“I just wanted some air, and I persuaded Gracelyn to accompany me,” I interjected into the thick atmosphere.
Gracelyn looked away from the couple at the door. “We’ll be going now.”
She tugged me, and I gladly went along with her. I looked back at them and saw Flynn still staring as the redhead tugged at his arm. He shrugged her off as I turned away. We walked in silence for so long, I was worried she’d had some sort of attack.
“It makes me so mad,” Gracelyn exclaimed so abruptly she caused me to jump. “She’s always gotten everything. When we came here together, I saw him first. I wanted him first. I could have sworn if magic was still here, we would have been mates.” She scoffed. “But he couldn’t be bothered by me. All he saw was Lilith and getting her in his bed.” She squeezed her eyes. “She’s my cousin, so it’s not like I can hate her or ignore her. I’ve tried so hard to bury this feeling.”
“What if you are mates?” I asked, hushed.
“Then I hope I am far away from this place when you manage to free magic. After all I have seen of him and my cousin, I could never be with him. Not only because it hurts, but I cannot do that to her, either.” Gracelyn looked up at me. “That’s why I want to leave this place.”
“That’s why you’re always so sad.” I’d had a feeling it was something like that all those weeks ago when I saw her looking off as they left her behind.
“You understand, I feel it. You have this same pain.”
I nodded at her observation. “Have you tried getting over him? Looking elsewhere?” I only brought this up because of my fling with Ty. It had helped marginally, but at least the incessant pain lightened.
“No one sees me that way.” She ground her teeth. I eyed her doubtfully. How was that possible? My friend was ethereally pretty with her delicate features.
We pushed through the entrance and into the main hall where three Fae guards stood, discussing something intently. I heard Tyran’s name, but when they saw me, they clammed up. I was about to confront them when Cybel stepped in front of me.
“Rae, Coraline is looking for you.”
She seemed frantic, and I automatically thought the worst. “Is someone hurt?”
One of the guards stepped away from the group of three and disappeared down one of the many hallways.
“Rae!” Cora’s voice sounded from behind me, and I whirled around. I was sure popular today.
What was going on?
Cora strode up to where Cybel, Gracelyn, and I stood. “I’ve been looking for you. I was so worried when I didn’t find you in your room.”
“Are you okay?” My eyes widened. “Is Teagan okay?”
“Yeah, I’m wondering what is going on. I can’t find Rian.” Her mouth set in a firm line, and I knew she had to be worrying about Conan.
Tyran entered the room behind the guard who had disappeared. He stopped and gave me a long lingering look before turning to the other two guards. They bent their heads together and whispered between themselves. Oh, something was seriously up.
“Did you see that look he gave you?” Cora gripped my wrist, her words hushed. “You can’t deny it now. Ty likes you.”
I rolled my eyes at her words. If only she knew about us messing around. She’d been nagging me about Ty for the last week. I’d managed to play off what happened for the most part, but the words wanted to spill from me. It didn’t help that she made a big deal about the nickname I’d given him.
“Does not,” I mouthed right back and narrowed my gaze at her threateningly.
Rian appeared beside Cora, causing everyone to jump. “There’s a lead on unbinding magic.”
I jerked straight up, and Cora looked hopeful. “Conan is back?” she squeaked more than asked.
“Yes, my heart.” Conan’s deep voice sounded behind us. She whipped to the side, and a grin spread over her face. “I just returned. Rian met me at the edge of the boundary, and I filled him in.”
Cora didn’t let another word escape his mouth before she shot up and threw herself at him with a squeal. He caught her, chuckling as he squeezed her to him, the love evident on his face.
“Conan,” I exclaimed, glad he was safe. “How was my sister?” The question burst from me. I needed to know. I practically trembled with excitement.
“She gave me this for you,” Conan reached in his pocket and pulled out a slip. I gripped it. The paper was a receipt folded up. My grin hurt my face. I couldn’t wait to read it.
Behind them, Ty’s gaze shifted from me to Conan with concern. He said something to the guards and walked in our direction, his stride determined. I slipped my note in my pants.
A thunderous bang echoed from outside. A scuffle sounded as crashes erupted and echoed off the cavernous hall. The doors leading to the entrance were shoved forward, hitting the side of the walls. Four guards were panting with exertion as they muscled in a slumped body. Recognizing the form, I gasped.
“Roark?”
12
His dark hair was disheveled and longer than I had seen it. The messy waves close to his head and hung around his ears in stained clumps, matted with dirt and his face was shadowed with stubble. His piercing lavender eyes drilled into me, not allowing me to move an inch.
“Rae?” Gracelyn asked. She sounded far away, and it wasn’t until then that I realized I was shaking like a leaf.
Then his voice caressed over my skin. “Rae.”
I tried not to look at him. I turned away, but my eyes betrayed me and flicked back to him. His familiar scarred visage was haggard and smudged with dirt. I looked past all the dirt and focused on his fathomless eyes that hinted at nothing.
He stared at me as if trying to convey something. I tried to breathe, but it kept hitching
