Chapter 180

The road stretched before them like a ribbon of gray silk, winding through forests and fields, over hills and across rivers. It was a long journey the longest any of them had ever taken and the destination was uncertain. But they rode on, because there was no other choice.

Nyra rode at the front of the group, her silver hair streaming behind her, her moonlight eyes fixed on the horizon. She had been quiet since they left the Astrlyn keep lost in her thoughts, her fears, her doubts. She thought about Soren constantly. She saw him in her dreams, heard his voice in the wind, felt his presence in the moonlight. She missed him with an ache that never faded a hole in her chest that nothing could fill.

What if this doesn’t work? she thought. What if I can’t bring him back?

The doubt was a constant companion a whisper in the back of her mind that grew louder with every passing mile. She had faced so many challenges, overcome so many obstacles. But this, this was different. This was the Moon Court. This was death itself.

I have to try, she told herself. I have to.

But the fear remained.

Corvin rode beside her, his dark hair blowing in the wind, his whiskey-dark eyes fixed on the road ahead. He had been quiet too lost in his own thoughts, his own struggles.

He thought about Nyra constantly. He thought about the way she smiled, the way she laughed, the way she looked at him with those moonlight eyes. He thought about the bond that connected them, the mate bond that had never fully been fulfilled. He thought about the way she loved Soren completely, utterly, without reservation.

And he thought about how hard it was to let her go.

She’ll never love me the way she loves him, he thought. I know that. I’ve always known that.

But knowing didn’t make it easier. Knowing didn’t stop his heart from aching every time he looked at her. Knowing didn’t stop him from wishing—just for a moment—that things could be different.

But I can’t be selfish, he told himself. She needs me. Soren needs me. The realm needs me. I have to be strong—for her, for all of them.

He forced a smile and rode on.

Ragnar rode at the back of the group, his scarred face hidden beneath his hood.

He had been silent since the execution—since he had said goodbye to Finn. He had watched the boy he loved be led away in chains, had watched him disappear into the darkness of the prison. He had forgiven him truly forgiven him but the pain was still there, a wound that refused to heal.

He’s gone, Ragnar thought. He’s really gone.

He thought about Finn constantly—about his smile, his laugh, his touch. He thought about the way Finn had held him in the garden, the way he had whispered that he loved him, the way he had promised they would go on a trip together when everything was over.

That trip will never happen, Ragnar thought. That future will never exist.

But he didn’t let the grief consume him. He couldn’t. Nyra needed him. The group needed him. And he had made a promise—a promise to protect them, to help them, to fight for them no matter what.

I won’t let them down, he told himself. I won’t let Finn’s betrayal destroy me.

He rode on, his heart heavy but his resolve unshaken.

Roderic rode in the middle of the group, his storm-gray eyes watching the road ahead.

He had been the quiet one, the observer, the watcher, the one who saw everything and said nothing. But beneath his calm exterior, he was struggling. He had lost so much—his brother, his friends, his sense of self.

I want my friends back, he thought. I want things to be the way they were before.

He thought about the old days—before the showcase, before the war, before everything fell apart. He thought about Soren and Corvin and Ragnar—the four of them, brothers in all but blood. He thought about the way they had laughed together, fought together, lived together.

Those days are gone, he thought. They’ll never come back.

But he didn’t give up hope. He couldn’t. Because somewhere deep inside him, there was still a spark—a belief that things could be better, that the future could be bright, that the darkness would eventually fade.

I’ll help them, he told himself. I’ll help Nyra bring Soren back. And then—then we’ll all be together again.

He rode on, his heart full of hope.

The others rode in their own worlds.

Marek watched the road ahead, his mind on the friends he had lost. He thought about Soren, about Finn, about the battles they had fought and the lives they had saved. He thought about the future about what came next.

I’ll keep fighting, he told himself. I’ll keep protecting them. It’s what I do.

Maureen rode in silence, her thoughts on Jasper. She had almost lost him. She had watched him bleed on the ground, had thought he was dead. The fear was still there because she hasn’t even gotten to kiss him yet.

She will do all that after everything.

Jasper rode beside her, his sharp eyes watching the road. He had recovered from his wound, but the scars remained—not just on his body, but on his soul. He had been betrayed by someone he trusted. Someone he called a friend.

I won’t let it happen again, he told himself. I’ll be more careful. I’ll be more watchful. I won’t let anyone else get hurt.

They rode on, each lost in their own thoughts, their own fears, their own hopes.

The first day passed slowly.

They stopped at a small village to rest and water the horses. The villagers were wary at first strangers were rare in these parts. But when they saw Nyra’s silver hair, when they recognized her as the Moonblood heir, they welcomed her with open arms.

“The Daughter of the Moon,” they whispered. “She’s come to save us.”

Nyra smiled and thanked them, but inside she felt like a fraud. She wasn’t a savior. She was just a woman—a woman who had lost the man she loved, who was trying to bring him back, who didn’t know if she would succeed.

I’m not a hero, she thought. I’m just trying.

They slept in the village that night, in a small inn with lumpy beds and thin blankets. Nyra lay awake, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing.

What if the seer can’t help us? she thought. What if there’s no way to bring Soren back?

The doubt was overwhelming.

She rose from her bed and walked to the window. The moon was high full and bright, watching over the world. She pressed her hand against the glass and closed her eyes.

Soren, she thought. Wherever you are—whatever realm has taken you—I’m coming. I promise.

She stayed there for a long time, watching the moon. And slowly, the doubt began to fade.

The second day brought rain.

It fell in sheets cold and relentless, soaking through cloaks and tunics, turning the road to mud. They rode in silence, their heads bowed against the storm, their spirits dampened by the gray sky.

Corvin rode beside Nyra, his dark hair plastered to his forehead, his whiskey-dark eyes fixed on the road. He wanted to say something—to comfort her, to reassure her but he didn’t know what to say.

What can I say? he thought. That everything will be alright? I don’t know that. That she’ll bring him back? I don’t know that either.

So he said nothing. He just rode beside her, a silent presence, a steady support.

Nyra noticed. She always noticed. She reached out and touched his hand, a brief, gentle pressure.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?”

“For being here. For coming with me.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I told you—I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know.” She smiled a small, sad smile. “But I wanted to thank you anyway.”

They rode on, the rain falling around them, the road stretching before them.

The third day brought the mountains.

They rose from the horizon like giants towering peaks of stone and snow, their summits lost in the clouds. The road grew steeper, narrower, more treacherous. The horses struggled. The riders struggled.

But they pressed on.

Nyra thought about her father Alexander Astrlyn, the man who had been king before her. She had never known him not really. She always thought he was ashamed of her but maybe he only wanted her to be strong for the journey ahead.

He would have wanted this, she thought. He would have wanted me to fight. To never give up.

She thought about Thorne. She thought about the way he had believed in her the way he had always told her she was stronger than she knew.

I wish you were here, she thought. I wish you could see me now.

She thought about Soren the man she loved, the man she had lost, the man she was fighting to bring back. She thought about his smile, his laugh, his touch. She thought about the way he had held her, the way he had kissed her, the way he had promised he would never let her go.

I’m coming, she thought. I’m coming to bring you home.