Quiet enters my head for a moment as I watch Fawn and Thea tumble over the edge and fade from view. But then I'm rushing forward, aiming for that ledge with a roar. "No Kaz," Ryder dives for me, knocking me out of the way and I snarl at him.
"Get off me. We need to save her. Thea is down there. My mate is down there!" Raven reaches us next, her eyes soft, "We know Kaz but none of us have wings or know how to fly. None of us would survive that fall. There's nothing we can do for her. I'm sorry."
I don't want to accept it, I don't want to acknowledge that I just watched her plummet to her death.
The two males who were here before us turn to face us and smirk at me, "I guess her blood was spilled after all. Even if we lost one of our own."
Fin's face turns dark with anger, but he says nothing. I on the other hand, I'm filled with rage.
Shoving Ryder off me, I strike the two males, my magic ripping from me in sharp spears; it hits them in the chest, going straight through them.
I watch as their face go from shock, to pain, to relaxed. Their lives slipping from them before their knees give out and they fall; lifelessly to the ground.
Heaving a breath, I blink. Looking at the carnage I just created. Normally I'd feel a sense of guit, but not today. Today I am oddly satisfied with what I just did.
I have no room for guilt when my mate is gone.
The weight of that finally hits me but I don't have time to let it fully sink in because my brother comes crashing through the trees, riding Persephone. His blood horse snorts at us, her red eyes flashing in the fading afternoon light.
"Hello all." He crows. I snarl again, hating him more than I ever have in our entire lives.
"You." I seethe. I'd race for him, but I don't know what that godforsaken horse is capable of. My brother knows it too. He laughs.
"I'm sorry about your mate, Kaz. I really am. I liked her. But alas, I needed her blood to find that crown so I can wake Xavier and rule this world. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go collect what I came for and be on my way."
I see red.
I'd love nothing more than to slit his miserable throat.
Marching towards him, I pause beside the blood horse and glare up at him. "You will get what's coming for you, one day Augustus. I swear it." Normally my brother would laugh or smirk, not intimidated by me in the slightest, but right now; in this very moment, his skin pales slightly and his eyes widen. He knows I mean it.
One day, I'll get him.
Clearing his throat, Augustus shrugs before clearing his face then turns and strides towards the side of the cliff we're facing. His horse sure footed and knowing the way to the bottom.
"Can't we just fold to were we want to go?" Fin asks quietly. His words send hope sparking through me. "By the gods... yes we can. Why didn't I do this before?"
But the others don't look convinced. "Kaz, we've been up here for a while. She's probably already hit the bottom. Whether we folded or not, you have to accept that Althea is dead."
Snarling, I turn away from them, standing at the edge of the ravine that she fell into and stare down at the mist and fog. By some chance I was hoping to see her holding on with one hand but she's not.
Thea truly plummeted to her death. My chest hurts at the thought.
Something cracks within me, I think it's my heart. My knees give out and I kneel there, at the edge of the world and weep.
I weep for the woman I first met three years ago. I weep for the girl I knew her to be and the woman she became. I weep for the way she turned my house into a home.
I never even got to tell her I loved her.
That makes it worse. It's worse knowing that I should have pulled her aside before we entered here, like I'd wanted to, and told her that. I wanted to make her my High Lady but I never got around to it. Pushed it off for later because I thought there would. I was sure of it.
Foolish.
I don't care that my friends are here watching me; I continue to weep. A hand lands on my shoulder and another. Then we're all standing by the edge and looking down into the abyss that Thea fell into; wondering, hoping, praying, that by some miracle she survived.
⤗
"Are you sure she's dead?" Raven speaks after long moments of silence. My tears have long since dried and my heart is heavy.
"What?" I rasp.
"Are you sure she's dead? Wouldn't you know?" I frown at her, trying to piece it together. "The bond." Ryder whispers. "The mating bond would tell you if she's dead or not."
I blink, suddenly feeling hopeful.
Closing my eyes, I focus on that bond. The tether of gold that holds us together. I reach for it, racing towards that rope.
When I find it, I grab a hold of it and follow it until I reach the end. I frown, she's not here. Not at the end waiting for me.
The connection just goes slack right here. Like she's not quite dead but not fully alive either.
Thea? I call out. Reaching for her, hoping to find some sense of life waiting for me. Nothing. It's silent.
I try again, Thea? Angel Heart, can you hear me?
Again silence. Feeling frustrated I pull back until I'm gasping into fresh air and late afternoon sunlight. "Well?" Raven asks. I blink, "I don't know. I can't see her. It's like the line went slack on her end. Like she's in-between."
"That means she's not dead." Ryder states. "If she was dead you'd know it. That bond would have snapped. It would be like missing a piece of yourself forever."
I meet his stare and see the haunted look in them. He lost his mate many years ago, due to a small rebellion that hit my kingdom. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time and died.
It still hurts him to this day. He's not the same male I knew all those years ago. When she died, some part of Ryder did too.
I nod, not apologizing because I know he doesn't want that. "Ok. Then we must get into that ravine and see if she's alive." I state. "That would be fine but we can't fold into something that we can't see. You know that Kaz."
I swallow frustrated but knowing it's true.
"Ok. Then we go on foot." No one complains, no one questions me. They know that I'm determined to do this, with or without them.
When no one speaks up, I follow after the same path my brother took. Hoping that we don't bump into him along the way and that by some miracle we make it there before him. Four sets of steps march over loose stone and dirt road, walking along a hidden path that eventually turns into stone steps leading down into the mist.
"I don't like this at all." Ryder says. I don't either, but it's the only way down. It's the only option we have. "I don't either, but we can do this Ryder. We must."
I don't glance back to know that he nods, I just feel it. Ryder has been loyal since the day we met. He's one of my closest friends and greatest soldiers.
When I told Thea to run and I saw Fawn and those two males go after her I was scared. I would have followed but we had to deal with my brother and the sudden small army of fae that poured out from the woods.
By the time we fought them all off and managed to get away, Thea had already fallen. If only I'd made it a second sooner. If only I had been better.
But if only's won't change things. It won't bring Thea back.
So we keep pushing forward. Down and down we go, deep into the mist and fog. The steps becoming wet and slick, only making the trek longer. But again no one complains, no one says a word; we simply push downwards.
Meanwhile I keep reaching for her, hoping to find her hand reaching back, but it never does.
⤗
Eternity. That's what it feels like. Eternity before we've reached the bottom of the ravine, before the fog and mist have lifted enough for us to see. Finally I can see the last step. Our legs like jelly and muscles begging for a break.
When my feet hit the ground I pause, finally breathing deeply and looking around at the large space before us. There's not much to see. Just the stone steps behind us, a river that flows steadily, and on the far side is the other wall of the ravine.
Some jagged rocks protrude from the river but otherwise there's nothing down here.
"Oh thank god we made it." Raven grumbles before taking a seat on the last step.
I let them rest for a moment, trying to understand what this place is. Those steps didn't just appear on their own. They had to have been carved out. Thinking back on the molselum that the crown is hidden within, this makes no sense. Why would it lead us here? Why did she go down the path that led her here? It doesn't add up. There's no graveyard here, no sign of that long lost tomb.
If only I could ask Thea about this, but she's not here.
"What is this place?" Fin asks. "I don't know, I was wondering the same thing." I reply. Moving forward, I reach the river bank and peer down. The water is deep but clear. A beautiful blue that flows freely towards whatever freedom lies out there.
"Where do we go from here?" Raven asks. I blink hoping to figure that out too, but again I come up against a wall. It's a dead end.
"I don't know." I whisper feeling defeated and frustrated. "It's ok Kaz. We'll figure it out." Raven whispers, her voice softer than I've ever heard it before.
I feel blessed to have these friends with me, to have them by my side and trust me this deeply. Sighing, I follow the river hoping, looking for footsteps or any sign that someone has been here recently.
"Shouldn't Augustus be here by now? He left befre we did. I thought for sure we'd bump into him and that death horse of his." Ryder snarks. I blink, that's true Augustus should be here but there's no way that horse could make it down all those steps. I keep following the bank, hoping; praying, that I might find something. But the dirt is undisturbed. No one has walked over these shores in many many years.
I keep pressing forward, until finally; there, I see it. A mark in the mud. One step.
"Guys!" I shout. I bend down and trace the step. Small, narrow, but strong. This has to be Thea's.
Several pairs of feet come rushing over, "What is it Kaz?"
"Look. There's steps in the mud, leading this way." I breathe. My hope is like an inferno in my chest. Wild and raging. Following them, I keep close to the bank trying to calculate where the steps are going.
"Not to be a bummer, but we don't know that these are hers Kaz. They could be Augustus's or even Fawn's." Ryder whispers. I frown, "They're too small to be my brother's and it's not his horse's steps, so it's either Fawn's or Thea's." I don't want to get my hope up, but I can't let it fade either.
I'd know if she died, I'd feel it. But that unsettling quiet within my mind, my soul; is just as bad. I want to hear her, feel her presence. I need her here.
It's getting dark now, the sun has probably begun to set, but with the cover of mist and fog it's impossible to tell.
"Should we find a place to rest for the night and check it out in the morning?" Raven asks. A breeze whispers through the ravine, sending chills along our skin. I hate the thought of waiting even longer to find Althea, but I know my friends need to rest. We're no good to her exhausted and weak.
I nod, "Alright. We'll seek someplace to shelter into for the night and maybe get a fire started, then come first light; we leave." The others murmurs their agreement and begin walking inwards towards the walls of the ravine. It's such an open space that there's unlikely to be a spot to nestle into. We may end up sleeping on hard ground for the night and keeping close for body heat.
But no one complains when we don't find shelter. Ryder lays against the wall, his back against it and says, "I'll take first watch in case your idiotic brother shows up." I nod my thanks.
Then using a little bit of magic, I create a small hole in the ground. "Can someone go look for firewood or kindling? I can spark it once we have the materials." Raven volunteers and takes off to look for any bits of driftwood that may have washed up on the bank.
Fin takes a seat on the hard but thankful dry, dirt and stares off into the distance. Sitting next to him I whisper, "I'm sorry about your sister." He sighs, "I should have seen it. Of all people I should have noticed if something was up with her. But she seemed to be herself. I never would have guessed it was her."
That makes me frown, "You were suspicious that someone in this group had turned on me?"
Fin nods and his eyes flicker to Ryder. My frown deepens more, "No. Absolutely not." He shrugs, "I just thought some of his outbursts were a bit much. When we were at dinner last night, I noticed Thea picking up on it, staring at him when he kept pestering you about where we needed to go to find the crown."
I swallow, "He's always been like that though. Emotional and strong, but impatient. It's one of the reasons we became such close friends."
It's Fin's turn to frown, "And that's why I would have suspected him. Because he's closest to you. But I was wrong, it seems your brother went after the person he felt was the weakest."
I don't like the way he phrases that. "Fawn wasn't weak." I whisper. "Not physically, KAz. Mentally. She was the weakest mentally." I have nothing to say to that. Thankfully, Raven returns with some dry wood and bits of leaves and sticks that she found along the river bank.
"Will these work? There wasn't much." I nod, "It'll do." She tosses it all into the hole that I created and with a flick of my wrist I create a spark, setting the kindling ablaze. Once we have a decent fire going, the others crowd around it.
I stay where I am, watching. Hoping that no one else in this small group of people are out to betray me; because if I'm being honest, they're the only family I have left and I'm not ready to lose any more of them.
⤗
Waking the next morning leaves me hollow. The previous days events come crashing back to me. It wasn't some horrible nightmare, it was real. Althea is not here. She's gone.
I thought I'd unleashed all the tears yesterday, but more prick my eyes. More want to well up and pour down my face when I think about it. I can't wrap my head around it.
When I reach for that bond within me, I find it slack, like she's stuck somewhere only that loose feeling is getting closer. She's fading.
Wherever she is; she's slipping away and fast.
Reaching beside me, my fingers brush dirt and rocks. The ache that hits me is enough to take my breath away. I need to find her.
Pushing to my feet, groaning a little at the ache in my back from laying on hard dirt all night, I look up at the sky and see small rays of light coming through. It's first light, time to move.
Waking the others, it takes them a few minutes to rise and stretch but eventually we're ready. Once we've washed our faces in the river and grabbed a drink, we begin the trek forward, following the steps that I saw last night. They're still there.
Soon enough we get deeper into the ravine and the steps become stronger, more prominent. The mud shifts into hard sand, and eventually that turns into packed earth. This is where the steps stop. Right were the sand meets the grass and dirt. But I know the path they took. They kept walking straight.
"What now?" Fin asks. I smile, "We keep moving forward. We haven't see anything or anyone in hours, but this still goes straight. Whoever it was went this way. I know we'll find them soon enough."
I was right, we haven't been walking for more than half an hour when I see a turn up ahead. The first change in scenery since we left early morning. "Do you see that?" I ask.
Ryder stops beside me and nod, "Yeah the first change in this path since we left. Do you think that we'll find her up there?"
I shrug, "There's only one way to find out." We move onwards, aiming for that turn hoping to find something, any sign that she survived that fall. The closer I get to the turn the more anxious I become. I've never felt so out of sorts, almost wild with fear, before in my life. But when it comes to Thea, I'd do anything to make sure she's ok. She's different. She completely changed me. I don't want to lose that.
"Kaz." Raven whispers. Her voice hushed and quiet. I pause. "What is it?" She comes to a halt beside me and crouches down, trailing her fingers over something in the grass.
"Horse tracks. Your brother beat us here. I don't know how, but he did. We must be careful going forward."
Irritation flashes through me. Nodding we proceed forward carefully. Aiming for the bend up ahead. When we reach it, I peer around it and pause. My brother is there, standing beside Persephone and to my shock, Fawn is next to him. She isn't dead.
Maybe Thea isn't either? Tara is also there. I almost forgot about her, she's been away for so long. There's a few others as well. Males I don't recognize.
But I don't see her. She's nowhere to be found.
"Well done all of you. We got what we came for, now it's time to get that crown and use it to waken Xavier. Soon, I will be the most powerful fae this world has ever seen and no one will be able to stop me." My brother speaks loudly to the small crowd.
"But sir, where is the crown? I thought you said it was inside a tomb? I haven't seen one here."
Augustus smirks, "It's here. I know it is. The ground it once rested upon moved due to earthquakes and years of war. This ravine wasn't here many years ago. It's here. It fell in here when the earth cracked. I will find it."
Tara snips, "How do we know it's here darling?" He smiles at her lovingly. Ugh they make me sick. They're perfect for each other.
"Because, Tara darling, I have the only guidance needed to find it." Her smile is wicked and sick. Even Fawn giggles a little, her eyes sparking with glee.
I hate them. I hate all of them.
My rage surges through me, swirling in my gut and puling through my veins. Ryder's hand on my shoulder makes me pause.
"Easy Kaz, we don't want to notify them that we're here. Let's wait to see what happens from here."
His tactical skills are kicking in. Always the captain, always the soldier. This is why he's my first in command. Turning back to the scene, I keep watching wondering what my brother is going say next.
"Thanks to Fawn, I have what I need to lead me to the tomb. Once we enter it, I will grab the crown and then begin the ritual to raise my great, great, great, grandfather and acquire his powers. I will have that magic. I WILL become the most feared and loved High Lord this world has ever known."
Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small clear vial, it's filled with red liquid.
Blood.
No. No it can't be. That's not... "I have her blood. In this vial, I have the blood of Althea Alinac, the descendant of Myra Alinac and enemy of my grandfather. WIth this I can find the tomb and unlock the crown."
Something splits within me. My knees giving out, faster than Ryder cna catch me. I hit the ground, my hands digging into the grass as pain ripples through me. No please don't tell me this is true.
Then to my horror, I watch as two more males appear carrying a stretcher between them. On that stretcher is a figure. I can't make it out fully, but when they shift it and a delicate arm falls off the side, I recognize it.
I know that arm. That lock of hair that hangs over the side. That's my Althea. That's my mate.
I have to cover my mouth to keep from screaming. Raven, Fin and Rdyer all crouch next to me in hushed silence.
We watch with baited breath as they crowd around that body, all peering down at her. "What about the bond?" Tara asks. Her voice thick with hate.
Augustus trails a finger down her arm, "You think I didn't think of that?" He laughs and dread suddenly fills my gut. Something bad is about to happen.
"As long as that bond is still attached, my brother will be able to track us. He'll be able to find us so we must take care of that." I pause, she's not dead. That's why the bond didn't snap. She's not dead.
"We need to move now." I snarl. "She's still alive, she's still breathing. We have to save her." My feet are ready to fly, wanting to take me across that distance and slaughter them all. But Fin holds me back, his hands on my shoulders, "Kaz there's more of them. We're outnumbered."
"That doesn't matter. We beat them once, we can do it again. I won't sit here and watch them destroy that bond."
My brother takes a small dagger out of his coat pocket, the same one Ryder gave to Thea before she left. I look at him, horrified. He blink, "I didn't know he took it from her. She must have dropped it fighting Fawn." I want to believe him, but Fin's words are making me question it. Shaking that thought away, I turn back to the scene before me.
"With this dagger I will sever that insufferable bond between them. Once it's cut it's impossible to fix."
I don't wait any longer. I'm on my feet in seconds and bolting forward. Rushing towards them in a blur of midnight fury. My feet taking me closer to them and to my mate.
I must reach her in time. I must.
Time slows when I hear my brother's next words, "This dagger is dipped in liquid iron, her healing abilities will be weak to fight it and she will die. That way we ensure there is no way for her to survive or that bond."
I push faster, racing for her letting out a fierce roar as I launch myself at them. My magic swelling to it's breaking point, pressing against my skin making me feel too tight. Tara, Fawn, and the others turn to look at me; their eyes wide, but my brother? He simply smiles at me and I watch as he plunges that dagger into Althea's chest.
"Nooo!" I scream. My magic erupts. Sending waves of dark power tearing through this ravine, ripping everything and anything apart in it's path. I have no end to the amount of fury that's pooling from me. Aiming a bolt of power at my sibling I launch it at him. Faster than he can prepare to block it.
Just as it hits him, he twists the dagger slipping it further into her chest.
Augustus flies backwards, hitting the far wall, his cronies crumple at the force of my magic hitting them.
I'm fury and death combined. I see nothing but that dagger in my mate's chest. Rushing forward, I reach her and grab that dagger. Hissing as I realize the whole thing was dipped in iron. But not caring, I hold it, pulling it out of her chest as Augustus roars at me.
But it's not enough. All my efforts are for nothing because I feel it.
That loose string within my chest, goes taut once more before I feel it snap.
My rage is replaced with pain and heartache. My magic explodes sending the ground shaking and the sky darkening as thunderclouds roll in and storms hit us.
"Althea" I whisper, but she can't hear me. She never will again.
As I watch her chest fall for the last time, I can't help the roar of pain that falls from my throat.
Our bond snaps. My mate is dead.