Page 68 of Terragnata and the Heir of the Earth

Jana winked, as if she already knew I’d been the one to free him. “Smart girl. How’d you do it?”

“Oddly, they kept him in an above-ground cell. It was much easier to access than this one. I freed him the day I woke.”

“It’s called a spectator cell. They must have wanted him to see something.”

A slice of pain hit my chest. I looked down at the purple stone Olea insisted I put on my left hand this morning. “Cas proposed to me in front of a large group of courtiers.”

“Ah, I see.” She paused. “Do you miss him?”

I shook my head, trying to clear the tears that were forming. “I shouldn’t, I know. He lied to me, too, withheldsomuch from me. And I’ve only known him a month, such a short time compared to Cas.” I whispered the last part.

Jana considered a moment, only adrip, drip, dripechoing through the cell.“Well, it is that way for some. It wasn’t like that for Reece and me. Our love was a smolder that burned for a long while until my eyes opened to it. But for Viturius and Neferti, it was like two waves crashing into each other. It doesn’t always take time for great swells to build, only the right conditions.”

I closed my eyes, numb from the overwhelming amount of information. “He said something to Cas, when they talked of thebinding. He said that I had taken something from him. What did he mean?”

“Terra, you must understand, Ezren has been a warrior his whole life, one of the best in history. He grew even fiercer on the battlefield once he lost his wife. It has been his identity, his release. But now, well, I imagine he will think twice before risking his life ever again. Now, he will always be risking yours. Any injury he ever sustains will be one you not only feel but could die from.”

I stroked the bruises that formed on my throat. “And he feels every injury of mine, even a stubbed toe?”

Jana eyed my neck but didn’t mention it. “Perhaps not astubbedtoe, but every injury that requires significant healing, like a broken toe, sure.”

Something sharp twisted in my chest. “I need to go. I’ve been away a while now. Should I come back here? To free you?”

She shuffled over, and reached through the cell bars, her cold hand grasping mine. “No, I have accepted my fate. Ezren offered to release me when he came for Dane and the others, but I asked him to leave me here. I hoped you’d seek me out, that I would get the chance to explain everything. I amsoglad you came, Terra.” She shook her head almost imperceptibly. “My beautiful niece. You remind me of her, you know. The best parts.”

I squeezed her fingers in farewell and turned to go, but hesitated. “What happened to Reece?”

“She died nine years ago. We were blessed with a decade of freedom together. While I can’t say I live without regret, I will always be grateful for the time we shared.”

I stared at her a moment, memorizing the lines of her face. “Goodbye, aunt,” I said, wondering if it would be the last time I’d see her—if she would end up like the dusty corpses that dwelled in the neighboring cells.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

GOLDEN HOPE

Olea waited by the passage entryway, staring through a pane window at an off-duty guard exercising. I was confident she hadn’t moved a muscle in the time I was gone; she couldn’t look away from the same handsome soldier that stood outside Gia’s door days before.

She led me through the kitchen and out to the stables. Cas stood next to two large Andalusian geldings, their coats a watercolor of creamy gray tones adorned with warm brown manes. Despite the potential distraction, I floated back to our conversation the prior afternoon. Swallowing, I approached him.

Cas’s black hair swayed around him in the mid-morning breeze. “Good morning, Terra,” he said, his voice soft and cheery.

I eyed the prince and the steeds that flanked him. “Good morning, Your Highness.”

He grimaced at the coolness in my voice. “Are you feeling better?”

I tilted my head in confusion, but then recalled the excuse for my absence at last night’s banquet. “Oh, yes, thank you for asking. I am.”

He stepped closer until we were inches apart, bent his head a little, and took one small inhale. He retreated, his eyes sparkling. “You don’t smell like a female bleeding.”

I scoffed. “Well, you’re mistaken.”

“An exceptional nose is one of several gifts from my bloodline. I am never wrong when it comes to scent.” With that, he winked and then cocked his head to the side, his eyes catching on the bruises circling my throat.

“Those marks on your neck. It looks like someone choked you,” he said, his voice low.

I shrugged. “I had a run-in with a certain blonde lover of yours,” I said casually. He narrowed his eyes, and I laughed, the sound pitching too high to be genuine. “Oh, so sorry, I forgot there’s more than one! The male.”

“Is that true?” Cas asked.

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