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“Of course you can,” Raz said, but he didn’t turn his head fast enough to hide his eyeroll. “We need the extra horse. Torin’s coming with us.”
“Are you mad?” I snapped my mouth shut. Where else was she supposed to go? Above us, the empty city loomed; flags snapping in the wind were the only sound.
“The Oracle’s second sight doesn’t work in the tunnels. Let’s hope Corvus can’t see anything, either,” Torin explained, mounting the horse as smoothly as Zor, even in her long dress. “I’ve used them plenty of times before.”
Even Tavion looked at her, shocked.
“I’ve known Dane Montgomery longer than Julian.” Her smile widened as she reined her horse toward the entrance, the owl flapping before he settled onto her shoulder once more. “Who do you think suggested Julian join our cause? And you?”
“That fucker,” Tristan muttered, “pretended not to know a thing.” His hazel eyes burned with golden fire. “Said he would shoot Anaria. Acted like he didn’t know what any of this was about.Fucking arsehole.”
“That’s Dane,” Torin said breezily. “He always was a good actor, which is why he’s so good at what he does.”
“Which is?” Zor said icily.
“Whatever I need him to do,” the High Seer retorted, while Adele glared daggers at her back. This was going to be a fun ride.
Tavion approached his horse, paused, then heaved himself up, another one of those small, awful noises coming out of him as my heart lurched with something that felt a whole lot like worry.
He stilled, head bowed, all his weight balanced in that one stirrup, then with a hiss, threw his leg over, breathing fast as if he couldn’t force enough air into his lungs.
His naked torso was covered in healing scars, some of them still seeping blood, and between his shoulders, his sigil flexed when he reached for the reins, the ends of his white hair looking like they’d been dipped in blood.
“Two days to Tavion’s,” Zor muttered, and I realized he was looking at Torin. “You’re sure those fuckers can’t see us down there?”
“I’m sure,” Torin answered, but she was watching Tavion too, her milky gaze fixed on that mark on his back, her head tilted to the side, a bit too much like the Oracle for my liking.
“You’d better fucking be.” Zorander strapped a pile of torches onto the back of his saddle, then lit two more, handing one to Tristan and keeping the other.
Tristan looked back at me and winked, trailing a plume of black smoke. “I’ll lead this time; it’s not like I can get lost in there or anything.”
We filed behind him as Zor waited, torch burning brightly, before falling in behind.
Protecting us, like he always did.
“I never thought I’d be as happy to put this place to my back as I was after the last time I was here, but now…I fucking hope I never set foot on Caladrius soil again.”
A chorus of agreement came from the front, and I leaned back against Raz and closed my eyes. Gods was I so fucking tired. I still felt every wound, every gash from these past days, like they were fresh.
But I was in Raziel’s arms, and we were heading to Nightcairn Castle.
I let my eyes fall closed.
All that mattered was we were together, and we were going home.
EPILOGUE
TAVION
Even in the dark—especiallyin the dark—I was eternally conscious of how closeshewas.
I was drenched in Anaria’s amber-jasmine scent, her blood, her tears, her sweat, from where she’d half carried me down the hall, those steps. From where I’d held her in my arms for what I’d thought was the last time.
When I died, I’d take that delicious smell with me to the Great Beyond and whatever lay past those dark gates.
My head spun from blood loss and adrenaline and the sheer improbability I’d survived, because the Oracle wanted me dead.
That old crone knew something was wrong with me.
