Vale raked his nails across flesh. He wanted to maim. To kill.
She needs us. Our mate. Find her.
Vale tried, but between the peace inside him and the strange resistance stilling his blows, he was able to do no more than minor hits and cuts.
He was lying on something soft. The sense of peace thickened.
Until all he could think of was her.
"Mate," Vale mumbled. His voice sounded more dragon than male, laced with a low hiss.
"Yes, I know. She—" A choked sound. "She needs us.Wefucking need you. So stop this bullshit and snap out of it."
The words broke through something in Vale.
The memories of her being taken fizzled away, replaced by the stark horror of what had happened.
"No—she’s gone," Vale whispered, eyes closing.
When he opened his eyes once more, it was to find Tharen and Bastian hovering over him. Tharen’s jaw was bruised, and Bastian had deep shadows beneath his eyes.
Bastian sat back slightly, running a paler than normal, shaking hand through his tangled hair. "She was taken. You were—out of it for a few days. We kept your dragon contained on a smaller island, asleep, until you shifted, and we could bring you back here. You’ve been asleep for a few hours now. We were waiting for you to awaken so we could talk, but we didn’t…" he trailed off.
"We didn’t fucking expect you to try and kill us." Vitriol dripped from Tharen’s words.
"I need to sit up—I need…" Vale was still out of it. The peace inside him was dazing.
Tharen helped Vale sit up until he rested against the headboard.
The room was wrecked—a shattered mirror, blood dripping from the cracked edges, and the curtains were torn, revealing thecalmandsunnyscenery of the Isles beyond.
The serenity made Vale break.
"It’s not raining," Vale choked out. He pressed his fist against his mouth. His knuckles were split, rings cutting into the flesh on his hands.
Bastian made a strangled sound. "It stopped yesterday. The sea level rose at the outer Isles. The Fallen have had to vacate and move further in. Queen Samil is hosting trusted Fallen at her castle in the spare rooms. Soro and Sorill have moved into Sora’s home for the time being to free up space." Bastian’s shaking hands tangled in the sheets by Vale’s hip, and it was at that moment Vale realized he was nude—he didn’t care. It didn’t matter. Nothing did. "We’re the only ones here at Graves’s home, still. Just the—it’s the five of us."
"Well, that’s not entirely true. Graves allowed Merath and Emarelia to stay here, but they left yesterday to help clean up some of the islands," Bastian continued.
A soft noise alerted Vale to a presence, as that damned feline hopped up on the edge of the bed. Her golden eyes were wide as she rubbed against Tharen’s side. Bastian moved out of her way. Vale assumed Tharen’s wolves were safe. The Prima would be inconsolable otherwise.
"How bad is it?" Vale asked. He tried to infuse strength into his voice. He was their King. He was needed. He couldn’t succumb to his emotions now; though, the thought was tempting.
Luellaneeded him.
His dragon prowled inside him, restless.Mate.
"It’s bad," Tharen revealed. "Not as bad as what happened in Serpentis, but between the Umbra"—his tone turned fierce—"and the storms, it will take time for everything to return to the way it was before we arrived."
"It’s not our fault," said Bastian, but his words held no passion. "The fault lies solely with the Tenebrae."
"Not our fucking fault? The Isles have been at peace since the attack that left Graves’s father dead. Then we show up, andthishappened," Tharen snarled. "It’s all our fault."
Bastian made to object, but Vale sat up, angry.
Vale grabbed Tharen’s wrist, forcing his ice-like eyes to his. It was an effort to keep his dragon from rising to the surface and burning the mage for speaking ill of their mate, for placing blame on her. He knew his eyes had turned slitted.
"Luella can never hear you say that.Ever," Vale ordered. "You will take that thought to your grave. The blame is the Tenebrae’s, the Umbra’s, even ours—but never hers. When we took her from her home in Solis, we took on the responsibility of her. She is our charge, in our care. If you do not agree, if youwish to relinquish your rights and your claim on her, then do so now, but I will never." Smoke curled from his nostrils. "I will take the blame for everything she has done and everything she will do. It is my fault alone. I will bear it all so she does not have to."
