Theman shrugged. “You’rethe one who brought us here, not me.”
Igripped the tree root to rise, and his hand shot out to pull me back down. “Where’sKarus?”Idemanded.
“She’sfine,Revich.She’swithThaliain the cellars.You’redreaming inViridis.Nothingto get all heroic over.”
Istudied him. “Iknow you.”
Hislaugh came in a boom, and he swept his hands down his face, responding, “Iwould hope you know me.”
“IfI’mdreaming, why are you here with me?You’venever been in my dreams before.”
Heshrugged again. “Youwere the one asking questions before you fell asleep.Youmust have found that place.”
“Whatplace?”
“Thatdark cavern you love to keep locked.Theone where the true amount of power you hold resides.”Herose a brow. “Theplace whereIgave you everythingI’vegiven allBarons, and you decided you wanted to hand over half of it to your lover.”
Itook a deep breath, filling my lungs with the scent of my upbringing—moss and mud.Ileaned forward, holding out my hand.
Hislips tilted upward as he took it.
“Rev,”Isaid with a shake.
“Adaynth,” he replied.
Itook my hand back, resting my arms at my knees. “So,Adaynth, firstBaronofFelgren, do you live inKarus’sdreams, too, or just mine?”
Hechuckled, letting his head fall back against the massive tree root. “Ilive in the minds of allBarons.It’swhereI’vebeen since my body gave out, andIdiscovered a way to keep my power from going back toVisalia.”
Inodded slowly. “Doyou talk toKarusin her mind, too?”
Heshook his head. “Notsince the day you put her through theBarontrial.”
Inodded again. “Howdo we stop theBlightress?Howdid you do it before?”
Hestared up at the tall trees with spindly leaves at the top. “Itwon’t work like before.”
“Thenhelp me figure out how to do it now.Shehas threatened to take our child.Shehas threatened to take our power.”Ileaned forward, trying to catch his eye. “Tellme what to do.”
“She’sbroken.”
“Idon’t care what she is—how doIstop her from destroying our lives?”
“Idon’t exactly know.”
“Whatcanyou tell me, then?Whathappened between the two of you hundreds of years ago that made her into this?”
“Ourdaughter died at birth.Didyou know that?Ofcourse you did.”Hetook a breath, folding his legs and leaning forward.
Iswallowed heavily. “I’msorry.Itruly am, butIwon’t let her take mine.Iwon’t let her takeKarus.Iwill do anything,Adaynth.Iwill do whatever it takes to?—”
“Ikept her heart locked under theFortressfor about eight hundred years.”
Shockedinto silence,Ifrowned at the firstBaronacross from me.
“Youdidn’t know that, now did you?”Helaughed, shaking his head. “Absurd, isn’t it?Iremember the dayItold her she had my heart just as well as the day she forced her own from her chest and handed it to me.”Heswept his fingers through his hair. “Bloodand all.Shecouldn’t die by it, and she told me she couldn’t live by it either.Shesaid that to me on the day our child was stillborn.ThewomanIloved ripped her beating heart from her chest,Revich, and gave it to me like it was nothing.”Hewiped a hand under his nose and sniffed, catching my eyes with his. “Thatis whatImean whenIsay she is broken.”
Ashiver ran through me, and we sat still in the silence of theHallowMarshes.Timepassed.Minuteswent by.Icarefully observed him as he gazed out into the marsh.Therewas more to this story that he wasn’t telling me.Icould feel it there between us, hanging heavily in what he didn’t say.