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If Cornaith weren’t immortal and I were certain he wouldn’t vaporize me on the spot for trying, I might do something extremely risky and incredibly stupid if given the opportunity.

48

THE CAGE

CYN

The sound of glass shattering against the wall did nothing to slow the fury burning through my body like a wildfire. The scent of cologne filled the air as the liquid soaked into the area rug.

Shredded bedding and pillows, broken trinkets, papers, clothes, and every other item I owned littered the floor of my room, but it wasn’t enough.

I needed to find her.

I crossed the room to the dresser, the mess on the floor crunching beneath my boots. My claws dug into the wood as I gripped the edge.

I couldn’t breathe.

My stomach twisted and churned, but I couldn’t let myself drown in the pain of Bondrot when Raelynn was missing.

What if someone left her in Feranzis again?

Screeching drowned out my heavy breathing as my claws scored deeper grooves into the dresser.

I hadn’t told her how I felt. I’d been so occupied trying to make things right with Zeke, and we’d all been dealing with more of Cornaith’s bullshit, that I’d never gotten a moment with her alone.

What if I never had the chance to tell her?

I stared at my black eyes in the mirror; the shadows beneath them seemed deeper thanks to the sleepless nights.

When we faced the council and pushed them to send a search party through Alonia for Raelynn, Cornaith said we were just making ourselves feel worse by overthinking it.

He tried to excuse the rude comments by pointing out she’d only bonded with Ash, so the rest of us would be alright, completely forgetting we were sick while she was a prisoner in Cholian.

Then he had the nerve to say he suspected the bond wasn’t real. He’d made that claim before, but this time he seemed pretty sure, insisting illusion magic continued to manipulate us the same way we believed it had when we first found out Raelynn was our Nyrith.

Glass split my knuckles as I drove my fist into the mirror, and I snarled, wishing it’d been Cornaith’s face instead.

All I wanted was for everyone to shut the fuck up and let us live in peace with our Nyrith. It didn’t matter if she was Shyrlivi, human, or something else we didn’t know about.

She. Was. Ours.

I dropped my head back and roared, aching to tear the world apart to find her, but Cornaith had commanded me to stay in the house. Mom and Dad knew I’d go looking for Raelynn. They knew how I felt about her without me saying a word. Ranthus had overheard them discussing it and told Cornaith, the little shit.

I grimaced when another cramp seized the muscles in my legs. I hated losing control of my body.

“Cyn,” Zeke whispered.

I turned to find him standing in the doorway, taking in the mess I’d made with sadness in his eyes.

I tried to keep my voice even as I pleaded with him. “Don’t pity me.”

“I don’t. I’m angry too.”

The air shimmered around me as I gave in, releasing my alternate form while Zeke crossed the room. When he reached me, I slumped into his arms and let him wrap me in a tight hug as I cried.

All the emotions I’d been struggling to contain lately finally broke through. Losing Raelynn was the final straw.

“I can’t do this, Zeke.” I lifted my head, meeting his glassy eyes. “We can’t lose her.”