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Amser answers, startling me because it has been quiet for days. I wanted to play with his dark side. Why did you run away?
I shake my head and try not to think about it anymore since Amser will just read my thoughts anyway. I’m in my mind prison still when I turn the corner and walk straight into a man’s chest. The books in my arms nearly tumble from my grasp.
My eyes flick up and meet Elias’s daunting stare.
He catches my books before they fall without even breaking our eye contact and the corner of his lip tilts up. “Hello, sweetheart. What are you doing up here past class hours?” His eyes drift behind me and land on something that makes darkness settle in his features. “Playing with Kallos, are we?”
My knees feel weak. But I don’t find anger or jealousy in his eyes—only a morbid curiosity.
“Now he is someone I want to watch ruin you. Raine can join too and get some pointers from him,” Elias says tightly. Desire lingers on his words and I have to swallow hard to move past the image he just painted in my head.
“Stop that!” I say sharply and he lifts one shoulder.
“I came to look for you when you weren’t at the Nova House with Raine.” He clutches my books in one arm and lets the other swing over my shoulders as he guides us down the corridor toward the south end of the castle.
My brow raises. “Where are we going exactly?”
He chuckles and lets his arm slacken around my neck. “Remember our talk of finding my heart? You were right. And I think I may have figured out where he keeps them.”
30
Elias
Terra stills at the sight of the black gates.
“Where does this go?” she asks in a dreadful tone, sounding anything but excited to go on another outing with me. I guess taking her to the front lines of Whales of Tauh was probably a little too extreme, but I needed to get my point across.
“To Za’Afiel,” I say as I stare at the familiar stone-framed doors. The last time I passed through the black gates was with my comrades.
She perks up at that and I level her a curious look. “Eager to go there for something?” I ask, not surprised when she lies and shakes her head. She and Raine are still looking for something to stop the blight. I hope they find it. The thought of not having someone to train with in the mornings and bullshit with casts a dark stone in my heart.
“You really think he hid them there?” she says incredulously, looking at the stonework like she doesn’t entirely trust the craftsmanship.
I nod. “Velis did some snooping while Emerai visited the front lines. It’s taken some time, but I think we may have found them all.” Her eyes soften and a hopeful grin spreads across her face.
She’s the only person I trust with this besides Arthur. He’s been so distant as of late due to his lectures with Edgar. I don’t know how he’s found the time to oversee all his academics, but he’s managed.
My expression grows grim. Since Kallos placed that cast on his Shadow, Edgar has fallen into a deep depression. Doom most certainly clouds his mind now. He’s incapable of escaping his fate. Raine has avoided him at all costs—Edgar must have a twisted and cruel fate because Raine can’t even look at him without turning pale.
Sometimes, I wish Raine could speak about his visions. I know his Shadow doesn’t allow it, but I cannot fathom what wealth his dying mind holds.
“Shall we?” I motion for Terra to step through the black gates first and she glowers at me before stepping through. I wait another moment, staring at the black stones reminiscently before following.
Dark smoke pools around us like we’ve walked into a house fire. It’s scentless and leaves cold tendrils of despair along my skin. I step out into the silent halls of Za’Afiel. The air is older here, the stones damp from the breeze off the ocean.
Terra leans over and peers out one of the windows overlooking the stone garden; from the third floor, you can even see the ocean. Moonlight drapes the snow-covered scenery with somber silence.
Many little mounds raise portions of the snow, reddened by what lies beneath. Terra notices and looks back at me with confusion and denial. Her brown hair has a light blue hue to it, the moon framing her in luminance.
“It’s exactly what you think it is,” I say in a monotone voice. There’s a reason why the halls are so quiet.
“But Edgar described this place as peaceful… What happened?” she says sadly, as if she can imagine what this mansion was like filled with the laughter of many ignorant souls. Oblivious to the world filled with hatred beyond the island, thanks to Arthur’s gift.
“The Empress of Fernestia wanted this faction shut down. They have all the Novas they’ve been searching for. Cein ordered the culling yesterday. I found out this afternoon when Arthur was sitting in his empty office in the Nova House for once instead of his study here.”
Terra covers her mouth and leans over like she’s going to vomit.
I shut my eyes as I think of the pain I saw in his. He didn’t seem surprised about it; it was more like an old, dreadful wound, one he knew would eventually open. The circles beneath his eyes were dark. There were no traces of light in his eyes.
