Page 59 of A World of Ruins

My eyes narrow, a sense of disconcerting reality becomes apparent and the gravity of my realisation presses down on my chest. I whisper, ‘He threatened you, didn’t he? Aurum?’

He must have threatened so many lives because that is him.Thatis Aurum.

Ruvyn’s head dips and at last he sighs. ‘He saw I hesitated when you last came.’ The quiet pain in his voice is a sharp sting to my heart. He snaps his gaze up at me. ‘He will kill my mother if I defy him.’

The thought of Aurum ruining so many lives has my chest caving in. He is using so many people, so many innocent lives and turning them against everyone else.

‘I can protect her,’ I quickly say, but he looks like he is about to protest. ‘Arlayna and Faye would—’ A rough hand clamps on to my shoulder, jerking me away from Ruvyn.

‘Move,’ the Elf orders, and I glance at a conflicted Ruvyn. ‘You’re relieved of your post, Ferncrest. Report back to Aurum.’ With a forceful shove, I’m pushed ahead as I look over my shoulder and Ruvyn hesitates to leave his position.

If I can just get him on my side—

My thoughts are pulverised into dust once we stop by a secluded area of the dungeons and I recognise the same set of iron gates where I killed that Ardenti . . . where Darius had been locked up after his capture.

The lever is pulled and I shake my head, watching the door lift before I’m shoved inside. I hear the heavy sound of the doors closing behind me with a clang, sealing me within the confines of my very nightmare.

As my eyes adjust to the large cell, I see him. Darius. He stands at the other end, his eyes meeting mine with concern.

‘Darius.’ I call out his name in a soft embrace as I take steps towards him. I’m ready to collapse in his arms and stay there for eternity, but all I can think as we walk towards each other is if he will forget me again. If this isn’t real, and that none of it ever was . . .

He captures me in his embrace, the force of me rushing into him slamming against his chest. The side of my head lies against him, and I let out a relieved breath. ‘Goldie,’ he says into my hair and pulls back. His hands, which had held my waist, now trace a path across my shoulders before framing my face as his eyes sweep over me in an intense search. ‘Did he hurt you?’

I shake my head.

‘Nara,’ he says my name with urgency like he doesn’t believe me, but I cut him off with a cocked brow.

‘Iwas the one who tried to hurt him.’

He stares at me then, unable to help the proud smile forming on his lips as he embraces me again. ‘I just wanted to be sure,’ he whispers, and I nod against him in reassurance. ‘Is Tibith—’

‘He is safe,’ I say, not to worry him, though I still can’t help doing so myself.

At that moment, the doors slide open. Darius and I turn in time to witness a stumbling figure being pushed onto the floor before the gate is closed back up again.

‘Gus,’ I whisper, rushing over to help him.

He grabs on to my hand and then gets up on his knees. ‘I don’t have long.’ Blood coats the side of his face, some of it fresh and trickling down from his forehead. ‘Aurum conceded to my wishes of speaking with you both—’

‘If it’s advice you’re going to give us, you should have stayed in your cell.’

There it is. The cold tone – empty and dull at the same time – coming from Darius.

I cast a glance behind me. Darius is in the same spot as I was before, his golden eyes darkening with anger towards Gus.

‘I . . . I understand how much you must hate me right now,’ Gus says, no longer needing my aid to stand. He takes a deep breath. ‘But if we are to survive—’

‘I’ve survived a lot without you before. Why would I need your help now?’

‘Darius,’ I say softly, coaxing him to listen. ‘We need him.’

When Darius looks at me, he seems to relax. The harshness in his expression fades into something tender.

‘I never meant to hurt you.’ Gus limps forward, his voice pleading. ‘I loved you and your mother so much.’

The moment Gus utters those words, Darius reverts to his stoic demeanour before meeting Gus’s eyes. His shoulders tense, the veins on his forearms pulsating as he clenches his fists. ‘Hurt me?’ His tone freezes the room, and then a biting laugh escapeshis lips. ‘No, hurting me would be if you had stayed with us and then left. Butyou. . . ’ He points at Gus, shaking his finger up and down. ‘You left us long before that, didn’t you?’

‘It wasn’t like that.’

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