I hear Willem mutter something under his breath as Kane sets me back on my feet. I glare over at him while pressing a hand to my throat where Kane’s fingers were. I miss his touch even as I dread what else is to come. I could blame him. I could hate him for bringing me here, but I don’t. No matter how hard I try, I can’t hate him. And there are far more threatening things than Kane looking for the crown. Like Aiden or Willem taking the power for themselves.
With renewed determination, I take the lead. Kane walks close behind with Willem by his side. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I don’t care. The sooner this is over, the sooner I can be Kane’s wife and I won’t have to worry about his brother or Willem trying to tear us apart. And when I’m his wife, he can love me freely. Even if only in the darkness of our bedchamber.
Suddenly, my mind begins to surge, and I plunge into visions uninhibited by my attempts to stop them.
A midnight garden rests at the base of a large mountain. Twinkling lights dance around the fragrant flowers. My eyes lift to the hooded figure standing beside the sacred tree. I am not in danger, not with him. He moves swiftly through the garden. The tiny lights cower beneath his darkness, but not I. His hand touches my cheek and I shiver. “My love…”
I reach my hand out blindly and lean against one of the obsidian shards to steady myself.
Armor bearing the crest of Drogaem litters the battlefield. Souls scream out for deliverance, but nothing comes to reap them from this horror. I stand there, a beacon of light in the midst of carnage, staring up at the being I once loved. His white eyes disintegrate. Crimson liquid flows over my hands and the hilt of the blade, soaking my gown with the blood of Death.
Kane reaches out to me, but I feel those unwanted emotions. It’s too much. I flinch away when he tries to steady me. “I’m sorry...I..I can’t.”
My head spins and I lean over to heave, but there’s nothing left in my stomach. Acid spills over my tongue. Kane moves ahead of me.
“I’ll make sure she’s alright,” Willem says.
Kane agrees. I expect his anger, but he only gives me a look of sympathy before continuing along the sands. I don’t want to be alone with Willem. He dips low and I feel his lips beside my ear. He’s repulsive, but I’m not strong enough to push him away. The tomb is so close. We’re just a few feet outside of the entrance.
Kane walks inside, leaving us alone as Willem helps me sit. I don’t trust him still.
“Give me the knife and I’ll kill him myself,” he whispers. I stare at the entrance, silently willing Kane to return. “All you have to do is give me the dagger and distract him. I can do it in one blow.”
He places his hand on my shoulder and I slap it away. “No.”
He recoils in anger, gritting his teeth. “I could just kill you and take it.”
The fear I feel summons another vision. They aren’t mine. I don’t know who they belong to, but I wish for them to stop. My hands quiver as the pain pushes its way through me.
Cold fingers press me against the stone by my neck, squeezing the air from my lungs as he laughs in my face. “You think you can conspire against me, that I wouldn’t see through your lies…”
His words fade as black spots fill my vision. He releases his hold only to see me gasp before cutting off my air again. My legs kick wildly. I’m no match for his power.
“You never loved me. Did you? You never cared.”
“I love you.” The words are no more than painful sighs, but his eyes widen.
I cry out as the tension in my head swells. The vision begins to dwindle. No. Memory? The agony lessens and Kane is by my side once more. Willem backs away, but he keeps his eyes on me.
“What’s wrong?” my betrothed asks.
I reach for his hand, sensing it through the blinding pain. “Everything hurts, Kane…I don’t know if I can go with you.”
His voice is strong and steady. “You have to.”
“You keep telling me that, but you don’t explain why.” My hands lift to frame his handsome face.
His eyes flicker to Willem and he swallows loudly. I keep my hands where they are. I need to feel him.
Kane runs his teeth over his bottom lip. “Because I need you to open the door.”
He stands, taking my hands and leading me through the intricately carved archway. There’s a short passage before we reach a large stone door. It looks out of place on an island formed entirely out of obsidian.
Kane stops and turns to me, holding my hands in his. His face is remorseful, but serious. “I need you to do this, Briar. I need you to be the light that burns away the darkness. You’re the key. That’s why I brought you here.”
“I...I don’t understand.” I clutch my head again, ripping my hands from his.
Tears well in my eyes as I double over. Kane points to an inscription on the door. I can’t stand any longer. I fall to my knees as a blinding light obscures everything in front of me.
Fire sparks in my chest and spreads through the rest of my body. “Kane!”
His shadows swarm, dousing the light and washing me in darkness.
Chapter 14
Kane
I watch my bride curl up inside of her cloak as she sleeps just outside of the entrance of the tomb. Willem stares at the blackened stone beneath our feet and points to the singe marks along the walls.
“Why are we here, Kane? She was right to ask. Briar shouldn’t be here without proper training. Whatever power she holds is too strong for
