Page 86 of Shadows of Ruin

“No harm will come to her at my hands. Or from my friends, who apparently are your friends as well. I can’t tell you anything in case that freakishly gangly man manages to break into your mind, but she’s with people who care about her.”

Not likely,I said, but some of my apprehension for her safety dissipated at her words anyway.I don’t trust you. You better be right about Lan though. She needs to get to Valeford. I’ll meet her there somehow. I will break free. She has to get there as soon as she can.

“She’s not going anywhere right now.”

I reminded myself there was reason enough not to trust this Raya woman. If Lana didn’t have the freedom to go where she pleased, how could she be safe?

This isn’t up for discussion. There’s something she needs to do for whatever is to come. Get her to Valeford, Raya, and pray nothing happens to her until I arrive.

“I won’t tell her what’s happening to you,”Raya whispered.

Good. Now get out of my head.

“Ian—”

Gathering my last ounce of strength, I shoved her out. Somehow cutting off her access to my mind. I prayed I hadn’t just fallen for one of Andras’s tricks, an illusion of a friend in a time of need. However, if other Fae were also gifted with mind magic, it was far from comforting knowing they could gain access to my mind so easily.

My body shook violently, out of control. Hopefully, I’d make it through the night.

No, Iwouldlast the night. I had no choice. Lana would get the message about Valeford.

Together, we’d find what she needed to take back her kingdom.

As my eyes closed, I heard a faint whimper, and a cold, wet nose pressed against my cheek. “Good boy,” I whispered, hoping it was Lucien, even if I couldn’t open my eyes to see him. “She’s safe. She’s safe and we’re going to go to her soon. I swear it.”

Chapter 25

Lana

Sleep eluded me.

I lay under the soft black velvet covers of this too large bed as my mind raced. Tossing and turning, unable to shut down my body or the thoughts whirling in my mind after today’s revelations.

My body remained stuck in the moment of pure dread from when Raya had screamed, finally conscious again after what felt like an eternity.

She’d been hesitant to tell me anything, but her reservations revealed enough. My best friend had not escaped the dungeons, which could only mean he was being tortured. The pained look on her face told me everything I needed to know, for I’d spent too many nights down there to think Andras would change his ways now.

She’d described the strange magic she sensed being used against Ian. Kade immediately thought it sounded like Andras had attempted to infect Ian with the same substance felt on the blades at the Blood Oath. Though understanding what the poison did remained a mystery. Everyone here felt fine.

But this meant both kingdoms were under attack from the same evil. However, Brookmere didn’t even know Mysthavenexisted, so it made little sense to be facing the same dangers or using the same methods of spreading evil.

I turned over, curling myself in a ball as my throat constricted. I hadn’t thought there were any tears left after realizing Ian remained trapped. Tears didn’t do Ian any good though. I needed anger.

I would fight until my dying breath to save him. I would kill Andras. Slowly.

However, there was one good thing that had come from Raya’s vision. Kade took one look at how my knees buckled following that news, sending me to the training ring floor, and immediately decided we’d all return to Brookmere.

Despite needing me here, and Cassandra’s assignment to solve our prophecies, he agreed to go back. For me.

I didn’t know how to process that on top of everything else.

His command led to brainstorming how we could possibly get away from the castle without causing alarm or notice.

Taking me by surprise again at her generosity and willingness to risk herself, Raya offered to try to plant the idea of a traitor into the king’s mind. One on the outskirts of Mysthaven, in hopes the king would call upon Kade to dispose of him, putting us near the void and buying us time to move into Brookmere.

It was risky, too risky. But what other choice did we have at this point? I had to get back home, and I needed Kade to be able to cross the void.

Kade.

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