Page 14 of Prisoner of Steel and Shadow

“Save her,” he mouthed.

Throat tight, Ronan nodded as he stepped through the portal, a promise simmering in his veins.

I will not rest until I find her. Mother save the man who dares stand in my way, for he will find no mercy with me. I almost gave up once. I will not quit again.

One way or another, Reyna will be mine.

Helena

“Doyou think he’s going to be okay?” she whispered as the others slowly filtered out of the room.

Her Mate studied her with stormy silver eyes. “Mira,you know I cannot lie to you.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

He quirked a dark brow. “Didn’t you? You seek reassurance, but I can offer none. I’ve known Ronan since we were boys. He’s the brother of my soul, if not my blood. I do not know what awaits him at the end of his journey. But I pray he finds peace.”

“Me too.”

As they had so many times in the last handful of years, Helena’s fingertips blindly traced the lines of her Jaka, the Daejaran warrior’s mark running down the length of her rib cage. Ronan had gifted her with it during one of her darkest times. Even though the iridescent tattoo was currently concealed by her dress, she instinctively sought out the hidden symbol he’d worked into the design. The one he bashfully informed her represented his undying loyalty. It felt like a lifetime ago that they’d been those people. Her the one falling apart without the other half of her soul, and he the pillar of strength and hope holding her together when it felt like nothing else would.

When she’d had a chance to do the same, to repay the debt, she’d failed. Ronan hadn’t simply cracked; he’d shattered. And not even their bond had been enough to piece him back together.

Helena barely recognized the man who’d just stood before them. Sure, he looked and talked the same. He even managed to smile once or twice. But Ronan,herRonan, was gone. Even gifted with Effie’s vision, he was only a shadow of his former self. A creature composed of darkness instead of light.

She knew it wasn’t by choice. He’d simply lost too much, had his faith tested one too many times. No one could be expected to face such trials and remain unchanged. It was a truth she understood better than most. Not everyone survived meeting the darkest parts of their soul. Mother knows she barely did.

Fear skittered across Helena’s spine and dread pooled low in her stomach. She couldn’t shake the feeling that when Ronan stepped through that portal he suspected he wouldn’t return. That even though the words hadn’t crossed his lips, his last look over his shoulder had been goodbye.

Blinking away tears, she whispered, “I already miss him.”

“So do I, love.” Reaching out, Von tangled his fingers with hers, their daughter already fast asleep. Her thumb tucked sweetly in her mouth as she cuddled into the safety of her daddy’s arms. “So do I.”

CHAPTER5

RONAN

“This is where I leave you.”

Ronan glanced back at Lucian, who remained beside the flickering portal. “Are you sure there’s nothing else you can share with me? An address, perhaps?”

Lucian offered a sympathetic smile. “I know as much as you.”

“So fuck all then.”

“At least you know she’s here somewhere.”

“I’ve learned when it comes to the Keepers ‘here’ could as easily mean the whole damned continent as the city itself.”

Lucian’s lips twitched. “Here, meaning Glimmermere”—he waved a hand to indicate the bustling port town in the distance—“Empyria’s capital. Chin up, Shield. Your journey nears its end.”

“Effie said it was just beginning.”

“I suppose it’s a matter of perspective, then.”

Ronan growled. “Fucking Keepers and their word games.”

“Comes with the territory, I’m afraid. Take care of yourself, Ronan. My woman will be devastated if anything happens to you. Don’t give her a reason to cry.”

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