Page 49 of Cages and Crowns
“And what is that?” I ask, tilting my head in confusion.
“My salvation.”
Chapter Thirty-One
The Caged
The memory barrels through me and I awake with a jolt. The sun is directly overhead and Nithe is leaning back, his eyes closed. I sit up, rubbing my eyes. Exhaustion pulls at me, beckoning to take over, but I force it down with a cough.
Evreux said I was to be his son’s salvation. Did he know of the darkness inside of him? Did he know what he was going to become?
It feels as if no time has passed before we near the edge of Rakushia. I spent most of the journey looking over my shoulder, convinced that Tobias would be sailing across the waters with an army before I eventually fell asleep. But we met no resistance as we sailed, and I don’t know why that bothers me. Shouldn’t I be grateful?
A large splash to my right interrupting the silence makes me flinch as Enzo’s head surfaces. His black hair is wet and plastered to his forehead, his smile wide and playful as he looks up at me.
“I’m going to need a very long nap after this.” He says loudly as he pulls himself into the boat, soaking me again in the process. He grabs a blanket and wipes his face before wrapping it around himself. “You can row the rest of the way.” He says as he kicks Nithe’s foot off the bench. He groans and pulls himself up, snatching the oar into his hands.
“What do you eat?” I ask, mostly wondering if he eats in his animal form.
“Food, usually. A maiden preferably.” My mouth falls open and Nithe barks out a laugh.
“I wouldn’t think Sca—" Enzo’s eyes widen and his arm whips out, hitting Nithe in the stomach and sending him tumbling over the side of the boat and into the water, the oar flying into the air.
“Enzo!” I gasp as I jump off the bench.
“Man, what the hell.” I reach my hand out to assist Nithe, but he slaps it out of the way, pulling himself in. Far off laughing has me spinning around. Soft and feminine.
A sound I know.
I squint my eyes as I look at the shore. The span of white beach belonging to Rakushia. I can just make out a few figures, one of which has long chestnut hair blowing in the wind. My pulse skips.
“Is that…” I ask as I nearly fall to my knees. Tears well up in my eyes and I grip the side of the boat.
“They have probably been waiting for us all night.” Enzo says softly.
“Oh my god.” I clamp my hand over my mouth to suppress the sob making its way up my throat.
Scarlett.Alive. Unharmed and waiting for me.
Twin, golden buns atop a female head, standing next to Scarlett.Emery. Also alive.
Someone with dark hair cropped short, tall and standing a bit farther back. He seems stoic, careful. A smaller figure holding his hand, light hair in a braid over her shoulder. My body is shaking as we grow closer, as I start to seedetails.
It is then that I notice the man holding the little girl’s hand is Kassius. The prophet who befriended my mother. The one who was beheaded for her murder.
The man who looks nearlyidenticalto Enzo.
My lips part and my hand falls away as I stare at him, his yellow eyes getting clearer as Nithe rows us closer. My gaze stays fixed on his, and his on mine.
We hit the beach, but no one moves. No one says anything, except him.
“Hello, Nora.” He says, a small smile crinkling the corners of his eyes, the eyes that look much older than they did when I saw him last. When I saw him for the last time over ten years ago.
“Kassius.” I whisper. Enzo steps out, holding his hand out for me, but I don’t move. I can barely breathe. “I don’t understand.”
“He’s my father.” Enzo says quietly, and my gaze snaps to his.
“What?” My mouth hangs open in disbelief. “Your father?” Nithe climbs out of the boat and treks up the wet sand to throw his dripping arms around Emery, hugging her tight.
