Page 136 of A Kingdom of Shadows

"May I speak with Nara," he says, and all heads turn toward me.

I clear my throat, nodding to say it is alright, and walk over to him, taking him to one side where no one else will listen to us. "What is it?"

He takes a breath, and for some reason, I believe he is about to tell me the worst. "I just wanted you to know that you should be proud of passing each task."

Tension eases off of me in waves, a laugh almost escaping me for thinking something else.

"I know they are not simple, but I believed in you both." He offers me a smile, and I return it, taking hold of his hands. "I am glad we met, Nara."

"Come back with us to Emberwell," I say. "You belong there, not here, not the Screaming Forests."

He laughs, rubbing a hand over mine in an affectionate way. "Maybe you're right." He nods. "Emberwell does seem better suited to someone like me. I was never a nature person."

My brows crinkle together as I stare at him in amusement. "I thought your kind thrived on nature?"

Aias looks at me. An odd gleam shoots across his eyes before the king says, "Shall we proceed, or do you need any more time?"

I step away from Aias, slightly on edge, as I go back to Dusan and glance over my shoulder. Aias gives me an encouraging nod, yet now the idea of venturing into the Isle of Elements seems more frightening than all the tasks I have previously done.

"What's wrong?" Darius whispers, and I glance at him. I am ready to say we need more time, but the truth is we don't have time, so I smile even when he can see right through me and turn my attention to Dusan.

"How will this work?" I know Darius's eyes are still on me as I lift my head feigning confidence at the king.

Dusan nods once and steps back. "Each stone once merged—" Vines slither along his arms as if he is summoning them as they wrap around every stone in his hands. "Will open up a portal." His eyes slice over to Darius and me, casting us a steely look. The vines now have a world of their own, sprouting and lifting the stones into the air. Different colors from the stones start to glow as layers of that vine curve around them, tightening its grip while Tibith gasps with delight. "But you must be careful."

My awe at the view before me snaps away, and I narrow my eyes at Dusan.

"The Isle of Elements contains its most powerful magic in our world. You might betray even your deepest wishes if you let your emotions override you."

I stare at him silently, and Darius's hand tangles with mine. "I won't," I promise, knowing the destruction Sarilyn's wishes to end the Rivernorth's brought her.

A life surrounded by many yet always alone.

Dusan smiles, and as the stones form a circle within the vines, a spark of gold light flashes skyward. I shield my eyes with my forearm as the room around us plunges into darkness, contrasting the luminescence of the stones. A splitting of rocks and earth echoes the castle walls, the floors awakening with life as they rattle beneath us, and then a rift cleaves in two, opening a doorway in front of Darius, Tibith, and me.

"It is so pretty, Miss Nara!" Tibith gasps, flapping his ears on my shoulder.

"And possibly deadly," I whisper, staring at the swirls and ripples of rainbow colors within the rift.

Darius tugs at my hand. His jaw is clenched as he looks ahead at the oncoming possibilities this faces for us. We don't glance at anyone else as we walk toward it together. My fingers reach out to the threshold, barely touching it, and with a deep breath, I glance at Darius once more before we both nod and step through.

Weight presses down on me, making my arms and legs heavy, but I never let go of Darius as we make it out onto the other side, hand in hand, standing on an island surrounded by the sea and nothing else. Thunder claps above us as grey clouds swirl almost cosmically. I drag my feet across the ground, and grass flakes into dust. When I look around, I notice the fields are dull in color, and the river leading toward an uphill mountain cave is an inky shade.

It all seems as if it is slowly dying.

What will happen once that power runs out?

Dusan's question runs through my mind as Tibith gets off my shoulder and pads along to the decaying irises by the river. My gaze returns to that rugged mountain, and the only thing that illuminates this island is the pouring of golden liquid from the sky into the center of that cave.

The continent's power source.

I go to step forward when Darius stays put.

"Goldie," he says, turning me to him. He looks at everything near us like he, too, knows this isn't how the Isle of Elements should look. "If you think something is wrong, we don't need to do this. We can return, call it quits and leave Terranos behind us."

I try to keep it together but sigh, edging closer to him. "I don't know what I feel," I confess quietly, glancing up through my lashes. "I'm just afraid that if we don't try, we will endanger everyone else."

The worried look he gives me makes me fall prey to my weaknesses when it comes to him. He brings me toward his chest, wrapping an arm around my neck as my cheek rests against his cotton shirt. I can feel him plant a soft kiss on my head before releasing a slow breath. I embrace him, not wanting to get away from this moment because I crave him, I want him, I love him.

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