Page 35 of A Kingdom of Shadows

Our heads whip toward Tibith and Aias inside that same platform as before.

"We came back for you!" he shouts, ears fluttering as he sits atop the lever Aias is holding.

At the same time, a spear lands beside me, missing us by a small mark from one of the upper bridges. Darius keeps hold of my hand as we jump over the gaps on the planks and sprint to where Tibith and Aias are.

As soon as we get on, Aias pushes the lever, only for a spear to strike between the iron contraptions. The platform squeaks to a stop, and we jerk forward.

I look at Darius wide-eyed when Aias says with a strained voice, "It's stuck." He tries to move the lever, but it won't budge. Another spear hits the floor near Tibith's feet, and furiously, I yank it from the wood, twisting around to aim it at the same elf who threw it.

Turning back to Darius, he scans the platform and what holds it up before settling on the lever.

"What are you doing?" I ask, purely baffled as he angles the knife in his hand.

"Getting us out of here." He looks up and sends me a smarmy wink as he says, "Though I suggest you hold onto something too, Goldie, unless you'd rather hold onto me."

I eye him with a judgmental glare, placing my hand on the bamboo railing instead. He smiles as he glances at the device in front of him and slams the blade between the iron, breaking the lever.

Once, twice, a third.

Clanging sounds whip through the air, causing sparks until I hear a snap, and I shut my eyes, clenching onto the bamboo as the rapid force of the rope makes the platform fall. Each beat of my heart pierces through my chest, sending bolts of something so freeing to my stomach.

Upon impact, I lurch forward. The platform splinters and breaks in half as Darius yanks me toward him, and I peer up at him, my palms on his bare chest.

"Is anyone hurt?" he asks, all the while, he's only looking at me. Tibith and Aias say no as Darius's eyes trail over my lips, cheeks, nose, and more. "Are you, Goldie?"

I shake my head vehemently, wanting to say something, anything, an insult at the least.

He moves a strand of my hair from my face and places it behind my ear as he smiles. "Then let's get out of here."

* * *

We wander for miles, following the map and discovering hidden trails that entice us with silence and safety. We eventually relax when we reach a clearing and the sun shines through the trees onto the grass.

I sit cross-legged on the ground, staring at Darius and Tibith ahead of me, sprawled on the grass, talking and pointing at the trees. For the first time since stepping into this forest, I feel safe. My gaze settles on roses near the bushes to the left of Darius and lilacs dotted around us. That makes me wonder about Freya, what she must be doing now if she's arguing with Rydan, if Link is with Illias, or whether Iker and Idris are settling into the den just fine.

I miss them. I miss them greatly.

"Thank you for taking me with you." Aias sits beside me, handing me my blade. "I owe you one."

I look at him with a frown and take back the dagger. Owing me is the last thing he needs to do. "You're the one that told me the truth about Renward's intentions." Even if I knew I wouldn't marry him at any cost, Aias had gone against his kind for us. "At least now you're free."

Aias hums as though he disagrees. "I don't believe in being truly free right now, but soon, I know I will be." His smile is warm and gentle. I want to ask why he believes he is not entirely free yet, but he points toward my other hand and says, "What is that?"

I unclench my fist, showing him the sun carving I've kept safe throughout all this. "It is a carving of—"

"Solaris," he says to me.

I smile, flipping the carving over. "Do you believe in it?"

He shrugs, shaking his head solemnly. "I used to until my mother died."

That saddens me, and I think of Lorcan, whether he's with Solaris, whether my mother and father are too.

As I look up between the caved trees circling us, my breath comes out in waves. "Regardless of everything that happens, there may be a reason for it. When my mother died, she told me to chase all the adventures that came my way. Now I am."

Dangerous, exhilarating, but also painful ones.

As my gaze flits back to the carving, I'm not sure what possesses me to do the next thing, maybe it is the realization that I do not need this anymore, that yes, it is a memory I had cherished for too long, but it is no longer necessary. I don't need it to remember Lorcan, and I don't need it for good luck.

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