Page 7 of On Brutal Thrones

That's what I am now.

A final crack splits through the chamber. The roots wrench apart. And suddenly, there is darkness beyond them.

Not stone. Not crystals. Open space.

A jagged doorway has been torn through the wall.

“Divines,” Fenric whispers.

The magic finally releases me, and the cave tilts sharply around me. I sway where I sit. My vision blurs and Thorian and Talon reach for me from either side, keeping me from toppling over. Through the haze, I feel Thorian's hand lift from my shoulder, and I immediately miss the steady pressure of it. He hesitates beside me before rising, then carries the torch toward the opening. Fenric's hand stays firm against my back as Thorian peers into the darkness beyond, checking whatever I've managed to uncover.

“It’s a passage,” he calls back. “Looks like it leads out of here.”

I want to say something, but forming the words requires energy I no longer possess. Relief washes through me instead, almost as overwhelming as the exhaustion. We’re getting out. All four of us. After hours of wondering whether these walls would become our tomb, we’re actually getting out.

Exhaustion pulls me sideways into Talon, and he immediately wraps an arm around me, drawing me against his chest. His cool hand settles on my shoulder, holding me steady as darkness creeps into the edges of my vision. Thorian is already checking the passage ahead, while behind me, Fenric lifts his hand from my back and rises from where he'd been kneeling.

I did it. I found a way out when we needed one, just as they’ve done for me more times than I can count. That’s what we’ve become somewhere along the way. Four people who keep finding ways to save one another.

We're getting out. Together.

Not only am I relieved we’re not going to die down here, I’m relieved they know my secret and accepted it. I’d told them the secret my mother taught me to guard with my life, and nothing between us shattered because of it.

Everything was okay.

“Who knew so much power could fit in such a little thing?”

Then, darkness.

2

Nyx

When I come to, it’s to the faint sensation of my body bouncing. Slowly, I open my eyes to a ceiling of crystals reflecting the waning light of the torch. I don’t move, content to rest against the solid chest beneath my cheek. Heat surrounds me, familiar and comforting. I don’t have to look up to know it’s Fenric carrying me. I’d recognize his warmth, his scent, anywhere.

I let my head fall to the side, feeling strangely light-headed and relaxed, and spot Thorian farther up the tunnel, leading us through the darkness. The passage slopes gradually upward, and hope stirs in my chest. Maybe we're finally getting closer to the surface.

Talon glances back at me, concern creasing his brow. His gaze moves over my face, checking me in that quiet, careful way all three of them do when they’re worried about me. When I manage a smile, some of the tension leaves his expression.

“How are you feeling?” he asks.

“Like horse shit.”

The words slip out before I can moderate them, and Talon's eyebrows shoot up before he laughs. Apparently using that much magic depleted whatever remained of my inhibitions along with my strength.

Or perhaps the Trials are finally beating all those ladylike behaviors my mother and Hilda spent years drilling into me out of my system.

“Glad to see passing out hasn't affected your charm,” Talon says.

“How long was I out?” I ask, ignoring him.

“Not long,” Fenric answers. “We've only been walking a few minutes.”

I lift my head from his chest, trying to see past the curve of the tunnel. “Did Thorian find the way outside?”

“Not yet.” Talon looks ahead as the tunnel continues upward. “But we're heading in the right direction.”

My ears pop, strengthening my hope that the surface might actually be somewhere up ahead.