Page 100 of A Court of Bones & Sorrow

“It must have been really important to the Fae to keep it hidden and protected.” I frowned. How did Erendriel not know of this place? Or maybe he did know . . . but couldn’t reach it? Rynn had said even the wraiths didn’t come here. Had the Fae crafted this spell to specifically keep the wraiths away too?

“It doesn’t make sense,” I said aloud as I tried to figure out this puzzle.

“What?” Vail asked, watching me instead of studying the newly revealed hideout.

“Let’s consider the order of events. The Unseelie and Seelie existed here together, the Seelie did something to themselves that turned them into wraiths, and during that same time, the Unseelie disappeared.” My brows furrowed as I glanced back at the glyph and then to the hidden stairs. “So who crafted this spell to keep this place hidden? It clearly targets the wraiths, so it’s not like the Seelie did it.”

“Maybe the Unseelie did it before they vanished?” Bastian suggested. “We know there was some animosity between the Unseelie and the Seelie. This could have been one last fuck you to the Seelie.”

“If that’s the case, then this might be one of the last places the Unseelie were before they vanished.” I still felt like there was some big piece we were missing from all of this, but maybe we’d find answers inside.

Rynn glanced over her shoulder at me from where she was standing close to the water and shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”

“Do not move, Rynn,” Cade ordered, but she ignored him and darted down the stairs. Ryker growled and stalked after her.

“I told you this was going to be a problem,” Bastian toldCade, who was glowering at the dark passage where Rynn and Ryker had disappeared. I got the impression not many people disobeyed his orders.

“She’ll fall in line,” Cade said flatly.

I snorted. “You’ve had all this time to get to know her and yet you’ve failed spectacularly.”

“Watch yourself, Moroi.” For a second, Cade’s tone gained a deeper edge, and I had to remind myself that, despite his usually calm demeanor, he could shift into a nearly two-thousand-pound bear at any moment. From a purely rational standpoint, that meant I should avoid pissing him off any further.

But he’d messed with my friend, so fuck that.

In a blink, I let my bloodlust rise and shifted my nails into claws. Cade didn’t quite flinch when I suddenly appeared in front of him, but he did stiffen. The Velesians might be stronger than us and quite good at sneaking around, but the Moroi were still faster.

I tapped his chest with my index finger, right where his shirt parted to reveal warm, brown skin dusted with dark hair. Blood welled as my claw pierced his flesh with each tap. “Bite. Me.”

Cade’s nostrils flared, and Bastian laughed next to us. “Isn’t that what Vail is for?” the ailuran drawled. “Or maybe whoever was hiding in that cabin?”

I killed the panic before it had a chance to show on my face and gave Bastian a bored look. “You need to get your senses checked, cat. It was just the two of us there. Or maybe you just don’t know what a good fuckin’ sounds like since you’ve never given anyone that kind of pleasure.”

Bastian narrowed his eyes, but before he could open his mouth to likely say something smartassed, Cade pushed past us. “Come on. Let’s go make sure those two haven’t killed each other.”

My money was on Rynn in that fight. I took a few steps towards the stairs and paused, biting my lower lip.

“Don’t you want to see what’s inside?” Vail asked, moving to stand beside me.

“Yes.” I swallowed. “But this is what our parents died for. No matter what we find in there, it wasn’t worth their lives, Vail.”

“No.” He slowly raised his arm and slipped it around my shoulders before pulling me against him. Somehow, this tentative hug felt more intimate than anything we’d done so far, including in the cabin. “But I think they’d be happy to know that we made it here. Together.”

I sniffled and blinked back tears. “Don’t tell me you’re getting soft in your old age.”

“I’m only three years older than you,” he said dryly. When we pulled apart, he slipped his hand into mine. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” I sucked in a breath. “Let’s do this.”

We walked hand in hand down the stairs, darkness quickly engulfing us. I had no problem seeing, but I was surprised they hadn’t added Fae lanterns or something to light the way, especially considering how long we walked. A little claustrophobia started to set in when I thought about how far we were beneath the lake and all the water just lying above us . . . ready to crush in the walls.

“Samara?”

I realized my breath had started to quicken, and Vail was giving me a concerned look. “It’s fine.” I smiled faintly and took in a few steady breaths. “Just discovered yet another thing to be frightened of in Lunaria.”

The corners of his mouth twitched before he swept his hand towards the open door in front of us. “We’re here.”

Light crept out into the hallway we were standing in from the brightly lit chamber.

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