Chapter 205
I collapse to the ground, my legs giving out beneath me as the weight of what I’ve done crashes down on me. My breath comes in ragged gasps, my vision blurring with unshed tears. The image of Kota’s petrified form is burned into my mind—his wide, horrified eyes, the frozen contortion of his hands in their final, desperate grasp.
My stomach twists violently, bile rising in my throat, and before I can stop myself, I vomit onto the cold floor, my entire body trembling with shock and revulsion.
I scramble backward, crawling away from him, from the thing I have made him into. My limbs shake as I force myself to move, dragging myself across the room. My fingers brush against something hard, and I look down to see the conch. The cursed thing that had kept me bound, the thing that had pulled me into his trap.
My hands close around it, and without thinking, I slam it against the floor. The first strike cracks its surface, but it isn’t enough. I smash it again. And again. And again, until the fragments scatter across the ground, no longer capable of producing that cursed, lulling melody.
My breath comes in short gasps as I press a trembling hand against the floor to steady myself. The room still feels suffocating, the air thick with the aftermath of my actions. Kota’s lifeless, stone form looms over me, a grotesque monument to what I have done.
I have seen death before, but never like this. Never by my own hand. The reality of it threatens to swallow me whole, but I can’t afford to sit in my horror. I need to get out.
I force myself upright, my legs unsteady beneath me. The dizziness is overwhelming, but I push through it, stumbling toward the only exit. My limbs are weak, my head heavy, but the instinct to flee drives me forward.
I don’t know where I am, but I see the castle’s tower in the distance, its silhouette rising against the dark waters. I start toward it, swimming sluggishly, exhaustion and adrenaline warring within me. The streets are mostly empty, the late hour keeping the city quiet, and for that, I am grateful. I must look terrifying—bloodied, bruised, shaken beyond words.
A figure emerges from the darkness ahead, stopping in their tracks as they catch sight of me. "Are you all right?" The voice is familiar, concerned.
I blink, struggling to focus, and then realize—it’s Leia. The girl from the Pit, the one who had helped me find Wake.
"Leia?" I croak out, my throat raw.
She hurries toward me, eyes wide with alarm. "Phoebe, what happened to you? You look—" She cuts herself off, shaking her head. "Come with me. You shouldn’t be out like this."
I don’t resist as she takes my arm, guiding me toward a modest home tucked away in the city’s winding streets. Once inside, she wastes no time ushering me toward a small bathing room. "Sit," she orders gently. "I’ll draw you a bath."
I shake my head weakly. "I don’t want to intrude—"
"Nonsense," Leia says firmly, turning on the warm currents of the bathing pool. "You’ve done more for me than you realize."
I don’t have the strength to argue. I lower myself into the water, the warmth soothing my aching body, though it does nothing to quiet my mind.
A small child swims into the room, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "Mama? Who’s the lady?"
Leia turns to him with a soft smile. "She’s a friend, love. Now, go find your grandmother so she can give you your medicine."
The boy’s face falls, his shoulders slumping. "Do I have to?"
"Yes," Leia says gently. "You know it helps."
He pouts but nods, pushing himself through the water toward the door. I watch him go, then look back at Leia. "Your son?"
She nods, her expression clouding with worry. "He’s been sick. A lot of people in Ao have been sick. Medicine is expensive, especially with how much our taxes go toward keeping the king’s lavish lifestyle afloat. And with so many of our men sent to the Pit or down to the mines, affording anything has been... difficult."
Understanding settles deep in my bones. The belt I had given her—the one I had barely thought twice about—had saved her son’s life. A single act of kindness had made a difference, and yet, it is nothing compared to what needs to change.
I reach for Leia’s arm, squeezing gently. "Things will be different now."
Leia exhales a shaky breath. "I hope so. I haven’t seen my man in weeks."
A lump forms in my throat. "Is he in the mines?"
She nods. "Him and most of the healthy young men. But they don’t stay healthy for long down there. And the pay is for shit."
"What are they mining?" I ask, though I already suspect the answer.
Leia’s expression darkens. "Darklite."
My stomach clenches. "Do you know what they’re doing with it?"
Leia scoffs. "Besides sticking the accursed stuff to every spare part of this city? No. But my man told me he once saw someone come pick up a shipment. Said they sailed away in some sort of ship."
My heart drops. "A ship? Did he say what kind?"
Leia hesitates, thinking. "Just that it wasn’t like any he’d seen before. Sleek, strange metal, almost like it didn’t belong in the water."
Enigma.
A cold weight settles in my chest. That all but confirms it—Raif was responsible for the mining under Hale, and now in Ao. But why was he working with Enigma? What did they want with Darklite? And more importantly… how had he even come into contact with them?
A sudden, persistent banging on the front door shatters my thoughts.
Leia jumps, eyes wide. "What in the—"
The door bursts open before she can finish. Heavy footsteps thunder through the house, and I barely have time to react before the bathing room door slams open.
Wake stands in the doorway, chest heaving, murder in his eyes. His gaze locks onto me, his pupils blown wide with rage and relief. His entire body is coiled with tension, the raw energy of a man who has been searching, fearing the worst, and now, finally, finding what is his.
For a moment, we simply stare at each other. The emotions flood in too fast—relief, guilt, exhaustion, something deeper, more primal.
I sigh, my heart calming despite the chaos. "My mate."
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