Sari doesn't look surprised to see her father missing from the group, but when she leans forward in her seat to hug me, her arms bending tightly around my waist without a worry of the black blood covering me, I’m too shocked to deny her. I grunt a little as she jars my injured shoulder but let her squeeze me until the last of her tremors subsides.
“Thank you, Cousin. I hope to see you again soon. I look forward to your nuptials—make sure you send messengers, because I wouldn't miss it for the world.”
As I watch her pony walk carefully across the bridge, the sneering guard and Malia close behind, her words spinning uselessly in my head. She meant them, there’s no doubt of that. She looks forward to my wedding, no matter what it means for her and her father. I hate that she’s been forced to witness such violence and bloodshed, but it might have served a purpose.
Sari Celestial, Heir Apparent to the regent, just woke up to the world as it exists around her, violent and on the edge of total ruin.
* * *
We’re less than halfway to the fae door when the sound of horse hooves thundering toward us carries on the slight breeze.
I share a look with Tauron, but it’s only a single horse and far more likely to be a messenger or someone fleeing conflict than a concern for us. Just to be sure, we pick up our pace and ride in the direction of the sound. It’s the same path we’re already on, slowly curving to the east as we follow the river.
By the time Darick's form becomes visible on the horizon, the seed of unrest I felt within me this morning has taken root, dread choking me as I feel the Fates laying down a path before me.
I’ve felt this before, and the outcome was never good.
The messenger doesn't bother to wait until he approaches us, or attempt to stop the horse, merely calling out the moment he’s sure that we’ll be able to pick up the words over the sounds of our horses’ hooves.
“The baby is coming. Princess Airlie has gone into labor. Prince Tyton has sent for you to return as quickly as the horses can carry you.”
I don't need to hear anything else.
I spur Nightspark on until he's galloping, pushing him as fast as his powerful body can go. Some of the other soldiers will inevitably fall back, but Tauron and his own horse keep up, as determined to make it home as I am.
When we get to the fae door, only Tauron, Darick and two of my soldiers have kept up with my brutal pace. If this were any other situation, I would have slowed down and kept formation, but not now, not for Airlie. Even without the promise I swore to Roan, I wouldn’t leave her to endure the curse alone.
Tyton is either by her side or still guarding the witch, and one option is as bad as the other. Airlie left alone to endure the death of her son, or the witch unguarded and finally able to strike.
I was arrogant. I was confident that, if nothing else, the iron would keep her contained.
Tyton told me that she’s been using her magic, but only in exchange with the earth. She never crossed the iron bars, that he could tell, not physically or with her magic. I made every excuse, told myself that it was fine because the small patch of grass we’d found was worth the risk of the witch being unbound in the cell. She was guarded at all times, what could she do? I rationalized it until I believed it, I left the witch to rot in those cells, and now my cousin's life may be forfeit to my arrogance.
I will never forgive myself.
The trip through the fae door is slow, there’s no way to gallop through it, but the moment we make it through and the walls of Yregar are within sight, I kick Nightspark and we take off at the same breakneck pace. I’m not waiting for my cousin or the soldiers behind me, and Tauron curses as he gallops through after me, but I’m single-minded in my desperation to get back to the castle.
The soldiers are waiting for my arrival, the gates opening without me slowing my pace, and I note with approval that every male is armed and on watch. The entire area is on lockdown because of the baby, a solemn vigil as they wait for the news. It feels the same as the last time Airlie gave birth, everything except for Roan’s absence.
I can't build a funeral pyre without him here. I can't send his child to Elysium if he’s never gotten to see the baby.
The messenger said Roan was almost finished with his work at Fates Mark, but even traveling alone and at his fastest pace, he's still at least a week away. There's no chance of him arriving here in time to be with his wife, his Fates-blessed mate, to mourn their child. At best, he’ll see a small bundle of cloth on the funeral pyres, wrapped in the finest of linens by his mother as we send the baby to Elysium to join their first son.
This is going to break Airlie once and for all.
The villagers all stare as I ride past, ducking and scrambling to get away from Nightspark. I don't ease up until I reached the stables, throwing myself from the saddle and snapping to Ingor to take the reins before I storm up the staircase at the side entrance. The stable hands all scatter, cowering away from the thunderous look on my face.
As I reach the doors, Tauron and the other soldiers arrive at a gallop, my cousin cursing me all over again as he scrambles from his horse to follow me.
The castle is silent, the maids and servants going about their daily tasks in a somber dance as the mourning begins.
“You can't just charge in there like this, Soren, you need to stop and take a breath. You’ll be no help to Airlie, and she might not even want you in there. She threw Roan out three times with the last baby, what's to say she'll be any different this time?” Tauron says, his voice pitched low, but his feet never faltering as we weave our way through the castle to Airlie and Roan’s rooms.
When we reach the second flight of stairs, we find one of the maids there trembling, her hands pressed over her temples as she mutters unintelligibly. I’m striding past her without a glance when amongst the nonsense words, I hearwitch. My head snaps toward her.
One step, and I’m looming over her, my hand closing around her arm as I pull her to her feet. Her eyes are wild as she tries to scramble away from me, seeing my face only at the last second and then freezing.
“What did you just say?”
