“It’s bad,” is all I said. “Really fucking bad.”
Alois laughed humorously. “Yes, I expected that.”
I hummed as Faylinn drew a few runes on Ellowyn’s skin using her own blood.
“What’s she doing?” I finally asked.
“Waking Ellowyn. I can’t leave her to debrief with you without knowing she’s not...gone,” his voice was oddly sentimental, and I frowned slightly.
Weird. This whole thing is weird.
“Very well,” I said, some of my residual anger and frustration with Faylinn bubbling to the surface as I watched her work. “As long as she isn’t forced into some sort of Bond,” I said loud enough for Faylinn to hear, and I saw her pause in her work before shaking her head slightly and returning to her task.
She won’t even look at me. Can I even look at her?My anger dissipated for a moment when the rebels attacked, only wanting her to be safe. But now that the threat had passed, I felt my earlier ire returning.
I combed a hand through my hair before throwing back the rest of my whiskey and slamming the glass on the table.
“I’ll go find Lex,” I growled before striding from the room.
Faylinn was brought here for one purpose, apparently, and it was growing more apparent that Alois’ intentions did not align with my own.
That was fine, it was his decision at the end of the day. But that didn’t mean I had to like it, and I sure as fuck didn’t have to watch it.
Chapter 66
Ellowyn
Cracked landscape.
A storm overhead.
Lightning flashing, and the rumble of thunder.
Screams.
So many screams.
Were those my screams?
Winds whipping, the sky darker than ever.
A face with enchanting eyes and beautiful sun-kissed hair.
I knew him.
His mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear him over the blood pounding in my ears and the raging storm.
I hated him, just like Peytor hated me.
“Use me, let me fill you,” a voice whispered, but I heard it clearly above the racket in my head.
I closed my eyes, blocking my sight from the one person who ignored my pleas for help, and let the voice fill me.
A familiar feeling pooled in my chest before spilling out into my hands and up my arms. I smelled the acrid scent of smoke and breathed deep, letting the embers burnmy nostrils.
There was no more noise now. Only peace. Only calm. But there was a storm raging just underneath my skin. A storm that matched the tempest outside.
I opened my eyes only to be met with the panicked expression of Torin.
