Page 144 of Captive of Secrets and Storms

Broken.

I left Verdanthia with only half of my heart. Ferria carries the other.

But somehow, Rian came to possess a piece of me.

Fae instinct or not, it doesn’t matter.

My splintered organ aches, and I’m no longer certain there’s enough of me left to survive what comes next.

26

Darius is missing.

I gave myself an hour to lick the wounds carved into me from Rian’s harsh words before I forced myself out of my room, renewed determination fueling each step to fulfill my bargain and be done with the Shadow Prince forever.

But I cannot find my patient anywhere.

I check his room.

I retrace my steps through the palace, again and again, searching for a glimpse of Darius’s dark hair or familiar grin.

But he’s nowhere to be found.

I haven’t seen him since I tried to kiss him, when I foolishly revealed I’d connected with his mind…

Now I fear he’s avoiding me.

Silas occupies the library when I pass through for the second time, hunched over a table strewn with books. His gaze darts from page to page with obsessive focus, jaw set in grim determination.

I consider asking him for help but refrain.

Whatever he’s doing, whatever he’s searching for, looks important.

I retreat and check Darius’s bedroom again, then the main courtyard where the sculpture contest has ended.

I scan the balconies for any sign of him among the lingering spectators. He’s not there.

A line of school-aged children crosses the pavement in front of me, small shoes tapping in uneven rhythm. Each holds their chin angled toward the stones, as if the subdued posture is drilled into them.

But curiosity breaks through as several wide-eyed gazes slide my way.

“Face forward,” a masculine voice barks.

The children are quick to obey, and blank expressions fall into place.

The man who spoke walks at the end of the line. He wears a midnight-blue toga and trousers, and his lips press into a stern line when our eyes meet.

A bad taste sits on my tongue as he and the children continue on their way before they turn down a hall, disappearing from sight.

Focus, Elara.

I jerk my head once, then mentally brush against the magic coiled in my chest, silently asking it to guide me, to lead me to Darius the way it did with Rian.

It doesn’t comply.

Of course it doesn’t.

The fickle power only responds to the Shadow Prince.