Page 177 of Taken By Shadows

We watched as the two dark stars floated up to join the other lights. They drifted out through the open window, and I leaned into Kaed.

His heart thundered against me, and I willed mine to steady as we followed the stars until they were grains of shining sand in the sky.

Chapter fifty-five

When we returned, Gavrin was waiting for us in the foyer. It was nearly dawn, and he looked like he hadn’t slept at all.

He was alone.

“Eryk got away,” I said, reading the room.

Fear licked at the back of my neck and snaked down my spine.

Kaed’s hand brushed the back of mine.

My breathing quickened and steadied at that small gesture.

But it was enough.

Eryk wasn’t here. And Kaed was.

“He won’t have gotten far. Is Denora looking?”

Gavrin hesitated and then shook his head. “She’s been summoned to Hayden.”

The timing was strange. But there’s no way Eryk could have gotten a message to Hayden, and why would he? Kaed didn’t seem to think that Tir would start a war over faebane and choose Eryk Selldayne as his ally. And Eryk didn’t seem to even know about the faebane.

“She’s the Head Sentinel of Hayden. She answers to Tir, Kaed. Not you,” Gavrin said before pacing.

“You are one of Hayden’s sentinels.”

Gavrin scoffed a laugh. “Yes, but Tir knows I’d tell him to shove it if he tried to make me move against you. I think he assumes Denora is more loyal to her position. She has honour.” He raised his eyebrow into a peak, and his eyes glowed with roguishness.

How was he joking at a time like this?

“Denora wouldn’t betray you,” I said, without any claim to back it up.

Kaed nodded twice, as if wanting to believe me but having no grounds to do so. His hand pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought. “Whatever the summons, it doesn’t matter. We can’t stop it without inciting violence from my father. And Hart.”

Hart. His name cooled the air around it every time it was spoken.

Kaed sighed heavily. “We’ve enough to deal with in this city alone. We can’t worry about Hayden right now. I’m sure Hart will make his play known soon enough. He’s already been moving through the Corners searching for—” Kaed stopped as he looked at me.

He didn’t ask. And I didn’t offer the faebane source.

Gavrin gave a tight nod.

“Is Audrie okay?” I asked, trying to redirect the conversation away from me.

Gavrin was tense when he spoke. “With Ashen and Hael. She’s spending the night there.”

“Tomorrow,” Kaed said, as if Gavrin and I weren’t really there. “We will figure this out tomorrow. We need to speak with Huxley. I trust Celeste with my life, but her son is a wyrm that would betray her in a heartbeat if he thought it would benefit him.”

With that, Gavrin was gone.

“What about us? Me, I mean.” I scrambled to correct my assumption.

“I, for one, am going to sleep. While I still can.”