Page 10 of Fractured
Now, Lyall would still be asleep, if not dead. Helid would still be alive. And I could be home with my family—withRune by my side.
If only I knew…
But things were as they were, and now we were walking under a mountain, following a bird made out of light, and Hessa, who might have just saved my life, and who might be our friend or our enemy—you could never be too sure with the fae. They could save your life, only to turn around and try to kill you within the same day.
I believed it now, after all I’d witnessed. I believed it with all my heart.
And then there was light.
It came from flames lighting up the tips of these large torches that were put against the rocky walls of the tunnel. The ceiling was low enough that I could touch it if I raised my hand, but I didn’t. I didn’t think about what it would be like if the entire fucking mountain collapsed on our heads, either—I just focused on the light and Hessa’s shadow that danced on the walls as if it had a mind of its own, following the movement of the flames.
But when I heard the voice, my limbs froze and I stopped walking, and Rune stopped with me.
“Hessa, you made it.”
A woman.
“Where…where is he?”
Hessa lowered her head, covered her face with both hands. We saw the face of the woman who was standing between two of those large torches. Golden hair and golden eyes, a look on her face like she’d just seen a ghost when she put her hand over Hessa’s head.
Then her eyes locked on mine.
I didn’t know this woman, had never seen her before, I was sure of it—yet at the same time I had the feeling that we’d met—or at the very least,sheknew exactly who I was and where I came from.
Rune’s fingers closed around my hand once more. Therewere more people in there, beyond the rocks at the end of this tunnel that we still couldn’t see—until two of them, a man and a woman, both Seelie, came forth and took Hessa by the hands. Guided her beyond the corner.
Only the woman remained in front of us with her chin raised and her eyes glossy with unshed tears.
“Welcome, Nilah Dune.” Her voice echoed in the low ceiling—and a million more times in my head. “And you, Rune Kalygorn. Come inside.”
With that, she turned around and walked back where she’d come from, leaving Rune and me—and the bird—all alone in the tunnel.
“Do you know her?” I whispered, not daring to look away from the end of the tunnel and that dancing orange light. Waiting for someone else to pop up in front of us—someone like Lyall.
“I do. Merenith of the Yuves, presumed dead about two years ago.” Rune’s voice had a ring to it that wasn’t usual. Like…he, too, was still drowning in shock while pretending he wasn’t.
Presumed deadmeant Lyall and the Seelie Queen had no idea this woman was here, so… “Then let’s go.”
Rune stopped me for a second when I made to drag him along. The bird flew right over his head as if he wanted me to see all of him.
I did.
My heart squeezed. “Whatever happens in there, we’re going to be safe,” he whispered.
“Said the guy who stabbed me in the chest an hour ago,” I said with a small smile that I didn’t even have to force out of me. I saw him, and I wanted to smile despite the situation we were in.
Rune shook his head, leaned in and kissed my forehead. “Never,” he said. “I’ll set this whole realm on fire first.”
I absolutely believed him because I’d do the same.
“Let’s see what these people can tell us, okay?” Because things had gone frombadtoworseand I had yet to even try to imagine what came next.
One thing was for certain, though, as much as I hated to admit it. I wasn’t going to see my family anytime soon.
four
Merenithof the Yuves and the people who took Hessa by the arms were not the only ones in this cave.
