Page 4 of A Thread of Breath and Bone

I spot Mera first. She sits with Aza on the floor, who tends to a bleeding Zhel who has a deep cut from one of the talons down her left bicep, but otherwise looks unscathed. Aza has a large bump on her head, and when she turns, I notice a black eye. Mera catches my gaze and offers a small, reassuring smile. She too is covered in blood, but I realize it isn’t hers.

Bo stands over the bed in the last bay, his jaw tense. When I approach, I notice Leif. Six perfect claw lines gouged deep into his chest. Leif is alive, but every breath is shallow.

“Is he sedated?” I ask.

Bo sighs, rubbing a hand over his stubble. “For now. Thank you, Princess.”

I nod and venture to the next bed, where one of the maids lies. A row of those razor-sharp teeth has taken a chunk of her neck.

I turn, find a waste basket, and vomit.

I can taste and smell the tangy iron of blood in the air, mixed with the demons’ acrid, rotten scent. I realize I am covered in both, but seeing her wounds…

Anneli appears beside me with a warm towel and some water. “Princess Raea,” she says softly. “Please, let me help get you cleaned up.”

My gaze settles on her. She is unscathed, smiling, her long red hair matted, but I can see faint traces of tears that have since dried. Her clothing is rumpled and blood-stained at the hem.

I need what she is offering, so I throw my arms around her and thank her. Not for me, but for her bringing a calming presence to everyone else here.

She hesitates a moment before wrapping her arms around me.

After a hug we both desperately need, I ask her to put me to work and not worry about me. After I see everyone, bandage wounds, and help one of the guards with more water bags, Ryker finds me.

“Soraea,” Ryker says, approaching me. His eyes track down to my wounds, bandaged now, before they lift again. “C’mon.”

I can’t tell if he is upset about my wounds, or angry with me. He leads me to my room upstairs in the royal suite, and when the door clicks shut, he tears away what remains of my gown. The fabric crumples to the floor, leaving me in my underthings and corset.

He taps on the black material. “This thing has saved your life.” He frowns. “I might agree with your parents. Though I would prefer a whole body cast.” Ryker’s gaze lifts to mine, and he smiles.

The whoosh of air that leaves me turns into a soft laugh.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, his hand cupping my cheek as I lean into it. “I couldn’t wake up, but I heard everything. I couldn’t—” An unnameable emotion crosses his features. “I couldn’t save you, couldn’t protect you, and I’m so sorry.”

I silence him with my lips, kissing him with a slow, reverent kiss. In my mind, he doesn’t need to apologize. He has done nothing wrong. I know what those shadows and mist are capable of. Together, they are a toxic combination.

He kisses me slowly, every movement lingering like it might be his last chance. And maybe he is right to do so. Either of us could have died today.

When he finally pulls back, there are tears in his eyes. “I love you, Soraea.”

I nod, bringing our foreheads together. “It might be the absolute worst time to say this, but after today, I don’t want to die having never told you that I⁠—”

His lips crash into mine, silencing me. “I know,” he whispers. “If you still want to say it later when we’ve slept and cleaned up and figured out where to go from here, say it then. But right now, emotions are high, and Raea, you don’t have to say it because I already know. I feel it, I see it, I get to experience it.”

My eyes well with tears before I kiss him again, tears falling between us as the words remain unspoken.

We find a clearing in the trees just before sunrise. With my wounds freshly bandaged and treated for infection, we all agree to set up a temporary camp.

The air here is crisp, a light wind tickling the tops of the trees, making them sway. The stars blink out one by one as the pink of dawn creeps across the sky.

None of us have acknowledged what we’re doing with the bodies of our friends yet, but I know we have to bury them. I only wish we could do it at home. It feels unfair that their loved ones will never truly know what happened to them. They’ll never have a place to visit and say their goodbyes.

There’s a cave not far from the palace island on Kyrr where we lay those closest to us to rest. Each person is placed inside a box set into the cavern walls and sealed with a nameplate. Candles and seating are scattered throughout for visitors. In the villages, they often have a plot of land designated for burial.

Here, Kuron and the others will be buried beneath these trees.

At least their view is spectacular. The water is a dark green and surrounded by lush trees and a trickling stream.

These are my people, so I take responsibility for finding their resting spots to ensure they’ll be undisturbed. My hope is that by now, they’ve all crossed into the aether—their souls having been found prepared.