Page 115 of Shadows of Ruin

“Oh Jax.” I brought a hand to his arm.

He smiled softly. “He refused to move anything in the house. He stopped working, started drinking. The grief consumed him. So much so that a year later, he dropped me at the palace gates to be taken in as a Guardian, sort of like Raya. He couldn’t bear the sight of me, because it reminded him of his failure to protect her.”

I squeezed his arm.

“The guilt he felt for not being home, for leaving my mother there alone—it was too much. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t his fault, he held on to the blame and never moved past it. I haven’t seen or heard from him since. But as someone who has seen what guilt and grief can do together, perhaps the king couldn’t do any more than leave this place alone. If I had to guess, I would say he loved his sister very much and never quite came to terms with her death.”

“The man knows,” I said. “The one who led us here. That’s what he meant by preserving their life.”

“I have a feeling you’ll be the one to do just that. In more ways than simply fixing up a home, Lana.” He didn’t say any more, but walked away, back toward where Hale and Corbin stood.

I held my palm to the wall. “I will make your deaths,allof your deaths, count. Andras and the darkness will not win. I will be the queen the four of you raised me to be.”

The small cottage didn’t take long to walk through. A small library alcove, a dining room table, the kitchen area, a sitting room, and two bedrooms made up the entirety of the home. Imagining what it looked like originally remained difficult, and didn’t give me much of a picture of the lives my real parents led.

I climbed a small set of stairs leading to two bedrooms. Corbin stood in the doorway of the smaller room.

“I found this,” Corbin says quietly. “I think you should take it with you.”

He handed me a small folded-up piece of paper, and I looked at him quizzically, furrowing my brows. All he gave me was a soft smile in return. I gently unfolded the paper and gasped when I saw its contents.

I stared down at a painting of my mother and father, holding a baby. Holdingme. My knees wobbled, threatening to give out.

I held the painting to my chest, taking measured breaths.

“Thank you, Corbin. Just…thank you.” It was all I could get out without completely losing it. I wrapped him in an embrace. He awkwardly patted my back. He never was one for physical touch, but especially not from his princess.

Though he hastily pulled away, a faint smile graced his lips before we returned to the others, who were waiting for me in the backyard. I had seen everything I could bear to see in this home. The thought of seeing where my parents slept. Where I slept… It would have to wait for another day.

I took one more steadying breath, determined to regain my composure and accomplish our goal here today. Ian turned as soon as I stepped outside and immediately approached, noticing my tears. I shook my head indicating I was all right.

Behind the house, a small outbuilding sat untouched, but in surprisingly good shape considering the rest of the property.

Silently, Kade’s shadows entered the outbuilding, feeling for any disturbances, and unlocked the door upon their retreat.

Everyone waited, allowing me to open the double doors.

“Fates above,” Kalliah breathed out from behind me.

Beyond the entryway lay grass trimmed to perfection. A beautiful archway of roses accented a small space with threegravestones. One for my mother and another for my father. And one for me.

The others remained silent as I stared at the etchings in the marble.

There were floral arrangements everywhere, of all colors and shapes. Magic pulsed against my skin. The area must have been warded in a way to allow it to stay in such pristine condition.

I approached reverently. Tracing the carved words of the headstones as I dropped to my knees on the small ivory runner lying between the graves. Two to my left and one to my right.

“Hi,” I whispered.

I kneeled by myself for a few minutes, until one by one my friends joined me.

“Are you ready?” Ian asked, his hand slipping into mine.

I nodded. “Ready.”

“Corbin?” Ian called. “We need to get the journal and go. Andras may have let us escape, but the last thing any of us needs is him learning of our position.”

Corbin stepped forward, followed immediately by Hale.

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