I lie back on the cot to think. Niethal intends to move forward with the ritual, but if he doesn’t find Grace, we still stand a chance of saving Esmarae. I only hope she escaped to the human realm.
Damnit. There is no one to open a crossing for her. The kings bought into Niethal’s grand plan of reclaiming the relics.
Wait…I am a king. That magic has shifted to me.
Ican open a crossing for her. If only I weren’tfuckinglocked in here.
That I’m the king of Daminae still doesn’t sit well with me.
My father warned it would come eventually, and how right he was. I never got to tell him about Grace, much to my chagrin. I’d like to think he would have approved since he once cared for a human woman.
Unable to settle, I twist on the cot. If only I could get out of here.
But there’s no escaping the dungeons. Magic is woven into the walls, keeping any prisoner from damaging the cell.
As I’m contemplating my chances of escaping, a faint voice echoes off the walls. “Hello? Does anyone hear me? Isiah? Corren? Anyone?”
I rush over to the bars, instantly recognizing the voice. “Mikal! I’m here. Are you okay?”
A loud exhale sounds from down the corridor. “Isiah! Ah, it’s good to hear your voice. Yeah, I’m fine. I just came to, though my head throbs a bit.” He pauses for a moment. “Shit, did you warn Grace to get out? I amsosorry, Isiah. Niethal got in my mind, and I couldn’t push him out.” Distress sounds in his voice as he apologizes.
“It’s okay, Mikal. I know you would’ve stopped him if you could. And yes, I was able to reach her in time. Let’s just hope she broke the ward.”
I reach for the bond and find it clearer now than when I sent her away with Mikal.
Unease stirs in my gut.
“Are you all right? Where are you?”
Silence. Another moment passes, and I brush again.“Grace, are you okay?”
This time she answers, but there’s a shade of sadness to her words.“Yes, I’m okay. I’m glad to hear your voice.”
“I will see you soon. I’ve run into trouble, but I’m working on it.”The bond goes tight with tension.
“I know the trouble, Isiah. I’m here at the castle. I came for you and the others.”
My mind roars.“You were supposed to run away, not run toward the trouble!”
“How far would I have made it on my own? Where would I have even gone? Niethal would have found me eventually, and you may have been dead by then.”She pauses before finishing.“Isiah, I heard about your father. I am so sorry. I can’t even—”
“Don’t, Grace. I can’t go there. I can’t talk about them yet, not like this.”
A moment of silence stretches between us. And when Grace speaks, her voice comes through a whisper.“Them?”
It’s as if the air stalls in my lungs. My breaths come fast and shallow as the words get caught in my mind. Even thinking about them is too much.
“My father and mother.”
Rough edges of panic prick my soul, tempting me into the abyss, but I fight it. I push it away.
“Isiah—”
“I’m not ready, Grace. When I see you, we’ll talk. But for now I…”
“All right. Just know even apart, I am here for you, always.”
Her words step me back from the chasm in my soul. I need a distraction. Something outside of myself to focus on. Grace must hear my plea because she changes the subject. And I have never been more grateful for our bond than in this moment.