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Clem’s arms caught me around the middle as despair took over.
“I’m sorry, Sun,” he whispered against my hair.
I shook my head, because what else could I do? I could not talk without sobbing harder. I could hardly see through the tears.
My body was weak and freezing cold. I would be lucky if this icy mountain didn’t lead to fevers and flus. I had put myself through this to continue the bidding of the man who was worse than any of the nocs at my side.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I forced myself to my feet and wiped angrily at the tears in my eyes.
“Bracken,” I said and even my voice sounded broken.
I was trembling with rage and sadness and cold as I marched to him and wrapped my arms around his waist.
“Fly me down,” I ordered.
“But someone might see us,” he reminded me.
“I don’t care anymore.”
He nodded grimly, petting the top of my head before lifting me up and cradling me as though I was something breakable. In fact, I was. I was learning that now the hard way.
If I was needed to fight physical battles, there would be no problem, but pit me against an unspeakable betrayal and I crumpled like old, brittle paper.
“I can take you both with us,” Bracken said.
He gestured for Clem and Kiar to join him and my gaze flew to Hadi, who would be left behind.
“I can make my own way down,” he said curtly, and gods help me, there was something in his voice and eyes that made me think he was trying to reassure me.
Surprised, I nodded.
I must have looked like quite the sight if even Hadi wanted to comfort me.
But Hadi... there was something in him that I couldn’t quite identify. Something that made me think he was not nearly as hard as he acted on the outside. There was something about him that reminded me of myself. He knew only what he knew. Being king, being in control... losing it all to a betrayal... suddenly, I could relate.
Bracken took Clem in his other arm and waited for Kiar to wrap around his waist. His arms went around Bracken’s neck, and we all held on tightly as he hoisted us into the air.
I’d forgotten that the cold made it hard for him to fly until the sounds of his labored breathing grew louder.
He didn’t complain though. He never did.
And it was probably better for all of us to get down faster, I reasoned, so I did not tell him to stop. Instead, I shut my eyes against the rising sun and held on, feeling the cold air blasting against my skin as it slowly became warmer with our descent.
His heart beat hard against my arm, his breaths gasping before he finally dropped down into the shelter of the trees. His feet hit the ground with a thump, nearly throwing all of us before he righted himself and carefully set us down.
Kiar shook himself.
“I’d hoped to never fly again,” he admitted.
I couldn’t bring myself to smile at his attempt to lighten the mood.
My heart was broken.
“Are you okay?” Clem asked me.
This time, I at least tried to think of an appropriate answer.
“My entire life has been a lie.”
