Page 102 of Shadows of Ruin

Alone.

Lightning split the sky as we fled into the night. Into the storm. Into the unknown, lying vast and ominous before us.

“To Lana.” I clicked my tongue, urging my horse faster. “We ride to our queen.”

Chapter 29

Lana

The flames of our campfire crackled, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Raya.

She sat across from me, her eyes white, body completely still. We’d stopped an hour ago for the night, eager for sleep before the rest of our journey in the morning.

A white-hot pain raced down my spine, and I muffled a cry.

“Lana?” Kade’s urgent tone sounded in my ear, and he moved closer to my side.

I gripped my thighs, trying to breathe through the ache, but the pain disappeared within seconds.

Raya’s eyes shot open, and her body lurched forward. She placed a hand on her chest, gasping for air. Tears fell from her eyes before she blinked, taking in her surroundings.

The sadness didn’t fade from her gaze.

“Raya!” Jax sounded truly concerned for the first time since I’d met him. He kneeled next to her, resting a hand on her knee.

“What happened?” I jumped up, rattled at what could have made Raya, of all people, cry. “What did you see?”

I tried to fortify my heart, building as much protectionaround it, as I prepared for whatever she’d say. I desperately needed to know Ian was all right. I could not bear it if something happened to him. The sympathy in Raya’s gaze made meknowher news wouldn’t be good.

Raya inhaled deeply. “Change of plans,” she said. “We are going straight to Valeford.”

I frowned, looking at Kade. He tried to give me a reassuring smile, but it didn’t meet his eyes.

“What happened, Raya?” I asked a bit more sternly. My fingers curled into fists, my nails biting into my skin so hard they drew blood. A shadowy tendril stroked over my hand, begging it to loosen.

It didn’t.

Raya would need to start spilling some of the more intimate details of what she’d seen before I completely spiraled out of control.

Raya didn’t move. “Ian escaped along with some others I don’t know. They are on their way to Valeford.”

I walked over to her and kneeled, resisting the urge to mimic Jax’s touch on her leg. We weren’t that close, but I needed more information. “I know that’s not everything. I may not know you well, but I know you would not cry for no reason.”

“There were a few dangerous moments during their escape. Ian’s fine.” She refused to look me in the eye.

Irritation clawed at me. “You’re hiding something.”

“I checked in on your friend as you asked me to,Princess,” she bit back. The venom took me by surprise. Immediately, she softened. “I’m sorry, being in the minds of others isn’t easy.”

“You were out for a considerable amount of time compared to before,” I pressed. “That can’t be all. Is he all right? Who else is with him?”

“Lana,” Jax said softly.

I ignored him. My barrage of questions wouldn’t stopuntil I got answers. I watched Raya take a deliberately slow breath, as if she were calming herself.

“No, you swear to it. Right here, right now.” The anger of not knowing raged like a beast inside of me. “You tell me Ian survived and is in one piece. That my friends are okay.”

“Ian is fine,” Raya yelled. She paused, closing her eyes and taking a few measured breaths. “I swear, Ian is fine. Now, I am exhausted. I’m going to sleep, and you should too. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

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