Page 19 of Found By Him
Ash returned to my side, taking my hand as I breathed in,and it felt like the first real breath I’d ever taken.
CHAPTERSIXTY-THREE
We walked from the underground chamber ontoone of the many cliffs overlooking the Stroud Sea, the salty breeze washingover us. Bright sunlight reflected off the white-tipped waves crashing againstthe rocky shore below.
Behind us, the earth shuddered. Stone tumbled, and dirt fellin sheets as Attes collapsed the tunnel that led toKolis’s tomb.
It was done.
As Ash’s arm draped over my shoulders, I closed my eyes andbreathed deeply, leaning into Ash. I was so damn tired, exhausted to the bone,but my lips split into a wide smile.
Kolis was entombed, and he would remain that wayforevermore.
We’d won.
“It’s over,” Ash said, tipping his chin to the sky.
My smile froze and then faded. I should be celebrating. Iwanted to continue smiling. We’d won. I should be cheering. It wasover.
For now.
But Kolis’s promise haunted every step I took as I left thetunnel. So did the damn prophecy.
Keella’s warning whispered throughmy thoughts, the image of the air warping around Callum’s remains forming in mymind. I’d forgotten about that as the old Temple was destroyed. And somethingabout that caused a great sense of unease to rise.
Ash’s arm tightened around me. “Let’s go home,” he said,brushing his lips over my temple. “I want you checked before we take care of Sotoria.”
That wasn’t the only thing we needed to do. I had to makesure the bone army returned to their slumber. We needed to check on the stateof things in the Bonelands. Help our wounded. Countour dead. But…
A chill crawled across my neck and then slithered down myspine. Tiny hairs all over my body began to rise when I looked up at Ash.
His hand slid over my upper back, and he turned to me.“Sera?” Concern darkened his eyes. “What is it?”
I wasn’t sure, but the unease intensified, causing my pulseto speed up.
Ash turned me so I was facing him. He clasped my cheeks.“Sera?”
“What’s going on?” Attes asked,joining us at the cliff’s edge, the blood spotting his face turning pink in thesunlight.
“I don’t know.” Ash’s gaze searched mine. “Talk to us, liessa.”
My heart pounded. “We need to take care of Sotoria now.”
Ash’s jaw immediately hardened. “I think that can wait untilKye—”
“It really can’t.” I swallowed. “We need to do it now.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is your vadentiatelling you something?”
“I don’t know, but remember what Keellasaid about the prophecy?” I reminded him, and Ash swore. He knew how importantit was to free Sotoria before the Fates did somethingidiotic, but he was battling with his need to make sure the babes and I wereokay. I twisted toward Attes. “I need you to take usto The Star.”
Attes frowned. “I can do that, butI’d prefer if we backed up a second first because you are acting—”
“No,” I interrupted. “We need to go there,” I insisted. “Now.”
Attes led us through themaze of halls forged from shadowstone deep beneathhis palace in Essaly. His armor had vanished, andhe’d dropped his swords upon entering. We were all tired, and the wound in myshoulder had faded to a dull ache, but our steps were fast.
Flames ignited from the torches lining the hall as wepassed, casting an amber glow that beat back the darkness.
