A Dawn of Onyx (The Sacred Stones, #1)(100)

The shock on Kane’s face would have brought me great delight at any other time. “You what?” He shook his head. “Acorn? He’d never hurt anyone.”

I wanted very badly to tell him a thing or two about keeping secrets but getting to safety had to come first. Lessons on hypocrisy later.

He dragged a hand down his face. “Briar’s amulet doesn’t contain her magic. That’s just a myth.”

“So what is it?”

“A rather lovely and expensive piece of jewelry.”

My eyes went wide. “So all the magic Mari’s done…”

“That’s all her.” He reached down to scoop up Leigh. “All right, come on. Let’s go.”

But she flinched away.

I stepped in front of her. “I’ve got her.”

Kane’s jaw hardened, but his eyes were focused. “Fine. I’ll be behind you.”

I took a deep breath.

“One more thing,” he said, his voice soft. “Keep your head clear. Both of you. No thoughts in or out.”

Queasy suspicion pooled in my stomach. “Why?”

“I’m not sure if he’s here, but if he is, Lazarus can enter your mind. Don’t give him the ammunition to find you.”

Wonderful. I trembled with panic and fear and fury.

We just had to make it to the ship.

I carried Leigh in my arms, and moved slowly, ducking behind rocks and cliffs and branches. We drew closer to the barracks of armed men, in silver armor I hadn’t seen before. Dread curled low in my stomach.

I cleared my mind.

Clouds, empty space. Nothing. Nobody. Silence.

We were so close. A few yards ahead, a flash of red hair tucked behind a palm tree filled my heart with hope. Just a few more steps…

“Going somewhere?” A voice like silk laced with venom, and far more deadly, spoke to us with peculiar calm.





THIRTY


In the dark, the silver soldiers that surrounded us looked like mythical giants, looming above us on horseback. I pulled Leigh close to me and tried to ignore how her shaking limbs were tearing my heart to bits.

Before I could draw my sword, my arms were pulled behind me by one of the silver-clad men, and I fought kicking and thrashing to hold onto Leigh.

“Don’t you lay a single fucking hand on her,” Kane spit at the soldiers behind me, but they dropped him to his knees with a flurry of punches and I winced and gagged at the cracking sounds.

Leigh was wrenched from my arms, kicking and screaming, and both of us were held by more and more and more soldiers in the icy silver armor. We were desperately outnumbered.

Stalking forward in the sand and staring us down was an older, shockingly handsome man. With the same carved jaw, cheekbones that could cut glass, and slate-gray eyes, the resemblance was uncanny. Deep in my soul—I knew. I knew exactly who he was.

My vision was blurring. I choked down my nausea.

He turned to Kane, who spit blood onto the sand. “No letters? No visit? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you didn’t miss me at all.”

Horror dripped down my spine like blood.

Lazarus Ravenwood. The Fae King.

Destroyer of us all.

Kane stared at his father, but said nothing.

Fury bloomed in my heart, in my stomach, replacing the icy coating of shock and dread. Molten and unrelenting rage heated my blood as I strained against the Fae soldier that held me back.

If Kane didn’t kill this man, I would.

The angry sun mirrored my blooming hate as it crested over the dark sea behind us. The rays illuminated Kane’s eyes, and for the first time, I saw genuine fear in them. His hands below were shaking, and he schooled them into fists by his sides. A fog of dread so crushing I could hardly think of anything else filled my mind.

Lazarus turned his attention toward me. His cropped gray hair, smooth tanned skin, clothing that rippled and glimmered with fabrics not of this realm. He was tall, like his son, but older, leaner. Clearly he was ancient, but his face only gave away a refined, mature beauty. Chiseled and charming and aged like a fine wine. But his eyes… they were depthless and hateful.

Stalking toward me slowly, he lifted a single finger toward my face and ran it down my cheek. My stomach roiled and Leigh whimpered at my side.

I was going to rip this man’s skin from his bones.

“Feisty, aren’t we? You don’t even know me.”

“Do not touch her,” Kane snarled.

“Always so temperamental,” Lazarus said to his son, chiding. “It’s not my fault you fell for my assassin.”

His what?

I forced my brow to unfurrow, but not quick enough.

“Not so honest with your lady friend, my boy?”

I went still as death.

Assassin? How were there more lies? More I didn’t understand?

No. It couldn’t be. He was lying—trying to tear us apart.

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to look at Kane.

“Good thinking, lady friend. Your first instinct was the right one.”

I needed to shut my brain up. “Stop that,” I hissed.

The Fae King turned to Kane once more.

“I see the appeal, son. She’s magnificent. After all these years of searching, she’s just as I always imagined she would be.”