At this point, the tears just keep flowing. "Why didn't you wake me when he summoned you? I could have been here. Maybe I could've stopped it."
Kane reaches up and touches his finger against my face, leaving a streak of his blood on my cheek. "I wanted you to keep sleeping, so when Drogaem began to summon you, I shouted angrily at him to distract him. I tried to keep my screams at bay, but without you here to be brave for I gave in. I'm sorry."
My breath shutters as I sob, leaning over, pressing my forehead to Kane's. Even though he is strong, I know that his wounds have to hurt. And they hurt because of me. "Don't ever apologize. Screams or not, you are the strongest man I have ever known. I will get my revenge on Drogaem. But for as long as I can help it, I will try not to leave you alone in this ever again."
His sacrifice means more to me that I can express. There will never be a doubt in my mind again. I am his, and he is mine.
Chapter 6
Briar
Kane is resting, and I made sure of that. He wants me to sleep too, but I have things I need to take care of. I know that resting helps my powers, I saw that today, but if I stop pushing, stop looking for help, we're as good as dead. I wait until he is asleep, knowing that telling him about my letter to the rebels and what I plan to do will only make him worry. He has enough to deal with at this point.
I haven't seen Drogaem since he stomped out of the throne room, but I can still feel the suppression of my powers. I'm hoping that within a day or so, he lifts this. He would be stupid to, but his mind is on other things. His want for power takes him over, and he loosens his hold on me without thinking about it.
Creeping down the hallways, I stop every few feet just to make sure no one is following me. The castle is still as it has been. I pull the black cloak I'm wearing around my shoulders and flip up the hood, moving along the edge in the shadows. Though Drogaem controls the shadows now, I hope they do not alert him to my movements. They haven't so far, and it makes me wonder if their loyalty isn't still partially bound to Kane.
I slip through the doorway, taking the steps two at a time and hurry around the corner into the darkness. I'm light on my feet, unsure of what creatures lurk upon the grounds. There is more to the underworld than I could've ever imagined. After seeing the beasts this morning, I'm not feeling very confident in my ability to sneak around. Still, I want to check to see if my letter is gone and if I have received one in return.
I make my way over the training grounds and along the edge of the forest, finding the stump that I have ensured myself will be empty when I reach it. Thankfully, it is. Someone has taken my letter, and I feel positive about the fact that it isn't Drogaem. He has little restraint,
and if he has found it, I would know by now. My eyes shift around the dark forest before I begin to scour the ground for any type of return message. My boots gently fish through the twigs and dirt strewn across the stone cracked ground. I lean closer to the stump, looking within the crack, but there is nothing.
Frustration begins to build inside of me. If they received the letter then why didn't they write me back? The contents of the message made it very clear that I would be waiting for a reply. But maybe my worst fears are true. Maybe they have truly left us.
Narrowing my eyes, I bend down, squatting as I run my hand across the warm surface of the stump. I try to pull forth my magic, hoping that it will help me track whoever has taken the letter, but my magic is tied. Finding nothing, I stand, letting out a frustrated breath. I can't take too much time out here, I run the risk of being caught. I really don't know what excuse I'll give if Drogaem finds me snooping around.
As I turn, ready to head back to the castle in defeat, I hear the crack of a twig. My whole body stops, and slowly I begin to turn toward the darkness of the forest. Before I can even start to find the source of the sound, a body rams into me hard, sending me tumbling head over foot, slamming against one of the trees. I shake my head, my breath quickening. I reach between my thighs and pull my dagger out. As I look up, I see a fist soaring straight for my face. I tumble over, using my feet to dig in and roll forward just as the fist pounds into the tree, sending bark flying. I jump my feet and ready myself, squatting with my dagger out, my eyes shifting back and forth in the darkness.
Something whisks past me with the speed that I've only seen in Kane. It contacts my legs and knocks me to the ground. Before I can catch my bearings, the being is on top of me, gripping my wrists and pulling them down to the ground on each side. They're wearing a heavy dark cloak, and their face is shadowed. I don't have time to try to figure out who it is. With an upward thrust of my knee,
