For four days, I’d torn across the continent in the space between Sanserria and the northern border with Shai, Jophiel, and Simon searching for him. Every safe house, every spy’s lodging. Neither Teale nor Shai could get a read on him mind to mind. They sensed him, but not where nor the measure of his thoughts for any clue.
It was like he’d disappeared. Gone with no trace like smoke on the wind.
When I last saw him, he and Misha Briar were leaving the Solstice festivities early. I hadn’t minded, not after I’d given my approval to Misha. Unnecessary, Julian would have what he wanted regardless, but I could see how much it meant to her.
I could see why he loved her. It went deeper than beauty, into her wide and trusting gaze. The Golden Briar had a way of breaking down walls with her trust, unaware they were torn down until you were utterly exposed. She’d seen straight through me, differently than her sister had.
An image of her fiery eyes, dimmed—dead—flooded me, lancing pain across my throat.
I’d searched everywhere I could for them when I got the relay of Miranda’s vision just before dawn. She and her aunts were already gone, led into Adrienne’s trap.
Fuck—I’d only come to the celebration to help, to keep this exact thing from happening, and I’d failed. I couldn’t keep anyone safe. Not even my own brother.
Failure was right.
If I’d only gone to Alesia when I’d arrived, told her and Eve everything. I should have trusted them. Even if they hadn’t believed me, they would’ve been warned.
She would be alive.
Instead, I let my pride win, thought I could handle it on my own. Only to be distracted by dark eyes. It had gotten them all killed. Alesia and Eve. Orelia and Cedric.
Her.
But I could save my brother. I could save her sister. That much I could do. No more harm would come to her family because of me.
I could get revenge.
“A high fae came through the border near Haldrin. At the Death Tree.” Shai walked over, interrupting my downward spiral.
“Is it urgent?”
Shai paused, silently communicating with Teale at the cabin, then shook his head. “The female was alone, in bad shape—shadowhound bite—and is now unconscious. But she may know something. They won’t need us until she wakes to question her.”
"They don't need us for that." There were more important matters. “Teale can do it herself.”
“She can’t. Teale said the fae’s mental shields wouldn’t let her through. She could only knock her out, but gleaning any information about her identity was impossible.”
That was bizarre. Teale was an exceptionally talented mindcaster. Second only to the Oscuri-trained. “What else do we know?” I asked.
“She’s dressed in fighting leathers. Armed with a Galorian silver sword and bow, but she’s out of arrows. Must’ve emptied them into the shadowhound pack. Looks like she’s traveling alone.”
“Do you think she’s fleeing the West or coming with purpose?”
Shai shrugged. “Celeste thinks she’s an assassin sent from Adrienne.”
“Reynian?”
Shai shook his head. “If she is, she wasn’t born there. Lacks the white hair, and her skin is too pale.”
“Fine. When the fae wakes, we’ll go.”
Shai nodded and walked away, sensing my need to be left alone.
My thoughts fell back to her—always to her, unable to pull away. I clung to her memory, even as her death dragged me down like that morning beneath the sea. Some part of me would rest there forever with her, eternally drowning.
I thought of our last moment together, her skin radiating with heat, drawing me in like a moth to a flame. I’d reached for her, and she’d flinched.
I’d wanted to tell her—so badly—that night what I felt. I could’ve sworn she’d begun to feel it too, how similar we were, two souls made from the same divine essence. But I’d ruined everything before I had the chance.
I’d never see that fire in her eyes again. And it was all my fault.
Pain sliced through me. It wasn’t just the agony of losing someone because she wasn’t mine to lose—but fuck, I’d wanted her to be.
I’d failed them all: my brother, Alesia and Eve, the Shaws, her—it was too much to bear.
But I could do this, I could still find and protect my brother. I could protect her sister, the last Briar.
After another fruitless night of searching, I stood watching the sun as it rose. Could Julian see it, too? Did he feel its warmth?
Where the fuck was he?
Not with Adrienne. That much was simple to determine. She would have used him as bait already to draw me back. And it would have worked. I’d have gone in an instant. She couldn’t have Misha either; otherwise, she’d have accused me of her murder as well, not just kidnapping. I still had time.
Shai approached, standing beside me as I took in the dying embers of our fire. “The prisoner is awake at the cabin.”
My magic crackled under my skin. This fae had to know something, and I was ready to do anything to retrieve the answers.
“Did they get anything from her?”
Shai shook his head. “She’s from the West but denies she was sent from Adrienne. She also denies she’s sent her as an assassin, but…”
“But what?”
“She nearly escaped, almost punched through Miranda’s wards. It rattled them. Whoever she is, she’s not being completely honest. And Adrienne having a high fae like that under her power…”
I knew what he meant. It could have been devastating. We were lucky the shadowhounds weakened her, that she’d unknowingly fallen right into our hands.
Godsdamn, nearly punching through a ward? Miranda’s spells weren’t fae magic. Even the high fae had no defenses against them. It should have been impossible.
Who was she?
I hoped she was an assassin, straight from Adrienne. The reason my brother was in danger, the reason her light was gone.
I hoped that when I was done with Adrienne’s spy, her body would send the traitor queen a message.
We landed outside the wards, some two hundred meters from the cabin. Shai froze, brow furrowing. “Something’s happening…" His eyes went wide. "Shit—she’s escaping.”
We took off at a sprint. Jophiel shot into the sky, Simon trailing behind me and Shai. Through the break in the trees, I saw her burst through the door, jumping the stairs entirely before sprinting for the tree line.
Alive.
“Stop,” I commanded. Shai skidded to a halt. I didn’t slow, didn’t take my eyes off her. “She’s mine.”
From where we were, I could cut her off before she reached the tree line. She was faster, but I was closer.
I hit her with enough force to knock us both off our feet. As we fell, I wrapped my arms around her, turning so my back would take the brunt of our fall. The air crackled with the force of us.
She was here. Safe and somehow uninjured. “Ni—”
She freed an arm, throwing an elbow back, connecting with my jaw. My arms loosened a half-second too long. She rolled out of my grip, turning back toward the forest.
Fuck, no. I’d just gotten her back. She wasn’t going anywhere.
My hand shot out, grasping her ankle and knocking her back into the dirt. I’d have to apologize—
Her other foot kicked back, landing square on my face. The bone in my nose cracked.
“Fuck.” No apologies, then.
My grip held firm despite the pain searing across my cheeks. If she wanted to escape, she would have to kill me. But first, she would have to look at me and realize I wasn’t her enemy.
She kicked again, and I grasped her other ankle, pulling her beneath me. Flipping her onto her back, I pinned her to the ground, my hands on her wrists and legs straddling hers as she continued to fight like hell—until she saw me and went utterly still.
Those dark eyes widened. Surprise and…hope.
“Nicole,” I breathed. It’s you—you’re alive.
Godsdamn me, I should have known she couldn’t have been killed that easily. I should have known better that a female traveling alone from the West had to have been her. I should have asked for more of a description—her face, her ears, the sword—I would have known and come back immediately.
I watched the relief fall over her, Nicole’s body going loose all at once. Blood ran from my nose, landing in droplets onto her chest, my jaw pulsing in pain, but none of that mattered.
You.
“Julian.” Her voice was a hopeful rasp. She swallowed, then shouted, “Misha!”
Nicole’s head swiveled, looking around. She thought they were here with me, that I’d gotten them out. A fresh stab of pain went through me as I realized I was about to let her down again.
I shook my head, forcing out the words. “They’re not here.”
Panic flooded her eyes. “No—no, they have to be. He has to be with you. She has to be with you.” Nicole began to struggle again, her breath growing frantic, erratic.
“We couldn’t find them.” My voice cracked.
Nicole thrashed, more forcefully now. I let go of her wrists, grasping her face so we were eye to eye again.
“I swear on my life, I will find them—we will find them,” I swore. I wouldn’t let her down—my brother down—again. I would find Julian and Misha, or I would die trying.
I watched Nicole take in my words, slowly believing—trusting—them, and she stopped fighting.
You, her dark eyes seemed to whisper. I didn’t know if the relief she felt at being here with me was true or my imagination, but I let my chest swell with it all the same. I couldn’t have stopped it if I’d wanted to.
“You two know each other?” We were interrupted by Celeste’s voice.
Nicole grew tense once more, and the moment between her and I burst.
I sat back, climbing off her, but unable to pull too far away. Nicole pushed herself into sitting, taking in Celeste, Teale, Damian, and Miranda from where they watched us. She had to have sensed the others with me but didn’t turn to them.
I knew what I’d see as I looked at the Seven: hesitation, curiosity, maybe even concern. Only Shai would have recognized her from the Solstice. But my eyes couldn’t leave her face, couldn’t stop watching her draw breath.
Alive.
“Nicole, these are the Seven. Seven, meet Princess Nicole Briar of Hahnaley.”
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