“Are you okay?”
When he doesn’t answer, I wonder if I’ve overstepped. He leans his head against the wall, and a single tear falls from his eye.
“I knew a love like that once,” he says quietly. I keep my mouth shut and wait for him to continue in his own time. “Her name was Lytia, and she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Looking at her was like looking at the moon. Her white hair stood out against her midnight skin, and her smile could bring an army to its knees.” The corner of his mouth curves slightly at the memory of her. “She was from Nazrelia, and I was from Cyron. We met when she and her mother visited Cyron when she was thirteen. Neither of us came from money, so traveling back and forth to see one another wasn’t really an option. Instead, we wrote to each other. Through those letters, I fell madly in love with her.”
I shift into a more comfortable position on the ground. The way he talks about her reminds me of how my father would speak of my mother after she had passed. I would fall asleep to his stories of her, and she would be there waiting for me in my dreams.
“Eventually, it was like fate had brought us together. We were put on the same squad when we got to the Training Sector, and everything fell into place. For the first time in my life, I was truly happy. But, as you know, the story doesn’t end there. During my third year, King Cimmerian caught wind of my progress. I didn’t know much about the king at the time, but that quickly changed.”
His hands ball into fists, and I brace myself for what he’s going to say next.
“At first, he would just have me fly to deliver messages to the other realms or territories. I wasnaïve back then. In fact, I felt honored to be of service to the king.” He huffs out a humorless laugh. “One day he ordered me to set fire to a building in one of the Infinite Sea Territories. At the time, he had told me it was going to be rebuilt but needed to be burned down first. It wasn’t until later that I found out it was a Healing House full of injured fishermen. Turns out he had ordered an attack on them at a nearby port just days before, and he needed to finish the job.”
I’m reminded of the story Damien had told me about his father warning the three Leaders of the Sea about the ambushes the king had planned even after they had agreed to a peace treaty. That would’ve been two years before this attack.
Aren’t the Great Six Realms enough for him?
“After that, I refused to follow his orders. That’s when he started using his power to take over my body. The first time, it felt like something was crawling under my skin. It feels like when you’re having a nightmare and you can’t scream or run. I was a passenger in my own body as he burned down neighborhoods, bit off the heads of innocent people, and did far worse things I’ll spare you from hearing about.”
“I can’t even imagine,” I quietly mumble.
“One night I decided I’d had enough. I had been holding out hope that I would return to Lytia, but eventually I knew I’d never see her again. I tore fabric from my shirt and used it as a noose. I suppose the spell preventing us from harming ourselves is because of me, so I’m sorry about that.” When he looks at me, I can see the sincerity in his eyes. “A guard found me before the damage was permanent.”
His gaze falls to the ground, and I realize the story is coming to an end. Pain radiates from his cell to mine, and my heart aches for him. For both of us.
“King Cimmerian wanted me to know that I would never be free. That I was under his control. He saw my attempt at taking my life as defiance, and he wanted to make sure I paid for it. The next night, he brought me to the Throne Room. Lytia was already there, chained to the king’s throne.” He swallows hard, trying to hold back the tears that I know are fighting their way to the surface. “She was covered in bruises and cuts. Her fingernails were missing, and in the middle of her chest was the Royal Insignia branded into her. It was his way of telling me he owns her. That he owns me. It wasn’t enough for him, though. It’s never enough.”
The tears finally break through. Kane pulls his knees to his chest and begins sobbing.
“You don’t need to continue,” I offer softly. “You don’t need to relive it.”
“I relive it every night.” He lifts his head, wiping away the tears. “He took over my body, and I had to watch as my own hands took her life. I’ll never be able to forget the image of the light fading from her eyes.”
“Kane, I have no words. I know there’s nothing I can say—”
“It’s okay. I’m not telling you this because I want you to feel sorry for me. I’m telling you this because if I had another chance to get her back, I would do absolutely anything and everything to do it. I would never give up, and you shouldn’t either. It’s not too late. No matter how hopeless it looks, Damien is still here. He’s still alive. And although he may be lost, he can be found again.”
Chapter 5
“Get up,” Orien orders as he unlocks my cell door.
I’m not sure how long it’s been since I fell asleep. It couldn’t have been long. I was up all night thinking about everything Slader and Kane told me. Part of me wishes I didn’t know any of it. Now, I’m more confused than I’ve ever been. There’s still a huge part of the story missing, and Slader made it clear he wasn’t going to share it with me.
When we enter the meeting room, I’m surprised to find Ryder sitting next to his father at the round table. This is the first time I’ve seen him since just after I epically failed trying to use the truth serum on him.
I know what part Damien has played in all of this, but I have yet to figure out the prince’s role. Our eyes meet, and there’s a slight flicker in his eyes. If I had to guess, it’s because I don’t look like the same girl he knew back at the Sector. This newversion of me is only the shell of the girl he had been training. I break eye contact first. Looking at him is only a reminder of how much has changed.
A moment later, Damien walks in, and my heart stutters.
Could he really still be my Damien behind the hollow mask he now wears? Could we really find our way back to the love we once knew?Tyran was able to undo Slader’s magic on me.Would he be able to do the same for Damien?
Even then, could I ever trust him again? Could I ever look at him and not see the man who betrayed me? Could we repair the parts of us that have been broken? Maybe the Night Renderer magic could be undone, but what about everything else?
Too many questions. Too many unknowns. None of it really matters if we’re still prisoners of the king.
“Let’s get down to business,” King Cimmerian begins. “General Viros may be dead, but his followers must still be dealt with.”
I suppose that answers my question about the rebel leader being part of the military. I would’ve assumed that those in the military units would be most loyal to the king, but maybe it’s the opposite, as they are the ones to see his savage ways firsthand. Just like Kane and me, they’re the ones sent to do his dirty work.
