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fell in love, Grim,” she said, her voice rising, echoing through the tunnels. “I fell in love with someone else, while I was married. And I had no idea.”
It must have hurt immensely.
T he storm cleared, and with it, her chance at finding the portal.
“Or does my word mean nothing here? Am I ruler simply by name? Is my throne a prop? Does this marriage mean anything to you?”
“Your father. He liked maps.”
Isla told him about how she would sneak sticks and leaves in her pockets during training to build dolls out of them. One was named Stick-man. “Creative from your first breath,” Grim said, and she flicked his nose again.
“You knew Lark was alive. You knew she was buried below.”
“You both knew. You and Oro.”
“Isla, I think you inhaled too much sand in the storm.” Oro was saying, somewhere far away. “It has power. It can . . . heighten senses. Emotions.”
“Please. Please don’t stop touching me. Never stop touching me.”
“Do you want me on my knees for you, love?”
“I think I might die if you don’t touch me.”
He was so content—so happy, so deep in sleep—that he didn’t even hear her leave.
Portaling into her former friend’s Starling castle for the first time.
“Tell me you don’t miss me. Tell me you don’t think about me. Tell me you don’t go back in time and change your mind.”
The vault sat in front of her, its door still open.
Nexus was the curse that bound all rulers to their people.
NO ONE
Lark wouldn’t find the heart of Lightlark.
Cleo stepped out of the woods.
“Strange how easily mistakes are repeated . . .”
Love conquers us. It is the true ruler. The true equalizer. The true weapon and scythe among men.”
Damn her for having the bracelets made. She had done this to herself.
Lark was weaker here, in this world. Isla wondered, if, in the otherworld, she had been able to perform full resurrections. What had she promised Cleo? Did the Moonling understand the limits of Lark’s power here?
The ground trembled in response to the force of her, because now that she knew the power she had—she could use it.
“Your first cry . . . you brought the castle down. They were killed instantly.
Villainous from the first breath.
“Hearteater,” he said, his voice strained. “Are you trying to kill me?” “Yes,” she said. “Good. Now open your legs for me.”
That’s when she saw Lark sitting on the creature’s back, watching her.
Algid
She didn’t even see the blade of ice until it was through her throat. Then it sliced through her chest, and legs, and arms. The ice kept shifting from liquid to solid, over and over, resisting Lark’s healing.
Oro tried to think, tried to put the pieces together. “I’m not sure, but she must mean to sacrifice herself in some way,” he said, flames curling from his palms. “To try to get around the prophecy.” The Nightshade’s voice seemed to shake the world as he said, very slowly, “What prophecy?”
“The most dangerous people are those who don’t fear death, Isla.”
She had told him about the prophecy. She had trusted him. The pain twisted in his gut like a sword, because he only had himself to blame.
Fucking crybaby
