Scorched Treachery (Imdalind, #3)(43)

“But she loves you, Ilyan.” Dramin’s voice was deep, almost as if he was trying to convince me I was making a wrong decision, but I could only laugh at him.

“I know, Dramin. She told me so,” I whispered, my fingers moving to run over the soft skin of her face. “And those words flow through my head every night as I keep her safe in my arms, holding her until the right arms can take my place.”

She sighed as I held her, almost as if she heard me, though I knew that wasn’t possible, her mind was not there to hear me. I smoothed my hand over her hair and the soft skin of her face. Her deep breathing seeped into me, relaxing me as well. The heady beating of my heart slowed, the uncharacteristic relaxation making me feel more in love with her than before if that was possible.

“It will be harder than you think, handing her over to him.”

“I know,” I couldn’t help it, my muscles tightened around her, bringing her against me tightly. I knew Dramin was right, but no matter how hard, I still would not interfere. I would not break such a sacred vow. It was not mine to break.

“You are a better man than I thought you to be, Ilyan.” Dramin sat up slowly, his back leaning against the cold wall beside me.

I looked at him curiously, not sure if his words were that of a compliment or not. He just looked at me with pride and knowledge lining his handsome face. I could feel my eyebrows rise as I waited for him to continue, sure that the threat on my face was evident.

“All those years ago,” Dramin explained, “when I first saw the fate of what was to come for you, I was happy for you, so ??astny. But the heartbreak at her being with another…I thought you would purposefully tear them apart to get what was rightfully yours. I am sorry I ever thought badly about you. You are a man beyond words.”

I smiled, but chose to say nothing. For years I had thought the exact way that Dramin had. I had been possessive, needy. She was mine, and no one was going to take her away from me. After all, I had waited for hundreds of years, what could one mortal do to stop me? But, it wasn’t a mortal; it was my brother.

The child of Sain, the first of the Drak, the Siln?, the woman who was created for me, was in love with my baby brother.

My brother who had stood up to our father and refused to torture me; who had fought him to give me a chance to escape. Ryland who had been poisoned at such a young age, a mere science experiment to our father. A boy who had known no love in his entire life had found that love, that sanctuary, in a girl I had been waiting for the majority of my life. I could not take that away from him, from either of them.

Once that realization had occurred, my heart no longer ached for her. It still longed, but it no longer ached. Because I could see her face alight in love for Ryland, and that happiness was enough for me.

“Sain’s going to love you, Ilyan,” Thom’s voice came out of nowhere, and we both jumped. “Of course, he had no idea it was his own daughter he was showing you when the sight was first delivered. Noble Ilyan, so kind to his only daughter.”

“Am I detecting a touch of resentment in your voice, Thom?” I asked as he came to sit across from me, the light in the cave increasing a bit as we all woke up and the magical pulses inside it increased.

“Oh, always, Ilyan. As my perfect older brother, I will always resent you.” We both smiled, but it was strained. The bonds of family were always tense between us, between all of our father’s children.

“Well,” Thom began, leaning back on the palms of his hands. “I’m tired, bolák, sore, hungry, and dying of thirst. What do you say we get out of here today?”

Dramin and I turned toward him, the looks on our faces showing our confusion. We had been shifting rock at the mouth of the cave since the collapse first happened. It was a long process. We had to make sure that what we shifted didn’t cause more of a collapse while we tirelessly worked toward the exit. We had almost made it out yesterday, but another small collapse had hindered the process, and Thom and I had returned more dirty and disheveled than before.

I knew why Thom wanted to get out. We all needed food and drink, and I could feel my skin prickle with dehydration, but acting rashly wasn’t going to get us out of here any faster; it was just going to get us killed.

“Brzy, Thom,” I said, hoping to convey that a rush was not needed.

“Dnes, Ilyan,” he countered, his inflection so modern it brought a smile to my face. “I don’t want to wait anymore. We almost made it through last night. If we had used all three of us, we might have been able to do it.”

“What are you saying?” Dramin asked, leaning toward him. I could tell how interested he was, and that confused me a bit. He wasn’t actually going to give Thom’s idea his support, was he?

“If we all work together, we can make a hole big enough for us to escape through. Ilyan can carry the Siln?, and we can all be in Rioseco by nightfall.” He paused, and we just looked at him. I had to admit, part of what he was saying made sense. The small collapse from last night made me worry, however; the rocks may not have had a chance to settle yet.

“Just think about it,” Thom prompted, “Skute?ny, beds, food, and mugs for Dramin’s poison…”

The silence stretched through the cave; it stretched between us until Joclyn moaned, her voice soft. Everyone’s attention pulled to her as she twitched, blood seeping through the shirt over her shoulder. A quick check revealed that besides the scratches, she had a small skull fracture. I winced. I needed to help her, and being stuck in this cave was not going to give me that opportunity.