I shouldn’t have made that promise. Rolling onto my back, I turned my head. My gaze flicked from the nightstand and the small wooden box on it to where my dagger lay on the pillow beside mine. Drawing in a deep breath, I exhaled slowly and picked up the dagger. I spotted my robe at the foot of the bed. Nyktos must’ve retrieved it.
That new crack in my chest throbbed as I rose.
The stone was cool under my feet as I walked through the dimly lit passageway and entered my chambers. I stood beneath the glass chandelier for several moments, trying to get my thoughts in order. I’d failed last night. So, what was I going to do now?
There was no answer. Only the arrival of Baines and fresh water, followed by Orphine. Her apology to Nyktos the night before still scalded my skin with shame.
“Once you’re ready, I’m to escort you to Nyktos,” Orphine announced as she moved to close the doors. “I’ll be waiting in the hall.” She paused. “Please don’t attempt to makea run for it again.”
“I won’t.” I expected some sort of caustic remark from her, but all she did was nod before stepping out into the hall.
I turned back to the bathing chamber. At least what I’d said to Orphine wasn’t a lie. I wouldn’t try to escaperight now.But I would have to try again. And that made the new crack in my chest feel even more unsteady, as if it were at risk of deepening and spreading.
I rubbed at the center of my chest, stopping my thoughts before they revisited the mess of emotions that had caused the fissure. Nyktos was waiting, and I might as well get what would likely be an epic bitchfest over with.
Shoving my hair back from my face, I frowned at the gritty texture. I withdrew my fingers and glanced down. A thin layer of ash coated my hands that had only ever wielded power that healed and brought life. But I had hurt Nyktos.
That kind of power killed.
Could the embers really be that strong? Were they giving me godlike abilities even now? It wasn’t implausible when I thought about it. After all, the embers had always given me powers.
I just didn’t want to…hurt anyone. Not on purpose.
I swallowed thickly, forcing myself to get a move on. I went into the bathing chamber and grabbed a clean washcloth. I placed a towel beside the tub and knelt. I tugged off the slip and already missed the faint trace of citrus that clung to the material. Keeping an eye on the entryway, I quickly washed myself and then dunked my head in the tub, vigorously scrubbing at my hair. It had taken an ungodly amount of time to work out all the tangles after, but it was nearly dry by the time I went to the wardrobe.
There weren’t many options left when it came to attire: a few sweaters, a pair of thick, black leggings, and three gowns. I chose a sweater and some leggings and then joined Orphine in the hall.
The draken was silent as she led me to the palace’s first floor, a book once again tucked under her arm. The only sound was that of our boots rapping off the stone floors.
“I’m sorry about Davina,” I said, not knowing if she had been close to the draken or not. When I got no response, Iglanced over at her. “And I’m…I’m also sorry for making you feel like you failed at your duty. It wasn’t your fault, and it’s not like you expected me to climb down from the balcony.”
Orphine arched a brow, but that was it. Pressing my lips together, I looked away as guilt settled heavily in my chest. I imagined that her dislike of me had grown to rampant hatred, and I couldn’t exactly blame—
“You’re right,” she said. “I didn’t expect you to scale the palace walls. I doubt many would, but I do appreciate the apology…and what you intended to do.”
My head swung to her as we reached the stairs. “You do?”
“What you did would’ve ended in disaster,” she said. “But your willingness to take such a risk speaks of your integrity. And that is to be respected. Honored.”
Respected? Honored? I tried to think of a time when I had been on the receiving end of either of those things as we crossed under an archway. Before the night of my seventeenth birthday, I’d been honored, but not for anything I’d done. Only for what my family believed I could do for the kingdom. They respected that. Notme.
We reached the empty but brightly lit foyer and passed under the cascading glass candles powered by Primal energy. I half-expected an entire armed fleet of guards to be waiting for us. Forcing out a short breath, I glanced at the plain, white pedestal with nothing on it, wondering for the umpteenth time what, if anything, had once sat there. A nervous sort of energy buzzed through me as we passed the entryways to the halls, one of which held Nyktos’s office. The palace was eerily silent as we passed that corridor.
My anxiousness ramped up. “Where are we going?”
“To Nyktos,” she answered. That much was already apparent, but she didn’t elaborate.
I folded an arm over my stomach as my gaze shifted to the throne room. My steps slowed. I couldn’t remember seeing the doors closed before. If I had, then I was less observant than I realized because there was a beautiful design painted on them. The same kind of scrolling vines embroidered on the tunics Nyktos and his guards wore had been engraved in silver. White poplar leaves bloomed from the vines. In the center of each door were two crescent moons facing each other, and in the spacebetween them, across the closed doors and painted behind the spiraling vines, was the shape of a wolf.
A white wolf.
I blinked, my brows pinching as I stared at the design—
The ember belonging to Nyktos hummed in my chest as the doors silently swung open upon our approach, revealing two unfamiliar guards. My pulse skittered. Why was I meeting him in here? Senses on high alert, I entered the throne room and jerked to a stop.
Under the glow of the star-strewn sky high above the open ceiling, and the thousands of lit candles lining the walls, stood…good gods, there had to behundredsof men and women standing in the throne room, garbed in the dark gray of the Primal’s guards and armed to within an inch of their lives.
It couldn’t be all of them because I knew the Rise and Lethe wouldn’t go unprotected, but the vast, circular chamber was nearly full. My wide gaze swung over the sea of faces. I caught sight of Saion standing with Rhahar across from Rhain and Ector. Another male stood with them, one with dark, wavy hair and the same pale, ivory skin as Orphine. Rhain looked away, his jaw tight as my gaze touched his.