I start feeling lightheaded from the god’s grip around my throat, but no, I can’t pass out. Rae needs me.
“Luna is a meddling fool,” he barks out. “This has her written all over it.”
Confusion flares in my mind, but I’m seeing spots and my breathing starts to sputter. With a sound of disgust, the sun god lets go, and I slump to the ground, losing consciousness as the cave goes dark.
“Kian!”
My name on her tongue startles me awake with a fierceness. I scramble to my feet, groaning as my hand flies to my throat and the bruises that are certainly darkening from the god’s inhuman grip.
“Rae!” I gasp. The room is pitch-black, and I’m afraid that if I’m not careful, I’ll end up falling into the pit with her.
“Kian, are you okay?” her weak voice echoes up the walls of her prison. “Gods, please tell me you’re okay.”
I drop to my hands and knees and cautiously crawl forward to the sound of her voice. “I’m fine, love. Are you?”
A strangled cry reaches my ears, and it breaks something in me. “We never should have come. It was all a trap. He lured me here with his power, and I didn’t question it,” she says, her voice dissolving into sobs.
“Love, I’m so sorry . . .”
When my hand hits air, I stop and fumble around for the pack that has to be nearby. Relief courses through me when my fingers close upon the leather strap, and I drag it closer. There has to be something in here I can use. Rifling around, I find a small box of matches. They will have to do.
The match scrapes against the stone floor and flares to life, and I hold it up over the pit. The light is barely a spark, but after the darkness, it’s something. Though I can still barely make out Rae’s form lying at the base of the pit.
“Rae, my love, I’m here,” I say. “What can I do? Can I pull you out?”
She sniffs. “I don’t think you can, Ki. He made me take his place. I’m as trapped down here as he was.” Rae wraps her arms around her knees, curling up into a fetal position.
The match burns out, and I curse as the flame singes my finger. Within seconds, I light another one.
“There has to be something,” I plead, but who I’m pleading with, I don’t know. The god I worshiped above all has failed me and ripped away the woman I love.
“You need to go,” she says weakly. “He’s hungry . . . Sera and Alex . . .”
“I can’t leave you here alone.”
The match sputters out, and I light the next one.
“You must. I would never forgive myself if they died because of my impulsiveness.”
“This is not your fault, Rae,” I try to assure her. “You’re not responsible for his actions.”
She barks a bitter laugh. “That’s kind of you, Ki, but I never should have given myself to him so freely. I should have known better.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. The truth I don’t want to admit to myself is that there is nothing I can do from here. I needassistance, but the thought of leaving her alone breaks my heart in two.
“I’m going to get help,” I say. “Watch out. I’m going to throw my pack down for you, all right? It has a little food and water left.”
“Okay.” Her voice is weak and resigned.
I light the final match and carefully take aim, listening for the thud of the bag.
“Don’t forget about me,” Rae croaks out, and I want to yell and scream at the unfairness of it all.
“I couldneverforget you.” I almost choke on the words. “Hold on, love. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
I stumble through the dark with hands outstretched, seeking the passageway back up to the falls. Each step away from Rae is a knife thrust into me, over and over. I might as well have ripped my heart from my body and left it behind.
Blindingsun beats down on me when I emerge from behind the falls. Gone is the cloud cover we came in under, which can only mean one thing: Kyros’ power is back.
