Page 102 of The Lands Defying
But I don’t let that stop me now. He wasn’t himself then, I know it. They had to have done something to him.
I don’t know how but I will fucking fix it, whatever they have done.
“Kade!” I call again, breathing heavily. I can just see the end of his tail up ahead. I rush past the dead lilk trees, paying no mind to them as I continue to pick up speed.
“Rhea,”Josh calls down the link.“Just wait and we will get him together. Darius is coming, I tried to stop him but he wouldn’t listen.”I ignore him, needing my focus to be on Kade.
“Carzan,” I shout when I lose sight of him, panic driving me faster. Pain rattles through my body with every step, my throat is on fire and my leg feels like it will snap, but I keep going.
Spilling blood as I go.
I follow his tracks through the trees, then across the river, the cold of it seeping into my bones, then I follow until I realize the direction in which he must be going.
Lovers Falls.
I feel like my heart will give way at any moment.
I come to a stop at the river where it splits into two different directions, and catch my breath. I can’t hear the others behind me, but I know it won’t be long until they come and I have to get to Kade before he’s spooked again.
Bending forward and resting my hands on my knees, I waver slightly, stumbling toward the river’s edge before righting myself.
Fuck. I haven’t got much left in me.
My body is going to give out before I reach him, but I can’t let it. I can’t stop now.
“Zahariss, be with me,” I breathe to myself.
Taking a deep breath and wiping the sweat from my forehead, I lock my damn knees before I take a chance and go right. I don’t see any prints on either side, but I think he would go this way.
Jogging alongside the river, memories flash through me of the last time I did this. Where me and Darius were on opposite sides looking for Sam.
Is this why Kade has run this way? Does he think he will find Sam? Or is he just running blindly?
I realize at this moment that I don’t know what Kade thinks at all anymore.
It’s been months since I last saw him, the longest we have been separated, and it’s felt like I lost a part of me. A part of me only he can fill again.
Runa whimpers in agreement.
I try not to hold onto the words he said to me in the hall at Wolvorn Castle to upset me, try not to let myself believe that’s what he actually thinks of me, that I mean nothing to him.
But even though I know something is wrong with him, that sliver of doubt creeps into my mind the further I go.
What if he does believe I am a traitor?
No matter. I just need him away from our blood family and the Highers, even if it means I’m not in his life anymore.
I cough over the lump in my throat and hastily wipe tears that I hadn’t realized had fallen as I continue on.
Finally reaching where the river joins again, I watch as the rapids flow hastily, angrily spilling over the edge into the Unforgivable Sea. Slowing my pace, I look around and toward the statues on either side. The female on my side first, and then over to the male on the left.
No sign of Kade.
Did he not come here and veer off in another direction? Did I get it wrong?
Panic still strikes me.
“Kade,” I say through trembling lips, pressing a hand to my chest as pain rockets through me. It feels like with every beatof my heart, a sharp pain flares up in some part of my body, traveling through it like lightning.
