Page 37 of Tale of the Heart Queen

And that she’s planning to enjoy it.

The last coherent moments with Lor come crashing back to me in a memory that sinks in my stomach like a stone. My father thanking me for helping him and telling him where to find her. But he was lying. Trying to rip us apart. But what if she believed him?

The last thing I remember is a bright red flash. Lor’s magic? I dig further into my memory. I hear her voice, and I hear her crying. What happened?

Zerra watches me with a simpering smile as I meet her gaze.

“Did you just figure it out?” she asks, and though I’m not entirely sure what she means yet, my ribs seize with fear.

“You’re here because of your mate. She’s the one who killed you.”

CHAPTER 14

LOR

ALLUVION—THE CRYSTAL PALACE

That night, a storm rolls in. I sit on my bed, watching lightning streak across the sky and listening to water crash upon the rocks. Wind howls through the castle, like ghosts slipping through the cracks.

This feels like something unnatural. Something conjured from magic. More evidence of the land suffering and Zerra weakening, but I’m still not sure what any of it really means.

It also complicates things for me. I had planned to wait in my room until just before midnight, reasoning that most of the palace would be asleep. But the ferocity of this phenomenon means everyone is on alert. With any luck, they’ll be too focused to pay much attention to me, but I’m praying this doesn’t mean Bain will stand me up. By the time the sun rises tomorrow, it will be my final day to save Nadir.

An oily green bubble expands in my stomach at the thought. I thought I died already when I lost him once, but losing him again would turn me from a violent scream into a whisper.

When it’s close to midnight, I scoot off the bed as silently as possible and drag out the long rope made of sheets. Due to the rain and thunder, I probably don’t need to bother with stealth. It’s drowning out everything, even my thoughts, which is helpful because I might crack in two if I think too hard about any of this.

I’m wearing light grey leggings and a turquoise sleeveless top I dug out of the closet that stretches with my movements. I’m opting for bare feet since I couldn’t find anything to offer me a proper grip.

Balling the rope under one arm, I tiptoe across the room and ease open the door to my balcony. Wind and rain gust through my hair and clothing. It’s been three seconds, and I’m already soaked.

After dropping the mass on the floor, I dig out one end and secure it to the railing, my hands slick. One thing I learned from my father is how to tie a knot that becomes tighter with pressure. It’s a random memory that surfaced at the most useful time possible. I ignore the tears that blur my eyes because this is a stupid thing to cry over and I really don’t have time right now.

Once I’ve secured the sheet rope, I lean over the railing, looking down as rain drips into my eyes. Despite the tempest, the light in Coral’s tank glows softly against the night. I toss the rope over the edge and watch as it tumbles down, hoping I made it long enough. I breathe a sigh of relief when it hits the lower level with a thump.

Everything is wet and slippery, but I push myself up to straddle the railing, gripping it so tightly my hands ache. I quickly glance back at the door, but it’s inconceivable that they could hear anything over this ruckus.

Turning back, I study the churning water and jagged rocks as my stomach lurches. A loud clap of thunder booms across the sky, nearly causing me to lose my balance. My vision spins with vertigo as a cold sweat breaks out at the back of my neck.

Leaning forward, I grab my makeshift rope and heave myself off the side, clinging to it with all my strength. Using the knots I tied along its length, I ease myself down slowly, passing darkened windows and praying no one turns on a lamp to find me dangling outside their window like a fool.

Rain lashes against me, the wind buffeting me from side to side. My rope sways like a pendulum as my stomach climbs up my throat. I grip it with my hands and feet, the wet fabric starting to chafe my skin.

This reminds me all too much of the Trials, dangling on a rope over an ocean of sea monsters or maybe hugging to that narrow beam during the gauntlet, nearly falling to my death.

I shake it off. I have things to accomplish.

I don’t have time to indulge in my trauma.

Maybe I’ll have that luxury when this is over, but not today. Nadir needs me.

Mercifully, I go unnoticed as I shimmy to the bottom and drop onto the puddled balcony with a slap. Once I’m safely standing, I peer over the edge again, thankful I didn’t end up as food for the churning ocean.

The balcony sits off a small room lined with bookshelves, and I tiptoe across it and ease the door open, leaving a trail of wet footprints. I wipe them on a rug near the door before I poke my head into the quiet hallway, looking left and right, scanning for guards. If I’d had more time, I would have made an effort to understand the details of Cyan’s security, but the clock on Nadir’s life is winding down and this is yet another luxury I can’t afford.

Thankfully, they seem occupied with the storm, so maybe it did me a favor.

Recognizing the hall as the same one we walked down previously, I turn left and set off perched on my tiptoes so I don’t make a sound. Even with the storm’s cacophony, the instinct to keep quiet is impossible to ignore.