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He wanted to break us. If I let him, he would win.
I crawled closer to Thol. Asinia moved aside, and I leaned down, murmuring into his ear. “I swear to you, I will make him pay.”
Making it to my knees took everything in me. But we had work to do. My friends, my family, they were waiting. One foot, and then two. My head spun dizzily, and I was weaker than I’d ever been.
But I was on my feet.
I surveyed the others.
Demos’s gaze met mine. Pride gleamed in his eyes. He reached down and helped Asinia up. She kept her gaze on Thol, while Lorian was watching me with intent focus.
“Cavis?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
“Taking watch,” Lorian said.
All of us were covered in blood. Demos began riffling through the iron guards’ belongings for more bandages, water, food. Asinia watched him for a long moment and then did the same.
Blood covered Lorian’s shirt, and I stepped close to him, pushing it aside. The wound on his shoulder wasn’t closing the way it usually would, the fae iron around us suppressing his healing.
Rummaging through one of our packs, I found our healing supplies and bandaged him, my hands shaking.
“I’m sorry, wildcat,” he murmured.
I lifted my head. “What for?”
“For not saving him. I know you loved him.”
I stared at him. Gods, I didn’t want him to feel guilty for what had just happened. I’d seen how hard he’d tried to save Thol. “You think I…loved him?”
“Not the way you will love me,” he said, and my heart skipped a beat. Lorian arched his brow in that arrogant way I secretly adored. “But you still loved him. And I failed you.”
“You didn’t fail me, Lorian. And yes, I loved Thol. Once, I thought it was romantic love, and I was mistaken. I admired him greatly, and I wish he’d lived. But he didn’t die through anything you did.”
Lorian went still. “I know you’re not blaming yourself.”
I returned my attention to cleaning and bandaging his wound. “I’ll carry a piece of it with me. But I know who is truly responsible.”
His hands caught mine. “You bought us precious seconds at the start. You’re covered in blood.” He swiped one finger along my lip and showed it to me. “You’re so pale, I want to roar at you. You had nothing left to give, Prisca.”
My lower lip trembled. I knew I’d see that moment in my nightmares. Forever. Time crawling while Thol leaped to his death, blinded by rage.
“He was foolish,” Demos announced from where he was now leaning against the cave wall, cleaning his sword. “He wasn’t trained, and if he’d just waited, he would have watched as Lorian cut down the man responsible for killing his sister. Instead, he died for no reason.”
Asinia sucked in a ragged breath. “You’re a heartless bastard.”
Demos cut her a hard look. “Take this as a lesson. You willtrain, Asinia. Until your hands are callused and you move without thinking. Because you came close to dying yourself today. Don’t think I didn’t see it.” His gaze swept the room, and I could see the leader he’d been before Regner had imprisoned him. “There is no room for emotion in a fight.” His amber eyes met mine. “If you allow your emotions to overtake your logic, you are dead. Thol didn’t have to die today. And that’s all the more tragic. But Lorian didn’t kill him. Prisca didn’t kill him. He threw his life away.”
Demos stalked out of the cave. Asinia no longer looked like she was drowning in grief. Her face was coldly enraged. But she picked herself up off the ground and launched herself out the cave entrance after my brother.
Find a weak spot and poke at it. Perhaps it was a family trait. I would have to ask Telean.
Panic had begun burning in my chest. I hadn’t realized just what it would feel like to be completely powerless. All of us were impatient, exhausted, worn down. Thol wasdead. I had to find the hourglass. This couldn’t all be for nothing.
“We’re going to find it, wildcat.”
Lorian was watching me. I attempted a smile. “How do you know?”
“Because I’m not leaving this place until you have it.”
