Page 148 of The Cost of Blood and Bonds

“Where is she?” His voice is hoarse, his throat already bruising, with purple marks blooming against his skin where Father’s vines strangled him.

“The trials. I sent her to the first safe house.”

I’m already moving toward the Weeping Woods entrance. I need to find her, make sure she’s okay⁠—

The grip comes out of nowhere, locked around my forearm, jerking me back a full step.

“Rye. Stop,” Finn rasps.

“I have to get to her⁠—”

“The King is watching.” His voice drops low and urgent. “If you disappear into the trials hours before you’re supposed to enter, he’ll know you lied. He’ll send guards; he’ll send Voss. You’ll lead them right to her.”

I want to argue. Want to rip my arm free and run into that fog and never look back. But I see the same fear carved into his face. He’s her brother. Stones, he’s right.

Grier steps forward. “I’m coming with you.”

“Grier—” Finn starts.

“Don’t.” Grier’s voice is steel. “I’m going. That’s final.”

Finn opens his mouth to argue, then closes it. We both know there’s nothing that would stop Grier from coming with us.

Chapter 50

Hayesland

Rye, Finn, and Grier disappeared into the gardens together with no discussion, no invitation. Just a look shared between them, and then they were gone, off to fix what I’d destroyed.

Rye didn’t glance back, not once. I can’t blame him.

The shame rises so fast and so completely that my vision whites out. I caused this, not Father. I can dress it up any way I want, blame the alcohol, blame the circumstances, blame the look on Rosie’s face when she leaned into Finn. But the truth is simpler and uglier than all of that. It was entirely me. My jealousy, my spiral, and my magic snapping around her before I even thought to stop it.

I keep seeing it, Gem’s face behind the bars, quiet and broken. Finn lifted off the floor by his throat, his eyes rolling back, and Rye’s terror when Father said to kill her. All because I opened my mouth in a ballroom and handed Father exactly what he needed.

I set every stone rolling tonight. The gardens blur around me, and I keep moving because it’s either walk or drown in it.

The distant glow of the ballroom where nobles are still dancing and laughing, oblivious to the fact that I just destroyed the lives of the only people I care about.

My feet carry me east with no thought. Through the gardens, to the training yards, until I’m standing at the hidden entrance to the dungeons. My stomach rolls, and I press a hand to the stone wall and heave until there’s nothing left.

I put her in there, behind those bars, and walked away from her like she was nothing. Like she wasn’t one of the most honest things in my life, and yet I got her thrown into a death sentence because I couldn’t ask a single question before my magic reacted for me.

I keep walking, needing to outpace the thoughts clawing at the inside of my skull. The night air is cold against my face, but I barely feel it.

Then I see it, a light, warm and golden, spilling from a window in the small house at the edge of the grounds.

Rosie’s house.

I stop. I don’t even remember deciding to come this way. My feet just…brought me here. Brought me to her. Like they always do.

I should keep walking. Should go back to my rooms and sleep off the alcohol and the shame and face the consequences tomorrow. But my feet are already moving, pulled toward the light.

I still love her. Even after tonight. Even after watching her lean into Finn, laugh at his jokes, look at him the way I’ve always wanted her to look at me. I still love her.

The thought stops me cold.

Love.