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A gasp escaped my lips, and I reached through the bond.
It pulsed warmly between us … as though he were in some kind of stasis instead of being actual stone. It almost felt like the drake back in Gleyma …
"Is he still alive?" I bit out, ignoring the panic making my heart race.
"Yes, of course." She tsked. "But in this state, he is quite fragile. A single, well-placed tap." She rapped her knuckles on the banister to her right. "Could crack and kill him. We wouldn't want that, now would we?"
My heart slammed against my ribs, and I forced myself to shake my head.
"Excellent!" she clapped. "Because I have been at this fucking plan for far longer than you can imagine, and I'd rather not suffer any more delays. I like you, Kaiya. I really do. You remind me so much of myself, when I was young and hopeful." She sighed softly. "But if you do not do exactly as I say, I swear to The Queen that I will shatter Tye into a thousand pieces without a second's thought. And for every minute of disobedience beyond that, I will kill another innocent person. And I will continue killing until you come to your senses." She smiled. "Is that clear?"
Pinpricks spread across my skin. She was insane.
Frantically, I looked around the ship for help. Someone here had to be willing to stop this mad woman! But the helmsman turned away before our eyes could meet. I looked to the dozens of collared mages and shifters around, but they refused to meet my gaze, as well.
They were all scared.
Only Japhire met my gaze. But he looked broken, and shook his head before looking away.
If they were this afraid, she had to have done this before. Gods! How had I not seen who she really was?
"Monster!" I whispered.
Lady Frexin chuckled and shrugged. "Yes, yes. Monster. Sage. Reaper. King … I go by many names. But one day soon, history will remember me as the Savior."
Chapter 58
Jaiel
Kaiya stood ahead of me, hair blowing in the wind as she looked over her shoulder. Her lips curled into a teasing grin as she slipped off her dress and dove from the cliff.
Panic twisted in my gut, and I rushed to where she'd been standing.
But she was nowhere to be found in the darkness below!
Shadows poured out of the darkness, as though conjured by the wind, rising to twist themselves around me before sinking into my skin.
"It's your fault," they whispered, "she's gone because of you —"
Something jerked beneath me, sending a knifing pain through my shoulder, waking me from the nightmare.
I pushed into a seated position, blinking away my grogginess as I took in my surroundings.
The sky was beginning to brighten over the horizon and next to me ran several dozen body mages — none of whom were Kaiya or Tye.
Wait … what?
I inhaled sharply as I realized I was riding on an actual fucking diyre wolf!
"What in the seven hells?" I spluttered.
A man ahead and to the right shifted to human form and met my gaze. "Alpha! Pretty boy woke up!" he yelled over his shoulder, still running.
"Where is Kaiya?" I snapped. "Did she escape?"
Fuck. If she hadn't — my chest ached at the thought.
Alpha Blackwood shifted and gestured for everyone to stop. He walked up to my side, a tired smile plastered to his lips. "Yes," he said. "They escaped the stronghold."
