Page 146 of Dark Fate

My hands ball into fists, every muscle in my body coiled. I can't fucking believe it—she's buying into this crap? She's willing to gamble it all on some slim chanceAdrianisn’t lying again. But I get why she's hooked—her mother.

"We'll sort this out together,kära, without any traitors."

"Rhyland, please..." she implores. "This isn't the time to be picky about our allies."

It's my goddamn responsibility to shield her—from every fucking threat out there, and she's ready to toss caution to the wind, banking on the word of a traitor. Wordless, I turn and stride away, leavingDaniin the gloom.

Istorm into the study, each step a thunderclap against the polished floor. The others are gathered, their faces a mix of curiosity and concern. They don't know the nightmare about to unfold.

I don’t bother with formalities. My eyes sweep the room, commanding silence. I take a deep breath, the words spilling out like acid.

"We've been duped," I growl. "Adrian's been sitting on critical intel about the Soul Stone—how it’s in pieces, and Azrael's on the hunt.Dani’s mom is in literal hell withMoldy-Ass. Now it's onDanito free those damned souls. No pressure, right? Fuck."

I pour a stiff drink and toss it back, the burn searing my throat. "Amara's involved, and Azrael ran the secondDaniflashed the Atherite Stone."

The room falls silent. EvenErik's stoic face flickers with surprise.

"And you know what really fucking kills me?" I spit out. "Danithinks we should letAdrianback in and let him tag along on our quest for the Faerite Stone. After all the betrayal, she wants to hand him a shiny new star."

Lucian, the epitome of a cocky smartass, leans back in his chair. "Well, shit, I gotta say, I'm almost impressed. This whole clusterfuck is shaping up to be better than my usual Friday night entertainment. All we need now is some popcorn and a few more plot twists, and we've got ourselves a bona fide blockbuster."

Adrian's deceit sits like bile in my stomach, echoing my own torturous past. ThatDaniwould even consider trusting him again... it's a goddamn slap to the face.

A memory ofAdrian's grief over his lost family surfaces. At the time, I didn't think twice about it. But now, a new realization dawns on me, like a punch to the gut.

In all my centuries of existence, through all the battles I've fought and the horrors I've witnessed, never once did I think Adrian would be so fucking stupid, so desperate, as to fall prey to the temptation of trying to win back what he lost. Unbra, that accursed realm of shadows and despair, has been sealed off and impenetrable for as long as anyone can remember—until now. And it's all because of Dani, because of the power she holds within her, the power that could tear open the very fabric of reality and unleash untold horrors upon the world.

What if Adrian's telling the truth, and there's a slim chance that we could save those lost souls—Dani's mother—from an eternity of torment and despair? The very thought of it is enough to make my head spin, to fill me with a sickening mixture of hope and dread that churns in my gut like a writhing mass of serpents.

And yet, despite the tiny sliver of doubt that gnaws at the edges of my mind, I know one thing for certain: I can't trust Adrian, not after everything he's done, not after the way he's betrayed us repeatedly. The risk is too great, and the stakes are too high. If we're going to have any chance of stopping Moretemis and protecting the realms from his insidious grasp, we can't afford to be led astray by false promises and empty hopes.

Dani walks in, radiating confidence and sass.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't our resident paragon of virtue," Lucian chimes in. "Trouble brewing in the land of rainbows and unicorns, eh Princess?" He can't help but poke the proverbial bear, his mischievous nature compelled to fan the flames of drama.

I'm gearing up to verbally bitch-slap Lucian when Dani offers up a breezy, unfazed response. "Nope. No trouble at all."

I shoot him a glare that could freeze hell over, warning him to tread lightly. "Watch it, Lucian," I growl.

Lucian smirks. "Whoa there, easy now. I'm just calling it like I see it. There's no need to get your boxer briefs in a bunch, tough guy."

I clench my fists, fighting the urge to smack that snarky grin off his face. "Stow it, Lucian. Keep running that smart mouth, and I’ll decorate it with my fist."

Lucian lets out a low chuckle, obviously taking great pleasure in pushing my buttons. "Tsk tsk, someone's got their fangs in a twist. Is that any way to speak to your loving, supportive brother?" He shakes his head in mock disapproval, tongue clicking against his teeth. "And here I thought we were engaging in a friendly, wholesome family chat. My, how quickly the tables turn."

From his position removed from the center of the conversation, Erik's voice cuts across the room, brooking no argument. "Lucian, enough," he commands, his tone unyielding.

The smug jackass is practically begging me to deck him. I’ve got bigger problems. "Dani, if you honestly believe I'm going to—"

"Rhyland."Dani's voice cuts through my rage. "Moretemis is holding souls—my mother—hostage in Hell. Adrian can help, and we need it," she implores, her caramel eyes—swirling—pleading. "If there's a chance to save them, we must take it." She looks to everyone for approval, "All of us."

Ax, in her usual unflappable way, tilts her head. That icy stare doesn't give anything away, but she isn't dismissing the plan outright. Lucian tosses out a shrug like he couldn't give two shits. Erik's giving Dani the hard eye, sizing her up like she's some fucking riddle he can't piece together—and Faderyn? That mystical fae bastard lets out a weary sigh as if he’s had it up to here with our bullshit. "We should get our asses moving toward the Crystal Peaks," he pipes up, steering us away from this shitshow.

Danica

68

The quiet that stretches between Rhyland and me is more oppressive than the iron shackles clamped around Adrian's wrists—Rhyland, a fortress of seething anger, paces at the edge of our motley crew. Not a syllable has broken free from him since we stepped out of the portal I conjured—a forest smeared with our most recent conflict, the familiar site imprinted in my memory like a scar.

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