Page 112 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals
Fee gives me a sad look. “Do you remember the day after Sose?”
Stilling, my body goes taunt as the name leaves her lips. I remember that day in stark clarity. The smells, the noises, all of it. It still haunts me.
“What of it?” I ask harshly.
“I told you, it wasn’t your fault.”
Silently, she rounds on me, face contorted into an unusual display of grief. Grief forme. “If you bring her back to Father, no matter what plan you think you can play, you know that he’ll get her. You know what he’ll do to her. What he’llmakeher do to the world. Thatwill beyour fault.”
Looking away, I have to still my urge to lash out. Because she’s right.
She knows I’ll carry that guilt until I meetSetiin Hell. Because as ruthless as I am, I’mnotheartless. I still care about those in this world even if they despise me.
“Then what would you have me do?” I whisper, words edged with poison. “Let her leave? Go back empty-handed? I’ll face those consequences, but I willnotrisk you or Reid to Father’s wrath.”
I also can’t think of the possibility of not having Max. Of never seeing her again.
“You might not have a choice.”
Her hard eyes glance to the cabin and then to me. “She’s an innocent,Kade. Just likeSose. She shouldn’t be forced to do anything even if it is to save us fromZelos.”
“You care about innocents now?” I scoff, running a hand through my locks. “Since when?”
Of all of us, Fee has been the least likely to risk her neck for an innocent. It’s made her an effective soldier but not a great Fae.
“She risked her life to save you,” she says slowly. “She saved the Hadeon. She’s important to you. Someone like that deserves some compassion.”
It’s like a slap to the face. Fee, who has always been worried aboutZelos’ reach of power and what he can do if he doesn’t get it, is telling me to let the woman go. To go back to face the torture he’ll inflict on us for failing.
All so that Max is safe.
I cannot let Zelos have her but I can’t let her go either. Not after last night. Not after how right she felt.
Rubbing my lip, I change the subject. “What do you know of Heartbonds?”
Fee laughs, a sharp noise that echoes around us. “That they’re afairytalemothers tell their children to help them sleep at night. DarkFaedon’t get Heartbonds,Kaden. We’re not lucky enough to have another person out there to share our burdens with. To share our darknesswith.” She looks off sadly. “We’re just not that lucky.”
Reid comes rushing up to us, from the side of the village where the long-home rests. Unlike Fee, he didn’t care to partake in the new clothes either, staying in his leathers.
“Kaden,” he pants, stopping short of us, eying our defensive stances. “We good here?”
“Fine,” I snap, looking over his shoulder. “What’s going on?”
“The Humans and Wulf have already met this morning.” I glance to the sky; the sun has barely risen. “Wulf has already declined to support them in their quest to find the Crimson Army.”
Fee huffs out a breath. “Good. That means we can go home.”
I notice how she doesn’t include Max.
“What are they doing now?” I ask my brother, pulling my hair into a knot on my head.
He shrugs. “The Humans are getting ready to leave. They’re planning to continue on.”
“Fools errand,” Fee says. “They’re going to look for an army that will destroy them. All of this was a stupid plan by the king.”
Something tickles the back of my skull and I file her words away.
“And Wulf?”
