as wide as saucers behind the silk.
I blinked at him while rubbing a stray tear off my lashes. “I suppose so.” I sniffled. “They’ve never been wrong before. Even just now, when you sighed and said ‘I can’t...’ that was a piece of the first vision I’d ever received from you.” My chest tightened at the truth of it. My visions had sealed Miron’s fate, and there was nothing I could do.
Miron stretched out his hand in search of mine and patiently waited for me to take it. When I did, he squeezed my hand almost desperately. A thick worry swirled inside me at the odd touch. “Elle, I think I know how we can open the locks.” His voice was heavy with severity, and I felt a tug of fear pull at my heart. “If your visions are absolute, then anything you see should be just as authentic as anything in the past or present. If your magic can confirm that I’ll kill a royal, then the magic in the lock might recognize that truth, despite the fact that it hasn’t occurred yet.”
The fear within me thickened as I stared intensely into his determined expression. “But... That would only work if you were going to kill a royal in the future. We already know that you can’t kill Conan before he gets to you, and your father is practically untouchable.” My thoughts twisted into a web of tangled ideas and fears.
Miron’s tight grip loosened, and he began to trace circles on the back of my hand. At this point, I couldn’t tell if he was doing it to calm me or himself. “Tell me, Elle, in your vision, the one where I die...did you see me take my last breath? Or only receive a mortal blow?”
I tightened my brow in thought as I cautiously replayed the horrific memory. A light flashed through my eyes as I recalled the end of the vision. “You were still alive in the end, but... you didn’t have long.” Pain constricted my words as I stared into the face of a living ghost.
Miron nodded softly. “That should be enough time, then,” he murmured solemnly.
A sick feeling began to build inside me from his unspoken plan. “Enough time for what? What are you planning to do?” My voice cracked as I felt the answer dawn on me.
“I can sacrifice my life after Conan’s blow,” he said the words out loud, but all I saw were his lips moving mutely as tears clustered in my eyes. I opened my mouth to protest, but not even a squeak came out as the tears streamed down my cheeks. “It’s not like I’ll have much longer to live, anyway. If sacrificing myself when I’m already at death’s door can set you free, then I’ll do it without hesitation. After all, you heard Conan.Only one of us is leaving this room alive, and we both already know the answer.”His voice cracked and to mask his emotions, he pulled me into a tight, desperate embrace as I finally found my voice.
“No!” I screamed into his shoulder as I sobbed relentlessly. “I won’t let you! You deserve to live freely as much as I do!” A warm sensation tingled through my blood as I recognized the reenactment of the vision I’d feared for so long.I had been fearing for the wrong person... my life was never in danger.
Miron pet the back of my shortened hair as he held me close. “I can’t be saved, Elle. You knew that all along. But we can save you.” His soothing words felt so absent of hope.You idiot, I don’t want to be saved if I can’t be with you.He placed his hands on my shoulders and leaned me back a few inches so our eyes were in line with each other. “Please, Elle, let me do this for you. I know we’ve come a long way since our almost-friendship, so do you think I qualify to request a vision yet?” His weak, yet wry smile sent another sting through my heart.
I wiped the residual tears off my lashes as I regained my feeble composure. “I suppose I could make an exception,” I said dismally. “It’s the least I can for my dearest friend.” The sweetest smile spread across Miron’s face, and I felt my spirits lift the smallest amount. “However, I can’t guarantee I’ll see what you want me to. My visions stem from my emotions, so when I look at you, I’ll see a moment where you feel how I feel now, a time where you feel devastated or panicked... Well, maybe I will find what you’re looking for.”
I sucked in deep breath as I tried to prepare my mind for what may likely be the most terrible vision I would ever see. Miron hooked his fingers onto the blindfold and slid the silk off while still keeping his eyes sealed shut. “Tell me when you’re ready,” he said gently. “I know this is difficult for you, so I want to thank you for the opportunity you’re gifting me. If this vision allows me to open your door, then I’ll be able to open the other locks as well. I’ve been a terrible prince to my people, and this is my last chance to be the ruler they deserved. There would be no greater honor than setting them free, even at the cost of my life.”
My lip quivered again and I took in a shaky breath. “You don’t need to save anyone to be a good man, Miron, but I’ll grant your wish, nonetheless.” I sat up straighter as I leveled my eyes with his and spoke the question through my head again and again.