Page 133 of The Sacred and the Tormented

“Upstairs and uncuffed,” Raevina said, staring at Talon in disapproval.

Talon nearly growled. “I am not putting her in chains after everything she just went through.”

“So you’ll have her wake up and put us all in danger? What if she escapes and runs right back to Vairik? You think he wouldn’t make her do worse things?”

“She’s my future High Lady.”

“Who attacked your queen,” Raevina shot back. “You need to think carefully where your loyalties lie and stop letting emotions get in the way.”

“At least one of us are capable of emotions,” he snapped.

Raevina’s eyes darkened. “You’re acting like a child.”

Talon’s fists clenched, but Saoirse interrupted. “I think that’s enough. We’re all tired and arguing isn’t going to get us anywhere. The fact remains that Evelyn killed someone close to her and attacked Arianna. She should have restraints until we can assess whether or not she’s in her right mind.”

Raevina turned away, crossing the room to sit across from Saoirse. Half a second later she waved a hand at the fireplace and a flame ignited there. Talon wasn’t sure whether the female were actually cold or just wanted to watch it as a distraction.

Talon’s jaw worked. “We need to get back to Levea as fast as we can and warn Avalon.”

Saoirse nodded. “He’ll likely hear about it before we can get there, but he needs to know everything else too. I need to inform my brother as well.”

“You said Levea?” the female questioned. Talon had nearly forgotten they were there, but he looked at her now and studied the way her heartbeat had quickened.

“Yes,” Talon said, hoping she wasn’t about to ask to come with them. He had enough to worry about without throwing twocivilians in the mix, though if Vairik went on a rampage, Talon wasn’t sure it was safe to leave them either.

“You can’t go to Levea,” the male finally said. The female ducked her head and turned away.

“What do you mean?” Saoirse asked.

“Levea was attacked two days ago.”

Dread washed through him. “By whom?”

“The High Lord. He took his armies there. The dark creatures too.”

“How do you know this?” Saoirse asked.

“People talk in the towns and news travels fast,” the male said. “And we all watched as his armies and those filthy abominations marched out of Ashling. It’s why we came here. He declared war on Móirín and we were afraid—” he wrapped one arm around his partner.

“Then we go to the rebels for help,” Saoirse said. “Conall might be gone, but he said there were people stationed at other locations too. Cara and Sive will know how to reach them.”

The female took a single step forward. “You don’t understand,” she said, her voice shaking. “Levea … is gone.”

Chapter Forty-Six

Arianna

Arianna woke in a warm bed with a heavy blanket draped across her torso. Her chest hurt, throbbing as though something had pierced her heart. She sat up slowly, her back aching from a wound she couldn’t remember.

The room was strange yet comforting. A chair sat beside her bed with a blanket laid over the armrest as if someone had been sleeping there. She sniffed the air around it, but didn’t recognize the spicy scent.

Her gaze shifted to the wooden table at the bedside. A glass of water rested on top, condensation rolling down the sides. Arianna didn’t dare reach for it. Pictures hung from the walls depicting images of the forest and the various animals within.

She was definitely in somebody’s home, but at least she wasn’t nursing a nearly fatal wound this time.

Arianna prodded the tender area on the back of her head and neck. No broken skin or lumps, which meant someone had likely been using runes to treat her. Zylah? Sive? Were they back in the rebel’s camp?

Images of the last few days came rushing back. She remembered being chained to a table. She remembered escaping and finding Ellie with Vairik. But the rest—Arianna cradled her head. Had they gotten Ellie out? Had they killed Vairik, or—or was she still at his mercy?

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