Was Hael’s fate already decided? Was I really going to betray him and let Dahes use him to kill Elion? I had no problem with Elion dying after this morning, but to have Dahes rule over everything, to have him own the drakins, had my skin crawling. He was already too powerful, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the catastrophic consequences that would unfold.
But the triplets said that fate was always moving, that they couldn’t accurately predict the future with too many variables.
Maybe I was the variable. Maybe I had a choice. Maybe I didn’t have to betray Hael.
As soon as the thought came to me, blue eyes flashed in my mind. A memory so long ago, it was fading. I couldn’t get his coloring right. I couldn’t remember if there was more gray or blue. I knew he had a tiny speck of green, but was it on his left or right eye?
I didn’t have a choice because ofhim. Masin was my weakness. The obvious fracture in my armor, practically screaming to the world that I’d do anything to protect him—Ihadalready done everything. I sold my soul to the damn devil, and I couldn’t take it back now.
I forced myself to look around the room, not wanting to think about my past anymore. It hurt too much.
There was a throne on top of the dais that Elion had been loungingon for the past hour. Hael was now standing to the right of him, and Cash had walked up the steps to his left.
I kept watching Hael as he talked with the king. He wasn’t looking at me now, so I took the opportunity to openly stare, taking him in. I turned my head and noticed green eyes on me. Cash smirked.
I quickly looked away and started beelining toward one of the tables with food, suddenly wanting another drink.
“Evening, convict.”
I whirled, finding Cash standing right in front me. My gaze snapped to the dais—now finding the left spot empty next to the king, but Hael was still there.
My eyes widened as I tried to compose myself. I didn’t even have time to exchange my empty glass for a new one. I maybe made it two steps before Cash was behind me.
“One night spent with Arrik and you already forgot about my Token?” he smirked as he took in my open mouth.
I snapped it shut, instantly feeling my muscles stiffen as I found myself clutching the empty glass tighter.
He was the reason Hael had his back cut open this morning. He told Elion where he had taken me.
My gaze flicked to the dais again without meaning to. Hael was staring at me now, even as Elion was still talking.
“Makes it hard for people to run away from me,” Cash continued, taking another step closer to me. “Even if they use a drakin to do it, my teleportation is faster.”
I glared at him, my eyes narrowing, before I turned back around, walking toward the refreshment table to the right of the room.
I needed another drink.Now.
“You bailed on us. Missed a fun night,” he said, keeping pace by my side.
“And you made sure to tell the king,” I spat.
He smirked. “Hit a nerve, did I? Didn’t think you’d care what happens to him.”
To my mortification, Cash turned to gesture toward Hael on the dais—and Hael—looking directly at us, saw. His eyes were narrowed,but beyond that, his posture was straight, rigid—a perfect obedient soldier. I would have had no idea what happened to him this morning if I hadn’t seen it.
“Your king threatened me with the same punishment.” I tried my best to keep my voice neutral as I replaced my glass, even though all I wanted to do was scream at him.
Cash kept smiling, running his hand through his blonde streaks. “I knew Elion wouldn’t punish you from a first offense,” he continued. “But Hael knew exactly what he was doing by bringing you there.”
“What is this? You justifying your actions?”
“Nah.” I hated that he kept grinning, like we were discussing something happy instead of literal torture. “You’d have to be guilty to want to justify anything.”
“Leave me alone,” I snapped, my normally willed patience completely gone. He told Elion knowing exactly what would happen to Hael. I picked up on the fact that they hated each other, but to purposely cause someone to get tortured was something else entirely.
“You might have run away from Moriann,” he leaned down to whisper in my ear, his voice lowering as his breath hit my neck, “but you can’t run away from me, convict. Don’t ever leave my training again.”
Before I could answer, Cash used his Token and teleported back to his spot on the dais. It wasn’t a blur of motion, but rather a blink. One moment, he was standing directly in front of me, and the next he was somewhere else.
