Page 36 of A Thread of Breath and Bone

I read the two new lines three times, each time my brain feeling like it could explode.

What was forged for light may yet be wielded by darkness, and love turned to ruinous will. Yet in the wake of dawn, a shadowed crown will rise—not in harmony, but in hunger. Another crown? Who? I press the heels of my palms into my eyes, breathing slowly.

“I don’t know if Anders told you, but when you were little, you two were so drawn toward each other. We thought nothing of it at the time, until one day I took the time to really watch you. You were like magnets, constantly being drawn together. You both would cry if we separated you.” He smiles faintly. “Anyway, one night I watched you both play in the garden, and he fell and scraped his knee. You cried harder than he did. When I got closer to pick him up, I was zapped. You were wrapped around him, and I wondered how you were doing that. When you looked up at me, your eyes flashed gold.”

He pauses.

“It was so strange. I felt like I had seen it somewhere, but I just put it out of my mind for so long until one night, a few months ago, at the start of the school year, it came to me in a dream. You were her.” He points to the book. “I didn’t believe it at first, and I spent the first month you were at school trying to convince myself otherwise.”

“Until Sgya happened,” I whisper as a chill runs down my spine.

He nods, pride softening his features. “Prince Anders will become king once you two are Bonded, and I won’t keep you away from him. If what this book says is accurate…” He sighs. The ‘V’ between his eyebrows deepens. “My girl, what happened at the table…will only get worse.”

Chapter 14

Raea

There are still two hours before sunset, which means we will still be on time for dinner. My mind has been preoccupied with all that my father told me and everything that has transpired. I’m not mad that he never shared the prophecy with me, but I also don’t know why he didn’t tell me when I was home last. Or even after Sgya. He’s had plenty of opportunities to do so.

The longer I’m away from Ryker, the more the sickening knot in my stomach grows. As long as I keep my guards up and Bond behind the iron wall, I feel like I can manage it. My father thinks that I have weeks at most before I'll be in too much pain.

My foot slides out from under me on the wet rock, and I almost go down, only balancing myself again at the last-minute. I need to be present, that’s why we’re out here after all.

“You okay back there?” Ciara asks.

She’s at the front as we climb the cliff face to Atlas. The sound of the falls drowns out her voice, and the mist moves in and out, shrouding her form.

“Fine,” I grumble to myself.

Kellan slows so that he’s right in front of me on the little path, which is only as wide as his shoulders, winding back and forth like a switchback up the face of the falls. The path itself is made of wet, slippery rock, making it dangerous not to pay attention.

“You okay?” he asks.

My heart clenches briefly because I should tell him that in six weeks I'll be marrying Ryker. Even if he’s somewhat accepted our relationship, he’s still going to be heartbroken.

It's hard to believe that less than a year ago, he was the man who occupied my dreams, my future. Now, I know we will always only be friends. I won’t lie and say there isn’t a part of me that isn’t sad about it, because I am, but I also know that my heart, my soul, my Bond…it belongs to the man I’m fated to be with.

His brow lifts when I don’t answer.

“Okay?” A disbelieving laugh escapes me. “Kellan, the Veil is gone, Kuron was murdered, and I feel like I can’t stop to even process that grief long enough because I have to focus on training a magic that I have no idea how to access or use, and said magic is supposed to somehow save our entire system from an unknown enemy that may or may not exist. On top of all that, Ryker is on Malaya, and I’m here, and it’s his birthday tomorrow, and no, I’m not okay!” My chest heaves from the growing panic and irritation.

Kellan wraps an arm around me, pulling me into him. “It’s going to be okay, Rae. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but nobody is going to let anything happen to you.”

I pull away. “Don’t you get it?” I gasp, my voice breaking. “I don’t care about my safety. It’s his. It's yours. It's everyone else, and everyone is unknowingly relying on me because of some prophecy from some gods and races that have no tangible existence in my life other than dictating things from before I was born. None of this is going to be okay, Kellan.”

I stomp up the path ahead of him, irritated and annoyed, but if I'm being honest, mostly at myself. “I just want some freaking silence!” I scream to nobody in particular, feeling wild and out of control. After a few silent minutes, I slow down, waiting until he’s beside me when the path widens for us both to walk side by side comfortably.

“Sorry,” I say, wrapping my hand in his.

“You know you’ve never once been honest with me this year. I think that was the first time,” he grunts.

Guilt wraps around me.

“I’ve only ever wanted to help you. I’ve tried to keep my distance, thinking that’s what you needed, but Raea, you’re falling apart,” he continues.

I exhale slowly. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I never meant to⁠—”

“I know.” He tugs on my hand as we continue up the last part of the trail. “Can we just hit a reset button? I want you to be able to tell me everything. Even if I don’t like it. I want my best friend back.”