Page 36 of A Fate so Cruel

It came away bloody. Soaked. A spike of adrenaline raced through his veins.Too much.There was too much.Rion forced himself to stand, then stumbled back until his body collided hard with the rough bark of a tree. He sucked in breath after breath, willing the dizziness to pass.

He’d waited too long. Rion clenched his teeth and glanced down at his abdomen again before looking away. Caol had struck true, but Rion had no way of knowing if the wounds were fatal.

He needed to get back to the cabin. Caol had supplies there, but . . . Rion doubled over again, the pain almost forcing him back to his knees.

No. It wouldn’t be enough. He needed—gods, was he actually going to die?

Rion glanced down the path that led to Nàdair.

Saoirse would help him, but was she even at the palace or was she off on another mission? Could he even make the journey?

Rion tried to breathe through the pain. It would be so much easier to succumb to it. To tilt his head back and enjoy the warm sun one last time before darkness pulled him under.

But—Rion clenched his jaw. He had to try. For Saoirse, he had to try.

Rion pushed off from the solid maple, still bracing with one hand for balance. The dizziness wasn’t fading. What were his chances?

With gritted teeth, Rion stepped, then stepped again. One foot at a time.

His pace was slow as he made his way down the trail, leaving the male who’d promised to protect him behind to be swallowed by the forest.

Caol. Caol had tried to kill him. Might have succeeded.

Maybe he’d personally known one of the younglings that had died. Maybe he’d been consoling the family all this time and that’s why he’d returned angry. Caol blamed him, just like he blamed Rion for the High Lord’s death.

Maybe he really was a curse.

He wished he’d been born normal. He wished he had friends. That his mother was still around to give him advice. He wished he’d never gotten magic at all.

As a child, he’d often feared being left magicless. He’d thought it the worst fate imaginable.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Rion stumbled and his knees barked when they hit the ground. Blood trickled down his thighs now. He was going to die right here in this forest and be forgotten by the world. Maybe Saoirse would find his rotted corpse, if the animals left anything behind. Fear jolted through him. Or maybe she’d only find a trace of his scent and his sister would be left searching for another member of their family.

Rion balled his fists. He couldn’t let that happen. Even if it took his last breath to get there, Rion would make it to the edge of Nàdair. For Saoirse.

He fought to rise. Fought against the pain and numbness settling over his body. Time warped around him. Speeding andslowing all at once. The forest faded in and out. Shadows crept through the trees.

Rion slipped through the hole in the giant redwoods. Night had fallen, or maybe he just couldn’t see anymore.

He found the marble steps of the palace. Or what looked like steps? Was this home or just another residence? An illusion? He trudged down white halls. The pain was receding. Not a good sign, but a pleasant one. His mind was clearing, too. Saoirse. He just needed to find Saoirse.

Faint voices echoed when he rounded another corner, his feet carrying him to places unknown. Then a figure emerged. And maybe it was just wishful thinking, but he could have sworn their mother’s eyes greeted him.

Rion tried to smile, just so it would be the last thing she saw.

Then he gave in. His body fell.

Darkness caught him in its warm embrace.

Darkness whispered his name, begging him to hold on.

Chapter Nine

The shadows stirred again. Rion fluttered his eyes open to stare at a familiar ceiling. He scented the room and recoiled from harsh antiseptics and blood.

The lights were off, thank the gods.

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