Page 82 of A Legacy of Poison and Lies

The forest on the far side of the barrows dropped down into a maze of passageways of moss-coated rock, forcing them to either press ahead or turn back the way they’d come, and Zylah didn’t like it one bit.

“We’ll rest here until just before sunrise,” Laydan said, turning a corner in the rock into a section that opened out into a cave, roots twisting through every crack and moss covering every surface.

“Why?” Zylah asked as Kopi swooped up to a perch above the entrance. Any notion of manners had left her hours ago, nerves and pain eating away at her, shredding her patience.

Laydan tilted his head to one side, a lazy smile tugging at his mouth despite how tired he must have been. “Because I can only open the tomb at first light.”

“If you could find it yourself, and you can open the tomb yourself, why are we here?”

Daizin’s shadows pulsed around him for a moment, but Laydan rested a hand on his arm.

“Items like this were never hidden by one person, always by a collective,” Laydan added. “So that no one individual could break in and retrieve it. It would have taken several witches and Fae working together to conceal it. Which is why I know the key is there, but I can’t see it.”

“And now?”

“Now we wait. There’s a network of caves here to rest in, and this is the only exit. Take your pick.” He winked and slid his hand into Daizin’s, the Fae’s shadows sliding around them both.

By the time the shadows cleared, Daizin and Laydan were gone.

Zylah released a heavy breath. “I wonder if all witches are like that.”

“I’m sure he’ll insist there’s no one like him,” Holt said dryly. “I’ll check the rest of the caves if you want to rest. Kopi’s watching out front.”

“I couldn’t, even if I wanted to. I’ll come with you.”

She unbuckled her sword belt, and Holt took it from her silently, sending it to the tavern in Virian, she presumed.

She followed him into one of the passageways that connected the caves, the air still and quiet. It was cool inside the caves, but there was no bite to the air, as if a layer of magic coated everything. Knowing Laydan for the short time that she had, it probably did.

The passageway opened out into another space, grooves in the walls holding rows and rows of smooth rocks, some lighter than others. Zylah followed the rows, her eyes tracing the patterns created by the contrast of dark and light stones. The lighter ones looked like star constellations, a map of the sky wrapping around the room. The rest of the cavern—room, Zylah supposed, held nothing but a moss-covered table and bench, so they pressed on to the next passage.

Pain swelled through Zylah’s body as she followed Holt, but she bit down on her lip, willing it to pass. She didn’t make a sound, careful not to—

Holt paused, and Zylah almost crashed into him. He turned to face her, a wild look in his eyes as they searched hers. “The healing isn’t working anymore.”

Zylah stilled as he took a step closer, her attention falling to the scar at his neck, to how close he was, to how little space there was in the passage. “What makes you say that?”

“I can feel it.”

Zylah didn’t dare look up at him, wasn’t ready for him to see the truth of his words. “Key first. Then the vanquicite. I trust Cirelle.”Ifthe healer was there by the time they made it back to the Aquaris Court.

She didn’t know how long she had left, but she would do this one thing for him, even though it didn’t come close to repaying him for all that he’d done for her. If it got him one step closer to his freedom.

She only wished she’d live to see it.

“What happened to no more lies?” Holt asked, his fingers closing around her wrist. His thumb brushed over her skin and sparks danced in its wake, a heady need unfurling within her.

“Everyone has secrets to keep,” she murmured, her gaze lifting to his mouth before she met his eyes. “But I don’t regret coming here. Do you?”

“I only have three regrets when it comes to you, Zylah,” he said, closing the last of the space between them, his fingers flexing through hers. “That I didn’t go with you into Kerthen. That it took me six months until I could come after you. That when I finally found you, I couldn’t—”

His voice broke on the last word, and Zylah thought she might have stopped breathing.

“Couldn’t what?”

Holt dragged a hand through his hair. “I can’t look at you…”

Without being reminded of what they’d lost, of what they were up against. Zylah began to turn away, but his fingers closed around her chin, urging her to look up at him. She met his gaze, bracing herself for whatever he was going to say.

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