by Cait Marie
“Definitely the exact same thing.”
Shane’s cheeks warmed as he smiled and looked to the ground. He shoved his hands in his pockets. Gwyn laughed, tilting his face up with a finger under his chin. When her green eyes met his, and he saw that the sadness of the last few days had passed slightly, he shrugged.
“I knew it!” She smacked the side of his arm.
“Ouch,” he said, rubbing the spot. “Come on. I need to go back to my room. I’m exhausted.”
Gwyn turned and looped a hand around his arm. They made their way through the silent halls up to his room, and he nodded to the guards before going inside. As he got in bed, he thought about Phillip helping him before he left. Shane sat against the headboard and pulled the soft, thick blanket up over himself while Gwyn sat on the edge of the bed next to him.
“Before he left, we didn’t just talk,” Shane started. “We had… a moment. I don’t know how I missed it—how long he’s felt this way.”
“But how do you feel?”
“I…” He still didn’t know what to say. Phillip had been his best friend his entire life, but he never considered anything more. Not until that night they’d told him—until he held on to Phillip, wishing he wouldn’t go. Shane swallowed past the lump forming in his throat and decided to tell her the truth. “I can’t imagine my life without him.”
Gwyn gently held his hand. He looked down and let out a sigh. It would’ve been complicated enough breaking his betrothal with Lady Saundra for Gwyn. What he wanted now… it was not something allowed from the royal family. He was king; he needed to produce heirs to continue their line. He supposed he could claim his sister’s children as heirs if she had any.
His eyes widened at the thought. He didn’t know when things with Phillip shifted from just curiosity to actual desire—to thinking about the future. Shane looked at Gwyn who smiled as if she’d known all along how he felt.
“You need to tell him,” she said.
He started to agree, but another thought hit him. Dread filled him as he told her, “I can’t.”
“Why?” When he opened his mouth, she added, “And don’t say because you’re the king. You could make it work. The people love you.”
“The Kald.” His simple response stopped her from arguing.
Her shoulders sagged. “You don’t think this is the real cure.”
It wasn’t a question, but he shook his head as she pulled the vial from a pocket and set it on the bedside table.
“I can’t tell him after all this time just to be taken from him like that. I don’t want to hurt him,” Shane whispered.
Gwyn turned to face him more. “If for some reason we don’t find the cure, he will be devastated from losing you either way. Telling him you love him isn’t going to make it worse.”
He sighed, knowing she was right. “Gwyn,” he said as he lifted a hand to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. “You shouldn’t have kissed me.”
She turned and leaned against the corner post of the bed while pulling her feet up beside him. He laughed at how relaxed she had become around him. It was refreshing to have someone not act so proper around him.
“My father just died,” she whispered.
He sat up straighter, reaching for her hand again, but she shook him off. Instead, he settled for placing it on her leg.
“People in the streets are dying. I can’t just sit around and wait for someone else to figure out a solution.”
This time, he didn’t let her resist. He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer as he slid over in the bed. She settled in next to him. Besides his sister, Gwyn was one of the toughest people he’d ever met. When she began to shake, he held her tight, whispering words of reassurance against her hair as she cried.
The rocks collided around them, plunging them into darkness. A small stream of light came from the top of the new wall. Water rained down near the back of the cave from the lake above. Ada looked at the cracks and small holes along the stone ceiling. The cold water rushed in, quickly pooling and covering their feet. Ada ran to the blocked entrance. She pushed and clawed at the rocks, but nothing budged.
“We’re trapped!” Her chest tightened as she began to panic.
“What?” Lee asked, joining her.
He dug at the rocks, but they still didn’t move. The water slowly rose to their shins and knees. Together, they frantically searched for a way to stop the water at its source.
“What if it collapses?” she asked as the cave creaked over their heads.
Lee moved back to the collapsed wall, looking for a loose boulder. The single bit of light gave just enough to see once their eyes adjusted.
When the water reached her chest, she dove under to try the lower part of the cave. The darkness combined with the surrounding water overwhelmed her, but she shoved and kicked at the stone. When she resurfaced with a gasp, Lee grabbed her around the waist and helped her steady herself on the slippery floor.
“I can’t see anything down there,” she said.
He pushed her dripping hair back from her face. She couldn’t distinguish the tears from the lake water that now reached her shoulders.
“Lee,” she whispered.
At the desperation in her voice, he pulled out a dagger and began chipping away at the cave wall. He cursed and slammed a hand against the stone.
She grabbed him. “Loxley, stop.”
“No,” he growled.
“This is all my fault,” she said in a quiet voice. “I’m so sorry.”
Shoving the blade back in its sheath with a sigh, he wrapped his arms around her once more. His fingers brushed through her hair, and the water continued to rise. She shivered against his shoulder. When it reached the bottom of her chin, a sob escaped her lips. All her life she feared the sea. She couldn’t stop the laugh from slipping out.
“What?” Lee shifted to glance down at her.
“I always thought the sea would be the death of me.” Her quiet words held no amusement.
Lee went rigid. His breathing quickened, and he shook his head. “No, no, no.”
He continued to mumble while pushing against the stone again. Her feet no longer touched the floor as she floated to keep her face above the water.
“Lee, stop. It’s no use.”
“I have to get you out of here.” His tone frightened her, but the look in his eyes was worse.
“But—”
“Adalina, I won’t die.”
She stared at him confused. As his eyes filled with tears, she realized what he was saying. Her mouth dropped open.
He wouldn’t die. Well, he would, but he’d keep coming back to die again and again.
And he would be trapped down here.
Forever.
“I can’t watch you die,” he whispered, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
Her chest ached at the pain in his words—at the fact that he was more worried about her than his perpetual suffering. She stood on her toes, made easier by the flowing water. Her arms went around his neck. Just as his lips brushed hers, something caught her eye. She looked up and gasped.
“Give me your dagger,” she said.
He didn’t question her. Grabbing the handle, she lifted herself up and wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands tightened on her sides, supporting her. She reached toward the small crack above them that led to the bigger one letting in light. Her fingers barely brushed the stone.
“If I could just,” she grunted as she jammed the blade up into the rock. The force vibrated through her arms.
“Ada, hurry.”
She looked down to see the water touch his chin. With the cave narrowing at the top, the water level rose quicker. Lee slipped as she went back to work, and he had to brace a hand on the wall to keep them upright. He floated up with the water, balancing them both. Back and forth she scraped at the stone, but she barely made a dent.
“Here,” he said, holding a hand out as the water rose enough to hold them both up to the cave’s ceili
ng.
Mere inches separated their heads from the top of the cave when she passed over the dagger. He dug through the crack, trying to widen it. Ada’s head bumped the stone above her, and she gasped. Together, they pushed and clawed, sending tiny bits of rock to the water around them.
“Loxley,” she whispered, tilting her head back as her face pressed against the cool stone.
He watched as she took a deep breath and held it. The water covered her face then his, sealing them to their fate. She opened her eyes and ignored the uncomfortable feeling. Dread filled Lee’s gaze. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers once before looking back up to the cave ceiling.
She wasn’t sure if it was adrenaline or some immortal strength that led him to shove the dagger clear through. The new hole—the size of his fist—let in more light. He grabbed her and pushed her toward it, but air bubbles glinting in the sun beside his head caught her attention. With wide eyes, she watched the crack spread like a web down through the wall.
She looked to Lee whose shock mirrored her own. As the cave began to rumble around them again, he pulled her close. The rocks shifted, and with a shudder, the wall collapsed. Water shot out to the river on the other side, along with Ada and Lee.
Ada felt a hand around hers as she kicked to the surface once again. She gulped down the cool afternoon air—her lungs aching from the lack of oxygen. The river flowed gently around them with the sun shining off the current. They reached the bank, throwing themselves onto the grassy area and coughing.
There was no sign of the guards or the rest of their crew anywhere. The forest around them was completely quiet save for the occasional bird chirping. It was as if nothing had happened. No army had chased them down. They hadn’t almost drowned.
Ada’s breathing slowed as she rolled to her back. Clouds drifted by high in the sky. She let out a soft laugh. When Lee looked over at her with a scowl, she laughed harder. She sat up and pushed her long, wet hair over one shoulder.
“It’s not funny,” he said, sitting up next to her.
She simply smiled at him. “We’re alive.”
The corner of his mouth tilted up, and he shook his head before reaching for her. With his hand wrapped in her hair, he pressed his lips to hers. She didn’t hesitate to lean in closer, twisting her own hands up around his neck. For weeks, she’d missed his touch—craved it. She hated the distance between them. Especially when she knew how perfectly they fit together.
His free arm pulled her in tight, and Ada moved to straddle his lap. She ran her hand down his chest, feeling his thudding heartbeat beneath her fingers. She pulled away to look into his eyes, and she knew he felt all she did. When she kissed him again, her own heart raced as desire and longing overwhelmed her.
She deepened the kiss, and together, they fell back into the grass, grateful for the air in their lungs.
“We can’t keep doing this,” Lee whispered as they pulled their nearly dry clothes back on.
“I know.” She had known the second she’d looked into his eyes that something shifted. The invisible force that tied them together was real and very much present. But it wasn’t enough. Not with his immortality hanging over their heads. He couldn’t fully give himself to her until the curse was broken. She understood that. He’d lost so much, and she didn’t want to cause more pain. Though, knowing that didn’t help her aching heart.
“It’s time to go,” he said. “We need to move on.”
She wasn’t entirely sure he was talking about leaving Rayerna. Closing the distance between them, Ada took a deep breath and prayed to the stars her voice wouldn’t betray her. “I need to find out why Michel’s men were chasing us. I have to stay and keep looking for the flower—for a cure.”
“Ada, there’s nothing here. We were chased and then left to die by your prince’s men.”
“He’s not my prince.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “But I think his family has the Heulwen.”
He mirrored her stance, not speaking.
“Lee, I can’t just give up. I need this cure.”
“And I need this curse lifted!”
She clenched her fists beneath her folded arms, her nails digging into her palms. She knew this conversation was coming—wanted it to for weeks. When he finally talked to her, she thought she would have an argument waiting to tell him he was wrong. She had planned to tell him they had plenty of time and they could break the curse after the Kald was taken care of. She’d wanted to have a list ready of reasons why they needed to work through their differences. But as he began to speak, all the fight fled her body.
“I have lived for over one hundred and fifty years,” he said. “Most of which has been spent cursed—frozen in time. Over and over again I have tried to help these people only to have my life and those I care about threatened. I can’t keep doing this. I can’t watch someone I love grow old and die without me. Not again.”
Ada fought to not react. They had danced around the word for weeks, and to use it now felt cruel. Unfair. Her eyes burned, and she blinked, looking toward the water so he might not see the tears blurring her vision.
“Adalina.” His tone softened as he turned her back to him with a hand against her cheek. “The flower isn’t here. We need to move on.”
She stepped back. “Then, go.”
His brow furrowed. “What?”
“Go,” she repeated with as much force she could muster. Turning on her heel, she stomped through the trees.
Lee caught up quickly and wrapped a hand around her arm to halt her. “What are you saying?”
She shook free of him and continued walking. Twigs snapped beneath her feet as she shuffled through the dead leaves, echoing her heart breaking inside. “Go look for a way to break the curse. Do what you need to do, but I’m not leaving until I find the Heulwen.”
“I’m not going to just leave you here.”
It took a great amount of willpower not to turn back.
“Ada, stop.” His hard tone made her jump. “Don’t do this.”
She stilled and closed her eyes. Flashes of her brother, her home flooded her mind. “I have to.”
Lee’s hand closed around hers, but he didn’t try to turn her again. Ada took that brief moment to collect herself. He needed to figure out the curse; his soul wouldn’t rest until that happened. He would never be able to move on with her. She also knew he wouldn’t leave her without a good reason. So, it was up to her to give him one.
“You’re right,” she whispered. “My ancestors took everything from you.” She took a deep breath and turned around. “Because you stole from them. You tried to control a kingdom you didn’t belong to. Then, when things got too tough, you decided to run. Just like your mother did before you. That’s all you know how to do. You hide from the truth glaring you in the face.”
“Ada…”
“I’m done.” She finally met his eyes and instantly regretted it. Through gritted teeth, she said, “This isn’t the life I want. I don’t love you.”
He stared at her in silence. Neither said a word. With a nod, he stepped around her, and the last shreds of her heart shattered. She covered her mouth as a sob threatened to escape. Nothing she’d said was true, but she needed him to go. The king’s men had chased them through the forest, which meant either they were hiding something or protecting it. If there was a chance King Samson had the Heulwen, she would do whatever it took to get it from them. And Lee couldn’t be there for that.
They carefully made their way back to the village and to their warehouse hideout, never once seeing a sign of those who’d chased them. The sun set, leaving them in a cold darkness matching their mood.
As she walked inside the living quarters of the warehouse, Phillip rushed to her and wrapped her up in a hug. She let him pull her farther into the room. She sat in one of the wooden chairs as he draped a blanket around her and pushed a hot mug of tea into her hands, but she couldn’t feel any of it. Numbness had spread throughout her body as she fought back
the all-consuming grief.
Glancing up, she met Lee’s pained gaze.
“We didn’t find it. Tomorrow, we’re leaving to search for more on the curse.” He shoved a hand through his hair before taking his own mug from Brienne. The rest of the crew sat quietly watching. Tension filled the air, and no one seemed prepared to break it.
Ada licked her lips after taking a long drink of the tea. Lee looked back to her, as if hoping their previous conversation hadn’t happened and she would go with them. She slowly shook her head, and his shoulders sagged with resignation.
“I’m going to sleep,” she whispered.
No one stopped her when she stood and moved to one of the bedrooms. She shut the door, put her mug on the bedside table, and changed into thicker wool pants and a sweater Lee had left on the floor. Sliding under the covers, she took another long sip of tea then laid her head on the soft pillow.
She waited for the familiar dip of the bed to let her know Lee had joined her, but it never came. Tears fell as she whispered to the empty room, “I’m sorry.”
When she woke alone in the morning, she knew.
A soft click alerted her, and she sat up to find Phillip walking in, his somber look confirming it. With hands in his pockets, he nodded. She fell back onto her pillow and covered her face with her arms.
The Nihryst were gone. Loxley was gone. She tried to convince herself that was what she wanted, but it still hurt knowing he’d actually left her there.
Phillip sat on the bed, pulling her hands down. He laid in Lee’s spot on his side, and she rolled over to face him.
“You stayed,” she whispered.
“Of course, I stayed,” he replied, brushing hair back and kissing her forehead. “Even if it wasn’t for Shane, I would have stayed for you. You know that.”
“We have to get that flower.” She sat up, hugging her knees to her chest.
Phillip pushed himself up and leaned against the wall. “We’ve looked everywhere, Ada.”
“Not everywhere.” At his raised brow, she explained what happened in the forest—how they were chased and shot at before trapped and left to die. “I think we were lied to. Nayani said only those of the royal bloodline may bestow the Heulwen upon those in need.”
