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I raised my hands, backing up further. “You have to take me back.”
“My orders were clear. You get off here.”
“I have gold.” I sunk my hand into my pocket and pulled out a fistful of gold coins. “Take it. And take me back.” He glowered. I flung the coins at his chest, and the stubborn bastard still glowered. “You don’t understand, I have to go back.”
He lowered the sword and righted his hat. “Ain’t worth my life to go against the prince’s orders.”
He turned his back and swung himself onto the driver’s seat.
He was leaving? There was nothing here, no houses, no people. Just a few grazing animals and a whole lot of trees. “Wait… The man who gave you those orders? He wasn’t even Razak! He’s not your prince, so your orders mean nothing. I know it sounds insane—itwasinsane. But it’s true. So take me back and I’ll prove it.”
He gathered the reins.
“Stop! What am I supposed to do?”
“Ain’t my problem.” He clicked his tongue, geeing the horses on.
“You can’t leave me in the middle of nowhere!”
“Yargh!” He snapped the reins and lurched the coach forward.
“Hey!”
Clouds of dust churned in the carriage’s wake. I attempted to jog after it, but gave up when my heart and head throbbed as one.
The dust settled, the coach was long gone, and I stood alone on the road with no idea where I was. Assuming this was the border between Love and Pain, then I had one choice. Walk back into Pain or return to Love.
I turned on the spot. Behind me, the sky was dark, heavy, laden with storms. Ahead, white clouds drifted. Ahead was my home, whatever that meant now.
My heart demanded I walk back into Pain, but my head… My head knew I couldn’t do that. I had no power there. I’d been Pain’s victim since Razak had destroyed my court, and that hadn’t changed. If I went back while Lark was in chains, they’d capture me, and his sacrifice would be for nothing. As much as I hated what he’d done, and how he’d gone about it, he may have been right.
Ahead, my home waited. Ruined, desolate, but mine, nonetheless. I’d meet with Draven at the Overlook, as we’d planned. But I didn’t have Pain’s crown. I didn’t have anything to show for our efforts in the Court of Pain. Just a pocket full of gold and a hole in my heart.
I couldn’t help Lark from inside Pain. But perhaps, if there was anything left of Love, I could use it to save him. At least I’d have Draven.
“Damn you, Lark!”
The grazing animals startled and ran into the woods.
It hurt, all of it. Being here without him, when he should have been at my side. Knowing he’d pushed me away to save me. And knowing, wherever he was, he’d be hurting too.
Tears blurred my vision, put there by rage. I snarled them away, picked up the coins I’d thrown at the driver, and stomped toward Love’s blue skies. Fine then. He’d left me no choice. The shatterlands and their courts be damned. I’d always save Lark before I saved the world, because this world wasn’t worth saving without him in it.
* * *
I walkeduntil stumbling into a nameless little town. Its market and farming people were so far removed from my court they didn’t recognize me, or the white and gold jacket. Nobody asked why I happened to be dressed half like a noble and half like a vagrant in trousers that didn’t quite fit, probably assuming I was a lord who’d been robbed on the road. I looked like one, with my bruised, unshaven face. After renting a room at the inn, I visited a small clothing store, one of several little stores along the narrow, winding main street.
The owner helped pick out clothes more suitable for traveling and less likely to mark me as being wealthy enough to rob.
I’d expected to feel some regret as I handed over the princely coat as partial payment, but I mostly felt relief.
“Er, sir? There’s some letters, ’ere.” The store owner handed them back. “Looks important. Don’t want to forget ’em.”
“Thank you.” I left the store and glanced at the documents as I stepped into the street.
The topmost letter bore the wordsDear Razakin swirling penmanship.
Ice water spilled down my spine, as though the rotten prince was here, watching. I glanced about, checking nobody had seen, and tucked the papers into my new coat. Lark had said something about documents, but I hadn’t thought to check all my coat’s pockets—just the one I’d caught him with his hand in.
