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The others remained silent, taking in every inch. I had searched almost the entire place, preparing myself for what I might discover, but finding empty cells was far worse than the battle I’d expected.
I stopped, and they fanned out around me, standing beneath the jagged cliffs and open sky, in position to see what I needed them to see.
“So, Kaden was a prisoner here? If he and the other prisoners escaped, where are they? We haven’t seen any colossal beasts on Onuna,” Logan said, hovering close to Neverra.
“Because he didn’t escape recently, did he?” Vincent asked, his throat bobbing as he looked at what I’d brought them to.
“No, he did not. I should have thought of it sooner, but it was impossible. During the Gods War, the creatures seemed bent on destroying everything. I thought it was retaliation for what my father had done, but it was worse. They were intent on vengeance.”
“You think your father locked them up?” Neverra asked.
I shrugged. “Possibly. He was always quite busy, hours turned into days at a time, although my mother never worried.”
Cameron inhaled deeply and narrowed his eyes, examining the rocky wall. I wondered what he scented here. “So hypothetically, your father locked up a bunch of ancient, powerful beings, and what? They broke out?”
“No.” I pointed my blade at the large fissure in the cliff. A jagged broken area that made my stomach revolt. “Look again. The tears, the cracks. Someone broke in.”
They all spun toward me. “If what you’re saying is true. What would have enough strength to punch through a dimension?” Xavier asked.
Vincent’s voice was a deathly whisper. “A god?”
But it was my answer that had them staring at me. I saw the fear run through them.
“Possibly a god or something far worse we don’t know of yet. Something not only capable of releasing so many but also has the ability to control them all.”
As the truth of my words sank in, fear filled their eyes.
Sixty-Two
Dianna
I felt like an idiot.
Six days. Six days Samkiel had been gone. Six days I’d been here by myself. Not one member of The Hand came by. I didn’t expect them to come to hang out after my little incident, but no one even stopped to check in on me. I sat on the open window ledge with a huff, crossing my arms in irritation.
No birds sang, but no animals came around here, anyway. The only animal I had seen was that day Samkiel took me to the lake, and the stag had only approached because he was with me. No, I was completely and utterly alone. Maybe that was my problem. At least when he or someone was here, I had someone to argue with instead of being stuck in my head all the time. If I were honest, that was the reason I had kept Camilla alive and Roccurem near. At least with them around, that aching pit in my chest didn’t threaten to swallow me whole.
The edge of my long silk dress fell around me, draping across the floor. I watched the sunrise, unable to sleep once again. I’d started to dream again, and I hated it. The same message haunted me through every nightmare.
“You’re running out of time.”
I’d heard it for the first time in that damned house when I dreamed of Gabby. Now it was back with a vengeance. I woke last night dripping in sweat and panting. I couldn’t explain the overwhelming dread or that it felt like the voices were in the room with me. The last few nights, I’d snuck downstairs, but the couch was empty and cold. I’d even lain on it, trying to catch a whiff of his scent, but it had been too long. So I wandered, trying to find something to distract myself. I had read whatever books I could find, walked around the stupid perimeter of the house, careful not to go too far into the forest again, and waited for him again like an idiot. I hated it. Anger soon replaced the warm feeling that had grown in my chest after his last visit, snuffing out any trace of it.
I stood and walked toward the front door. Maybe another walk around the forest would wear me out enough that I could sleep without dreaming. It had seemed to help at first, but it had made no difference the last few nights. Being outdoors was a nice reprieve, especially here. I’d never admit to anyone just how much I enjoyed the view, how the sun dipped behind every tree, how the clouds teased the mountains early in the morning, or the breeze that seemed to pass right when needed. If I was truly honest with myself, this was the first place in a long time that felt like home, but I refused to think about that for too long. The only dark spot was that the one person I missed so damned much would never be with me again. A part of me felt guilty being even slightly content, even for a moment. Maybe Samkiel was right, maybe I was punishing myself. I sighed. Another walk was needed. It at least gave me something to do. I grabbed the white and tan sandals and tied the twin ropes past my calves. One knot, then two, and I was ready to go.
“Leaving?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin, whirling toward the front entrance. I held my hand out, ready to blast the intruder with fire, muscle memory overriding my cognitive thinking.
“How did you…”
Samkiel shrugged. “I landed in the back.”
“You ass.” I grabbed one of the pillows from the couch and launched it at him. He stepped to the right, dodging it easily. I grabbed another and drew back to toss it, but he appeared in front of me and grabbed my wrist. “You left me here for six days, Samkiel!” I nearly shouted.
Shock flashed across his face as if he had no idea. “Six days?”
“Yes, you self-righteous dick!” I jerked my wrist, trying to pull away from him, but he held me with ease.
