Page 83 of The Storm of the Empire

I closed in, leaning over Kol’s thin frame to get some sense of what we were dealing with. I held a hand over the ink on his neck and swore under my breath. There was definitely a signature of storm dragon lightning in the skin there.

“It’s the same magic.” I said, knowing I was breaking Nyx’s heart even further and it killed me. Whoever was using our magic in this way had to be stopped.

“So what does this mean? Will I ever be able to feel him again?” Nyx asked, desperation leaking into his tone.

Kiera placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “One step at a time. He’s here. The Goddess returned him to us. Let us have hope and trust She has a plan for him.”

Nyx took up his hand and squeezed. “I just wish I’d known. I should have searched harder.”

“We all believed him dead, brother,” Jaxus said.

“What has he endured?” Nyx asked no one in particular. “And I left him there.”

No one knew what to say, so we kept silent.

“He knew then that something bad was going to happen to him. I felt it. It was like he had a foreboding feeling before he left. I should have stopped him.”

“It wasn’t your call back then,” Zaria comforted him.

Nyx growled. “No, it was Octavian’s, and look what a monster he turned out to be.”

No one had anything to say on the matter of Octavian. A thousand lifetimes could pass, and we would never understand what drove that creature.

“I just wish I knew what was going through Kol’s head before he left.”

“Nyx,” Zaria whispered.

“Hmm?” He barely looked at her. He’d changed so much in a day, it was almost unbelievable. If I didn’t know their bond had been severed, I would have thought Kol was bleeding his life force away.

“Kol wrote you a letter before he left. He gave it to me to keep safe, in case?—”

“What?” Nyx snatched his eyes away from his brother to stare at Zaria.

Zaria rubbed her forehead, tears filling her eyes. “I’m sorry. But so much happened right after that, it never re-entered my head. Then I found it not long ago, and I thought about giving it to you, but your mind was just starting to heal.” She sobbed.

He turned on her, and I worried it was going to be with rage, but there were tears in his eyes.

“I’m so sorry. Will you ever be able to forgive me?” She shook as she tried to get a breath.

He cupped Zaria’s face and pressed his forehead to hers. “Always, Sol. You did the right thing. I wasn’t strong enough then…but do you think I should read it now?” His voice was barely audible.

“It might give you some idea of where his head was. It might help.”

“Let me have it,” he said softly.

Zaria made to stand. “I’ll go and get it.”

Luka stood. “No, tell me where it is, and I’ll get it for you.”

Kiera busied herself while we waited for Luka to return, checking all Kol’s vitals and administering several doses of various treatments. She checked and rechecked the stones placed around his bed for healing and made notes on Kol’s progress. It was reassuring to watch her work. Kol was in the best possible hands.

When Luka came back through the door clutching the letter, we all exchanged looks and silently agreed we should leave them.

“We’ll give you two a moment,” Kiera said.

“No,” Nyx insisted, staring at the unopened letter. “Please stay.”

Uneasily, we watched him open the letter and scan Kol’s familiar handwriting. Then, surprising us all, he read aloud.

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