Page 81 of Shadows of Ruin

Cassandra let him keep hold of my hand but grasped his other hand, kissing his knuckles like a reverent subject does their king. “The Fates have decreed the time has come. I can give you no more than I have right now. But know this, there is no longer a safe place for you until this ends. Not in either kingdom.”

Chapter 23

Lana

Kade hadn’t said much on our walk back to our rooms.

I hadn’t either.

He’d mentioned a meeting and said he’d return, and in less than an hour, we walked to the training ring where Jax, Storm, and Raya waited.

Apparently, when not being used by the Guardians, the others felt the training ring provided the only space away from prying eyes. Together, Kade and I recounted the very minimal interaction with Cassandra.

We quickly repeated the prophecy—well,prophecieswas more accurate, though the others knew of Kade’s already.

Raya paced across the ring, deep in concentration once we finished.

Storm put up his hands. “So what you are telling us is that not only does Kade have a prophecy, but you have one too—and they are connected?”

“It appears that way.” I sighed, wishing Ian and Kalliah were here. “Whatever the prophecies mean, Cassandra seems to believe fate is at play and the next steps are something Kade and I are supposed to do together.” I rubbed myforehead. “Even if there’s no indication of what those next steps might be.”

“Logically,” Jax started, twirling a sword in his hand and moving slowly through footwork that appeared second nature, “one would assume the ‘kingdom’s blight’ might refer to the darkness. To the dark ones?”

“That is the most logical conclusion, yes.” Kade ran his hands through his hair, clearly exasperated by the uncertainty of it all. “But how on earth are Lana and I supposed to defeat them? We don’t know how the darkness spreads or where they’re all coming from.”

Storm put his hand on Kade’s shoulder. “We will figure it out together. Just like we always have.”

Raya, who hadn’t stopped pacing, suddenly paused and pivoted toward us, her braided hair whipping around her face at the sudden change in movement. “Did anyone else feel there was something wrong with the dagger during the Blood Oath?”

We stared at her, no one responded.

Her eyes scanned each one of us. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. It’s not the same as past festivals. When it cut my hand, it didn’t feel like a normal cut. Something was not right.”

“Add it to the growing list of concerns, Raya.” Jax snickered.

“No, I felt it too,” Storm added. He ran a hand over his jaw. “I just didn’t think anything of it with everything else going on.”

“Me as well,” Kade stated, looking at Storm. “It called to the monster inside of me, bubbling at the surface. When cut, it was like he tried to take over. It took everything I had to control it.”

“So, question.” Jax paused his motions. “Is this where you tell usexactlywhat’s been going on with you?” His arms crossed over his chest.

Storm and Kade traded a glance between them. A knowing pause. Apparently, trust was going around with no reservations anymore.

“We joke about the Monster of Mysthaven, but it’s not merely a nickname,” Kade said. The weariness in his voice made me want to reach for his hand, craving the same support we’d given each other in Cassandra’s chambers. “For several years now, I have been struggling with a feeling of evil inside of me. It begs to come forward, to take over my body. A part of me feeds off the evil actions we’ve been tasked with, relishing it. The Monster of Mysthaven is more than just what my father has me do. The monster lives within me.”

He turned to me, walking closer, as he spoke.

“What you saw at the void, the explosion—that is what happens when I can no longer control it. The only times I have been able to rein in the monster without an explosion, is when—” He paused, running a hand over the back of his neck. “Is when Lana touches me. At least, that’s the only common denominator I’ve found thus far.”

He’d told me this already in the garden. Whatever took over his body hesitated with my touch. But hearing the depths of it, the certainty that I somehow helped him maintain control, stole my breath.

“He had fewer episodes in Brookmere,” Storm said, a slight hint of awe in his voice. “I thought it might be from being away from Mysthaven, but it’s been more controlled since we’ve returned too.”

Kade nodded at his friend.

“And themonsterresponded to the blade at the oath?” Raya asked.

Kade nodded again.

---