Page 90 of Song of the Heart Scale
And there, right at the border where forest met world, a figure appeared—leaning against the bark of an impossibly wide tree like he’d been there all along.
Klaus.
His hair was silver-white, falling past his shoulders to his bottom in a smooth curtain that looked like silk. Wearing his customary layers of white linen, his lavender eyes were full of mischief that worried me a bit.
“You rang, Kitten?” he purred, as if we were meeting for drinks instead of plotting world-changing rebellion.
I crossed my arms. “You always make an entrance like you’re auditioning for the role of ‘mysterious brooding bad boy number five’.”
He gave a mock bow. “And yet, you always come back for more.”
“This isn’t a booty call, Klaus.”
“Pity.” He clucked his tongue. “Well, then. To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing your divine, inked self again? It’s not every day the girl who gave me temporary freedom shows up on my doorstep.”
I hesitated, eyeing him carefully. Klaus and I had a... complicated dynamic. He was clever, dangerous, and far too charming for his own good. The kind of man who would kiss you while stealing your blade.
“I told you I’d be back when I needed you,” I said. “Well, here I am. Elaria’s falling apart, and I need your help.”
His smirk didn’t fade, but I saw a flicker of calculation behind his eyes. “Let me guess. This is about Thorne, the newly appointed emperor.”
“How do you even get news from the outside here?” I asked in surprise.
He smirked. “The birdies talk.” He waved around him knowingly. “Go on; what about the emperor?”
“He’s more like a full-on genocidal maniac with a god complex,” I muttered.
Klaus raised a brow. “Colorful. Continue.”
I told him. Everything. About the empty mines. The faltering wards. The dying magic that once kept them trapped. About Thorne. The ominous enthronement. Malachar’s vision. The thunder with no rain. I left nothing out.
By the end, Klaus was no longer smirking.
“So,” he said, his voice quiet. “You want to burn the cage.”
“I want to open the door.”
He was silent for a long time.
And then, finally, he smiled—sharp and wicked.
“Well,” he said. “That sounds fun.”
I stepped closer, the shimmer between us buzzing at my movement. “I want to get your people out. All of you. The fae shouldn’t be locked in this place forever.”
He tilted his head. “That’s a bold promise, Kitten.”
“I’m not promising anything.” I unflinchingly met his gaze. “I’m asking for your help. In exchange, I’ll do everything I can to break the wards and let you out. But I need the fae to back Damien.”
His brow twitched. “Ah, so it all comes back to the Shadow Prince.”
“He’s the only one who can stop Thorne. And he won’t lock your people up again. That, I promise.”
Klaus’s lips pursed, his face hardening for the first time. “You want me to put my people’s lives on the line and start a war we’re not even technically part of, just because your scowling prince has decent cheekbones and a better moral compass than his brother?”
I quirked a brow. “Were you planning to stay in here forever?” I challenged. “Caged like pets? Watched from afar? Told your magic is dangerous?”
Silence. For once, Klaus said nothing.
