Page 12

Fuck.

Solas and Caelum sat at an oak table cluttered with ancient tomes, tension carved into their shoulders. Behind them, the mural I had painted long ago stretched across the stone wall— the sea in all its fury and grace, waves frozen mid-crash, eternally reaching to the stars above. As if the Sea Goddess was reaching to the darkness… As if we were reaching for each other.

I gritted my teeth and tore my eyes away from the painting. My shadows withered beneath my skin, and bit into my soul with pure coldness.

“Are you finished with your temper tantrum?” Caelum asked evenly without looking up from the dusty pages in his hand. Unlike me, they had both washed and put on new clothes.

If I did not respect him, I would smash that disapproving scowl into the ground.

“I could take it out on you instead if you would like, old man,” I snarled half-heartedly at him.

He scoffed and threw the book down onto the table in front of him. Solas grimaced, reaching for the book to correct its spine.

“Tell me what you found.”

“Nothing, because there is not⁠—”

I seized the table and hurled it against the wall. It shattered on impact, wood splintering in a loud crash as books scattered across the floor like the last of my restraint.

“That is not good enough!”

Caelum raised an eyebrow as he leant back in his chair. His calmness somehow only fuelled my rage.

“I lost my bonded,” Solas said quietly, stacking the books scattered across the floor. “I know what that kind of loss does to a man. The pain it causes. But she is still alive.” He straightened, meeting my gaze with a loyalty so fierce it almost burnt. “I will do everything in my power to make sure you do not lose her, Rythos. I give you my vow.”

I exhaled a long steady breath, allowing some of the tension to release from the knot in my shoulders. Of course, Solas would do anything to help save Lyra. I had seen the way he took to her instantly, whispering too much information to her when he thought I could not hear. The way he would make her smile with his obnoxious whistling.

It had driven me crazy with a jealousy I had no right to feel. She needed a friend and Solas was the best this world had to offer.

He may have been calm and light-hearted but simmering beneath his reassuring demeanour was an anger as deep as mine.

“The Fire Fates may help,” Caelum sighed as he drummed his fingers against his leg.

I almost groaned. I hated the Fire Fates. They never answered anything without spewing riddles convoluted with truth. If anyone knew how to reach the Seven Hells, it would be them. They are said to have come from the depths themselves.

I would walk back into those cursed woods without hesitation and let them scorch me to ashes if it meant she was safe. I was dying for her regardless. I could feel my darkness sinking into my soul, a constant sharp pain that ignited through me with each frantic beat of my heart. There was no doubt that I was dying, but I needed to save her first.

“Great,” Solas muttered. “Back to the Mourning Woods.”

“I’m coming with you,” a voice said from behind a row of books, and I let out another sigh.

“Go away, Aldric, before you get yourself killed,” I all but growled at the prince as he stepped out from behind the towering oak shelves of tomes, a brown leather bag slung over his shoulder.

He raised his clean-shaven chin and set his well-dressed shoulders. “She is my sister.”

I could not tell if I was impressed or annoyed that his voice rang with more courage than his father could muster.

Darkness spilled between my fingers before I could leash it as I raked my gaze from his well-polished boots to his pressed button down, and up to his combed-back hair. Everything about him screamed spoilt prince.

He would only fucking slow me down.

Dismissively, I turned my back on him and shot Solas a level glare.

He was a bleeding heart, and I knew he would struggle with what I was about to say.

But the last pieces of my heart had fallen into the pits of hell with Lyra.

“First, every single Mortal in this castle is to be locked in the dungeons with their King. If they resist, kill them.”