Page 77 of Ignite
Still wrapped in its cloth, I drop it into his outstretched hand. Before I can blink, it’s gone—nothing but curling shadows in its wake.
Unease slithers into my chest as the agreement settles into place.
“Go.” Daimon’s voice is final.
Without needing any more prompting, we turn, Graylen nearly putting all of his weight on me now. I take a step forward, gritting my teeth, straining to hold both of us up. Graylen is barely lucid, his body heavy and mouth mumbling nonsense.
“But Lunaria.” Daimon’s words stop me, and my muscles tense, waiting for the betrayal to come. I pull my magic to just beneath my fingertips, ready to defend myself the moment he shows any signs of going back on our deal. My fire sparks, flickering with a newfound weakness. My stomach sinks as I remember just how defenseless we are right now. “Once you step out of this realm, you will be on your own in Crea.”
My brows raise as I look over my shoulder at him. He knows we’re going to Crea. And of course we’ll be on our own; we knew this when we decided to go. That flicker of hope returns, wondering if there’s a part of him that cares.
I wait for him to continue, to explain or demand something more. Instead, he simply watches me. There’s a brief flash of something in his eyes, and if I didn’t know who he was—whathe was—I would think that there was concernthere.
The moment I see it, it’s gone. His face blank and gaze hard.
“Our deal does not extend into keeping you safe if Vidaris learns the truth on her own,” Daimon adds. “Only those with the blood of the gods can use it without being wholly consumed.” Though his words are sharp, his voice is hollow. The bite in his tone dulled.
The truth. That there’s something deeper running through my veins than just being a fae.
“Do you know why I have it?” The question slips out, my eagerness to learn more outweighing his possible backlash for pushing it further.
Daimon’s eyes darken, the midnight turning pitch-black.
“Leave,” he says, voice dangerously low. “While you still can.”
I hesitate, wanting to know more. But Daimon is already disappearing into a shroud of shadows.
With a quick sigh, I turn away and carry Graylen to where Leda and Adrian await.
Thirty-Two
Lapis Lunae
Only when I’mcertain Daimon is gone do I pull on my connection with Zephyr. My magic may be dampened, but thank the Divine that my bond with her isn’t. There’s an answering tug in response, and I can feel her launch into the sky, air flowing across my skin as if I were already flying atop her.
We take a step, Graylen’s arm still slung over my shoulder. He hisses through his teeth. His feet tangle, and he stumbles forward, my hand shooting up to wrap fully around his waist.
“Let’s sit,” I say quickly. “Zeph will find us.”
The awareness that he had when Daimon found us has started to disappear from Graylen’s eyes. He nods his head, not protesting. My heart clenches. I force myself to take a steadying breath.
We wait beneath a crooked oak tree, the limbs long and heavy as they stretch toward the ground. I prop Graylen upagainst the trunk and opt to stand beside him, my gaze searching the forest for any unwanted visitors.
It isn’t long before the whooshing of Zeph’s wings fills the air, and the trees bend and snap as she lowers herself from the sky.
For once, she doesn’t come immediately to me.
Her golden gaze is on Graylen, a whistling cry coming from her throat as she steps slowly toward him. He fell asleep within seconds of leaning against the tree, eyes still closed, even as Zeph nudges his shoulder with her nose.
Worry shoots into my chest—not from me, but from her.
She swings her head to me, a plea radiating:help him.
“I know,” I whisper, setting my forehead against her rough scales. “Let’s get him to Leda so he can lie down for a bit.”
Gently, I lay my hand on his arm and shake him. His eyes spring open, pupils dilating as he looks around frantically. He presses his back against the trunk, flinching away from me.
My eyes sting with tears, and my heart squeezes when I see the terror in his eyes. I lean forward, slowly sliding my hands onto his cheeks.
