Page 180 of Moonlit Fate

“Aria,” I said in a low growl.

I dropped to my knees beside her, my hand shaking as I moved a lock of silver hair from her face. She was alive, but just barely. I traced the lines of her face, remembering the strength that usually lived there. Seeing her like this, so pale and weak, was on me, too. Caius would pay, but first, I had to fix what I’d broken.

“Forgive me,” I whispered, hoping she could hear me. “I’ll get you out of here.”

I slipped one arm under Aria’s knees, the other supporting her back, and picked her up like I was cradling a part of myself. She weighed nearly nothing, her strength diminished in this place. Her heartbeat thudded against my chest, a weak but steady reassurance that she was still with me. My vision tunneled, the cell and its horrors fading as I stepped into the shadow realm.

“Let’s get you home,” I muttered.

The walk through shadows was disorienting, a twisting path that defied physics and reason. In two quick steps, we were in the safety of her room. The bright lights streaming in the window and the softness of her bed contrasted sharply with the bleak cold stone of the cell Caius had kept her in.

I gently set her down on her bed. Pressing my forehead to hers, I remembered the last time we were here together. The fact that it might have been the last time made my heart lurch. The weight of a thousand regrets crashed down on me. But I had done this for her, for us.

Her face seemed more peaceful here, away from the damp and darkness, the fetid magic that had been draining her. I brushed my lips against hers, my apology silent but fervent.

“Forgive me.”

Ilaric burst in and assessed the scene before him. “Atticus, what’s?—”

“Quiet,” I said, gripping his shoulder and steering him toward the door. “Listen to me.”

He nodded, waiting for instructions.

“Take care of her. If she wakes up, don’t let her leave. Don’t let her come after me.”

“Where are you going?”

“To end this,” I said. “Just keep her safe.”

“Very well,” he agreed, determination setting in his jaw. “I’ll guard her with my life.”

“Thank you.” I gave his shoulder a final squeeze, then disappeared into the shadows.

44

ARIA

Iblinked, the ceiling above me sharpening into focus. Ilaric’s face came into view, while Mia hovered like a wraith at the edge of my vision. I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness forced me back down.

“Easy,” Ilaric said, putting his hand on my arm to steady me.

A fog of confusion swirled around me, and I blinked rapidly to clear it. “How did I get here?”

Memories crashed into me: Caius capturing me, the chilling darkness of the cellar, the runes that seemed to slither across the walls and tighten around me. Pain lanced through my body, a sharp, biting reminder of the terror. It was so intense, so vivid, I nearly choked on it.

Ilaric’s eyes darkened. “Atticus. He traded himself for you. His father...”

The room spun, and the walls pressed in on me. The air thinned as I struggled to take a breath. Atticus, bound by his own blood, his soul at stake? Impossible.

“No!” The word tore its way out of me, scraping at my raw throat. My gut twisted, rejecting the truth that Atticus, the rogue wolf who had defied all odds, could fall victim to such darkness.

Ilaric’s words echoed in my mind, an unremitting tide that threatened to drown me. I shoved the blankets away and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, every muscle protesting.

“I have to train,” I said. There was no time to rest. Atticus was out there, bound by chains I couldn’t see but felt wrapped tight around my own soul.

“Train?” Mia interrupted the haze of my determination. “Aria, you’re not ready to think about training. You need to recuperate.”

“Resting won’t break his chains.” The link between Atticus and me burned, an aching reminder of the urgency of our situation. At least I could feel it again. He was alive.

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