“What is it?” Kalyll asked, noticing my reaction.
Mouth hanging open, I extended the open bag toward him. “It’s empty.”
“What do you mean, it’s empty?” He snatched the bag from my hands and peered inside.
“The marsh flower, the hemlock… it’s all gone.”
“What?!” Arabis joined us and so did the others.
Once more, like with the necklace, they were all staring at me accusingly. I took a step back, shaking my head. Fear settled in the pit of my stomach at the way Kryn was glowering. He seemed ready to kill me.
“I didn’t do that,” I said.
Kalyll glanced up at me, doubt in his beautiful cobalt eyes, which was all it took to drive me over the edge.
“You all think I would sabotage my chance of getting the hell out of here?” I demanded. “I’m not stupid. This only complicates things for me. I want out of this nightmare that you’re putting me through. And the worst part of everything is you.” I pointed a finger straight at Kalyll.
He flinched and had the decency to look embarrassed.
“And do you know what all of that means?” I asked, savoring the words I was about to throw in their faces. “It means you have a traitor in your midst.”
Now, the suspicious glances moved away from me. They all watched each other surreptitiously, questioning their loyalty. Had they been traveling with an enemy all along?
The saddlebag dropped from Kalyll’s hand. In one swift motion, he whirled on Kryn, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him off the ground. “You did this.”
Kryn’s feet kicked. Kalyll’s eyes darkened and black veins webbed around them.
“I… didn’t,” Kryn croaked.
Arabis was at the prince’s side, trying to use her power. “Let him go. You’re going to kill him. Your best friend.”
Kalyll continued to choke him.
Jeondar and Silver tried to pry him away, but Kalyll was too strong.
Arabis turned to me, her eyes pleading, begging me to get Kalyll to stop.
I took two steps forward and held Arabis’s gaze.Now, you deem me important?I asked her silently.
“Please.”
Kryn’s lips were starting to turn blue, and his eyes were rolling backward. He was an asshole, and he hated me, but that didn’t mean he deserved to die.
Jeondar and Silver got out of the way as I lifted a hand and placed it on Kalyll’s rock-hard bicep. “Let him go, Kalyll.” My voice was gentle, beseeching.
By degrees, he tore his attention from Kryn and looked at me.
“Just let him go.”
In the next instant, he dropped Kryn, who collapsed to his knees, coughing and gasping for air. Kalyll pulled at his hair and let out a growl of frustration, clearly fighting against his demons.
“I have to leave,” he spat suddenly, then jumped onto Stormheart and was gone, speeding down the mountain pass at a breakneck gallop.
Cylea ran a few steps. “Kalyll!” She stopped and turned around. “What do we do?”
“All we can do is continue on our way,” Jeondar said. “Let’s hope he doesn’t come after us tonight. He’ll rejoin us in the morning. I’m sure.”
“But if the beast takes him too far?” Cylea shook her head.