I pulled the bridal over her ears, carefully removing the bit from her mouth. Arrow shrieked, dancing away from me. She tossed her head, as if trying to fight my command as the guards closed in around us, their swords calling for her blood.
“Go!” I screamed and my griffin jumped into the sky, her majestic gold wings blocking out the sun. A golem lunged for her, snatching her lion tail and dragging her back down. She howled, kicking out with her back claws, racking them across his face and gouging long trails through the stone. He didn’t let go.
Using the last of my strength, I shoved forward, running the palm of my hand over the sword with a hiss, before dropping it and vaulting up the front of the golem. Finding purchase on his armor, I hauled myself up, guards tearing at my limbs and clothes as I ripped back the golem’s helmet and smacked my bloody palm over the command sigil on its forehead. He stiffened beneath me, his hand dropping Arrow’s tail and falling to his side.
The griffin lurched skyward, her farewell screech the last thing I heard before rough arms tore me backward, and my head connected with cobblestone.
Everything hurt. My hand where I’d sliced it open, my muscles from riding Arrow for the better part of the day, as well as my skin where the sun had burned it. But the strongest of the pain throbbed in my skull, beating in time to the rhythm of my heart as consciousness slowly returned. I lay on a soft mattress, breathing between clenched teeth, but I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes. I slid my fingers through my hair, probing the source of pain, and winced at the dried and crusted blood. I tucked my bandaged hand against my side, doing my best to ignore the ache in it.
Before this week, I hadn’t known what real pain was. How could I, in my secure and sheltered prison? It wasn’t just the physical pain though, my heart hurt in ways I’d never known possible. My breath hitched in my throat, and I curled into a ball on top of a soft blanket, too tired to even cry anymore. A veil of hair fell over my face, carrying with it the scent of smoke. . . smoke from the funeral pyre Ryker had built for Alex before we’d left. Ryker and Alex. I would never see either of them again.
Watching Ryker leave had been one of the hardest things I’d ever done in my life. I wasn’t sure when it had even happened, but I’d given a part of my heart to him, a part that I could never take back. If I was being honest, even after he’d saved my life twice and had chosen to see me home, I’d selfishly wanted more—I’d wanted him to kiss me, just once, before I died. But in retrospect, what would have been the point? It wouldn’t have changed either of our minds. He would still leave while I stayed behind.
Needing a distraction, I pried my eyes open, and the grand chandelier of my bedroom floated into view. Its dim light revealed the painfully familiar silhouette of what I’d once considered a sanctuary, but now only served as a cage. From the double mirror and the vanities on either side of it to the empty bed across from me where my sister should have been, everything served as a painful reminder.
I need to see her. The thought giving me strength, I struggled upright despite my protesting muscles. The light reacted to my movement, glowing brighter, and I was dismayed to find myself still in my filthy traveling cloak, tunic and pants, splattered with the guards’ blood. As if whoever had brought me to my quarters had just tossed me here like I was nothing. Then again, wasn’t I?
Numb to the pain I knew I should have felt, I slipped off the bed, my eyes glancing toward the door. I gasped, the space to either side of the wooden frame was empty. Where were my golems? Heart rate picking up speed, I limped as fast I could around the edge of the bed. I halted in my tracks, a strangled cry tearing from my throat. In the center of the room sat two massive piles of rubble, Rocky’s and Judex’s heads atop each one. Their empty, soulless eyes stared at me, bloody hand prints dried on their foreheads.
No. My hands covered my mouth, and I crashed to my knees. Rocky, my constant companion for the past six years, and Judex, my greatest creation. They were gone. Crawling forward, I reached the pile of remains and carefully picked up Judex’s griffin skull face. The beak was cracked, the bottom half missing, its rough edges digging into my skin as I brushed my fingers over it.
“I’m so sorry.” I pulled the skull to my chest, curling into a ball on the rug. No, golems couldn’t feel, nor did they have thoughts, hopes or dreams, but a piece of my soul belonged to these two mythical creatures, a piece that died right along with them.
What was I even doing here? What was the point? Everyone I’d ever loved or cared about was either gone, dead, dying, or hated me. I’d failed. Epically. I’d foolishly thought that if I willingly sacrificed myself, I could save my sister and her child, and at least two lives could be spared. For all I knew, Cassie was already dead.
A broken moan escaped my lips. Everything I’d ever done in my life had been for her. My agreement to become the next heir, to allow Lilitha to continue her reign of peace, was so my sister could live in comfort and prosperity for the entirety of her life. My desperation to stall the Ascension until I was eighteen was so I could spend just a little more time with her. To be there by her side when she was bonded to the love of her life and to hold her hand as she became a mother for the first time.
Gasping for breath, my whole body shuddered. Why hadn’t I listened to Ryker?Because you are weak and a coward,a voice whispered inside me. It was the truth. Iwasafraid. Afraid to lose my sister, afraid to losemyself. Afraid of what reflection I might see if I looked too close in the mirror. Afraid to follow the whispers of my heart and see where they led.
Distant voices filtered through the door, distracting me from my pain. The pitch and volume increased, but I couldn’t make out what was being said. Something slammed into the door, making me jump before thecreakof the door followed. Heavy footsteps shuffled across the floor, and I sniffed, my brow wrinkling. The steps stopped directly behind me, cloth rustling before a hand rested on my shoulder.
“Kaleah,” a familiar, deep voice uttered my name.
Disbelieving my ears, I twisted around and confusion washed over me. “Father?”
26
Blind and Deaf
“Wedon’thavemuchtime.” Cronus’ sad blue eyes, identical to mine, stared down at me, bright with tears for once instead of drunkenness. “Let’s get you up.” He grasped my arm and helped me into a sitting position.
I let him, confused by his actions and uncharacteristically gentle mannerisms. “What do you mean not much time?” I glanced at the door. “What did you do?”
My father’s face hardened. “Apparently the empress has ordered complete isolation for you. Luckily, she didn’t think to take my golem away,” he scoffed. “Ol’ Jolly’s keeping an eye on the door, but I doubt it’ll be long before someone comes along to drag me away. That’s not important; I needed to talk to you.”
I gaped at him, wondering at the man that stood before me.
His eyes traveled from my face downward to the skull still gripped in my hands. “Such a shame. That golem of yours really was something to behold.” A sad smile pulled at his lips, his eyes growing distant.
My fingers tightened around the edge of the skull, and rose to my feet. “Why are you doing this?”
His chest expanded on a deep inhale, his lips pursing into a hard line. “I came to apologize.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the blanket beside him in an invitation. I hesitated, unsure of the man before me. This wasn’t the drunk, blubbering man who refused to acknowledge my existence. He was a stranger.
Cronus sighed, nodding in understanding when I stayed standing a pace away, my eyes darting to the guard-less door. “I deserve that.” He still looked unkempt, but not nearly as bad as he usually did. His blond hair was pulled back in a braid, and his buckskin colored tunic, though rumpled, was clean and unstained.
“You’re cleaner than I am for once,” I blurted without thinking.
A frown tugged at his lips. “The reality of losing both of your children in the blink of an eye can sober a man fast. When you two disappeared, no one knew what happened, and the longer you were gone, the greater the speculations and my fear grew. It opened my eyes to what a fool I’ve been these past years.”