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I watched in silence as the mist did its work, hoping that Jax had lots of good memories to call up in the mist. I’d ask Nicolas to check on them, maybe.
“Come on, love. We need to get this one inside,” Rush said gently, holding out his hand for me to take.
I gulped as I looked at Acadian’s limp form in Kassian’s arms. He was tall enough that his arms and legs nearly dragged the ground, but so, so skinny. His hood had fallen back, showing the shock of that pale hair and skin, but his beautiful icy blue eyes were blank and staring at nothing.
“He’s...” I couldn’t finish the sentence. He wasn’t dead. The mist had left him. He couldn’t be dead.
“He’s unconscious, love. Let’s get him inside,” Rush repeated, and I nodded, cradling Cade’s head in my hands as Kas began to walk over the uneven ground.
“Your eyes match his now,” Kas said, looking down at me with a small smile. “Khione.”
“I’m not sure I want to be Khione,” I admitted quietly, even though I could feel her laughing at that, deep in my soul somewhere. I didn’t have an option.
She’d always been me.
Just in the shadows.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
KANA
It was nearly sunset the next day by the time I had a single moment to breathe.
Rush had been invaluable caring for the prisoners, slaves, and injured commoners who’d been left behind. The massive banquet hall was now set up as an infirmary, and I’d had no clue he knew so much about medical care, but I was grateful.
Kassian’s Undertow crew had rounded up so many more commoners than I’d expected already, and now that they were safe, they’d all been hard at work organizing cooking schedules and finding beds for everyone.
We’d opened up all the nobles’ empty rooms, and the palace was starting to feel like it had a purpose again beyond the senseless partying it had housed for a decade.
Some of the guards had taken the opportunity to break rank and stay behind, and I’d put them under Blaise’s charge for now, until we could take the time to assess their loyalty.
Dozens of ice wolves guarded every one of the palace doors and prowled the city, looking tirelessly for any signs of gobbelins.
I knew Luca had left with Vento and the other wolves.
Blaise had told me the news hesitantly, but in truth, I was happy for him to have this chance to get to know his people.
