Page 146 of Once the Skies Fade

“Don’t look so happy to be alive,” Isa joked, though there was an empty shakiness to her tone.

“What’s wrong?” My weak voice was further strained as I tried to push myself up onto my elbows.

My friend shifted forward to help me. “Steady, Calla,” she warned. “Let me help.” Before I could protest, she was fetching another pillow to place behind me so I could sit back against the wall.

When I was finally settled—my breath ragged from such little exertion—I shot Isa a sharp look. “What happened? Where is he?”

Isa’s gaze plummeted to her hands, taking my heart along with it. “The dungeons.”

My shadows were out of my palms before I’d even sat up fully, but I reined them back in before they could grab Isa’s chin and force her to look at me. Slowly they settled into my lap like a guard dog reluctantly lying down by its master.

“Why?” I growled, though I knew from the regret on my friend’s face that this hadn’t been her doing.

“You’re lucky they didn’t immediately execute him, Calla.”

“Don’t make me force the words out of you, Isa, because I will. Now, speak!”

“There was no antidote left at the end of the trial,” she explained as quickly as she could in the meekest voice I’d ever heard from her. “And there was no poison left to create any more.”

“How am I alive then? What does this have to do with?—”

It wasn’t the speed with which she looked at me that stopped me mid-question, but the tears lining her eyes. Isa never cried, at least not that I could ever recall.

“You’re scaring me, Isa,” I whispered. “What happened?”

She shook her head, her lips pressing tightly together for a moment before she sucked in a deep breath and answered.

“He had poison with him, Calla. He brought it with him from Emeryn, embedded in a dagger’s blade.”

The room spun wildly as my thoughts swarmed in a confusing mess.

“Why would he have—what was he going to—it must have been for the tournament,” I concluded finally, but Isa was shaking her head again, more resolutely this time.

“He won’t tell me,” Isa said. “He refuses to talk to anyone but you.”

Chapter 64

Calla

He had poison. From Emeryn.

Isa’s words repeated on an endless loop in my head as I slowly paced up and down the rug in the solar, swirling the brandy in my crystal glass. Surprisingly enough, Isa hadn’t fought me on my demand to immediately leave the infirmary, but when she’d asked if I wanted her to come to the dungeons with me, I had declined.

As eager as I had been to see Matthias, to talk to him about this whole bond thing, I couldn’t face him yet. Not now.

Mate or not, he’d lied.

He’d pretended to care about me to—what?—get close to me? To avenge Brennan?

The bitterness of betrayal coated my tongue. I’d tried to wash it away with the Vranic, but that first sip had only reminded me of him, stoking the burning embers in my chest.

What would I say to him?

What possible excuse could he have?

What if the Durands truly believed I’d killed Brennan? Matthias had certainly been a convincing actor, pretending to understand how hard it was to lose everyone.

He’d lied.

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