Page 144 of A Kingdom of Shadows

"I felt it," Freya says. She takes a breath. "Actually, I felt a dragon's pain. Darius's."

My heartbeat quickens.

Her hazel eyes shine as she wipes her tears with her hands. "There is so much to say, Nara, that we—" She looks at everyone. "Don't know where to start—I—I—"

"How are you all here?" I ask, trying to contain every ache inside me and every emotion begging to be free.

"Sarilyn," Link speaks up. Soft blue eyes snap at me. "She found our hideout, thanks to a shifter selling us out so that he could live freely."

"We tried writing you a letter," Illias adds, "But it was too late, and they had begun attacking us, the dragons..."

The letter that Dusan had shown me.

"We knew we couldn't stay there for long, and we weren't sure how much longer you would be, but Gus—he sought out a way to help us, though he wasn't sure it would work. See, Leira's wife mentioned that the Aerians had always disapproved of the queen's hatred for dragons, it was a long shot, but he thought if we sought out the Aerian leaders, perhaps they could help us." Illias runs a hand through his curls and huffs a stressful sigh. "We couldn't take everyone, but we managed to get enough shifters, dragons, and children out to safety and made our way here—"

"The point is—" Idris walks over to Illias, his arms crossed over his chest. "Is that the Aerians took us in and promised to help us."

I feel like I have not taken a single breath yet. "But." I shake my head. "The treaty—"

"Is broken," Idris finishes. "It's been broken for a while, Nara, but the moment Aerians attacked Terranos to save you..." He winces, the words dying on his tongue.

Now we must prepare for everything.

For more attacks.

For a possible war.

For Aurum.

I glance at Freya. "And this feeling..."

She looks at the ground. "Do you remember when I felt a strange urge to help someone back in Emberwell?"

"I do." In the Arena where Darius fought.

"While you were gone, Leira helped me find my strength and magic as a witch. That also led to these emotions and magic inside me that I couldn't pinpoint until Leira explained what it meant. When a witch is connected to a dragon, they are able to understand their emotions and even feel their pain." Her eyes lift. "I felt Darius's a few days ago. It was so intense, I thought I would die, Nara, and the only way to fix it was finding him, and since we knew you would likely still be in Terranos, we recruited the help of Phoenixes to get you out." Remorse slices across her face, and I step back, not wanting her to look at me like that because I knew what that usually meant.

"And Darius?" the words quiver out of me.

Freya closes her eyes. "Nara—"

"Where is he?" My voice cracks, nausea swirling inside me like a current.

"I think we need to get Hira here," Rydan says to Link, and my gaze goes to Tibith's saddened eyes.

"Where is he?" I raise my voice this time, but I know where he is. I know the answer. I already knew the answer before everyone inside this room did.

I break, saying the word no repeatedly and shaking my head. "We have to get him, he—he—"

"We can't when he is bound to Aurum," Freya whispers, but I can't stop the panic doubling inside my chest.

Idris tries to pull me toward him, but I push at his hands, saying that one word I can only repeat right now.

No, no, no, no.

But I am too weak right now, and I can't stop it as he succeeds in wrapping his arms around me and letting me finally cry into his chest. I had never done so in front of Idris. Even when tears slipped out in our cottage, I hid them. Now Darius had opened me to every emotion, made me feel like I was seen by him, by everyone, yet he is not here, he is with Aurum, he is a prisoner, he—he—

He almost bit me.

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