Chapter 160-2
She didn’t say anything, and I stormed out. I didn’t even care that Troy wanted me to stay. All I could think about was getting away from the woman who’d left me to rot because a vision had
told her to do so.
I made my way down to the cages. While it wasn’t initially meant to be a prison, it certainly felt like one. Light filtered in from only the top of the windows, and buzzing old light fixtures hung from the ceiling. It was cold and dank and entirely unpleasant. Ignoring the captured rogue wolves in the first cage, I sat cross-legged in front of the last one.
Finn.
He was awake, sitting on the floor like me with his back to the cage. His eyes were closed, but I
knew he was awake because of the way his hands were fisted at his knees.
“It wasn’t your fault,” I told him quietly.
He didn’t look at me. “Wasn’t it? I knew something felt off. Like I was losing time. And when I’d
heard what happened to Irene, a small part of me wondered if it was also happening to me. I didn’t say anything. Can you feel her bond?”
Lucy. I swallowed hard. “I can, but barely. I think it’s distance more than anything else. Claudine is probably going to keep her alive to lure me to her. We still have a chance to rescue her.”
Finn’s eyes finally opened, and I saw the grief and pain embedded in them. “Troy would never let you, and for the record, neither would I. Your safety is above all else, Kiana. Lucy’s death will be on my shoulders. Not yours.”
He was wrong there. Every death that Claudine caused, that my father had caused, that Morven
had caused: it would always rest on my shoulders. I would take Lucy’s burden as well.
“I can’t even be trusted to fight anymore.” He rattled the chains attached to his arms. “You should
have left me in the woods.”
I’d done exactly to Finn as I’d wished Evalina had done to me. Rescued him. Given him a family. And he was haunted by horrors that may never have happened if I’d just left him alone.
“I don’t think it would have mattered, Finn. Somehow, destiny always seems to find a way. You were probably always going to fight in this battle, no matter what choice we made. If Claudine had
gotten to you first, maybe you’d be fighting with her, and we’d be losing. All I know is that I’m glad
you’re with us. I’m glad you’ve met your mate. She’ll give you a reason to keep fighting.”
Baring his teeth, Finn snarled. “Amelia deserves better than me, and I won’t let her get caught up in
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Chapter 160-2
Clau
this. If I do get out of here, I don’t think I’m going to survive this fight, Kiana, and it would be better for Amelia to be as distant as possible when it happens. Better for her to survive and find
happiness.”
Slowly, I rose to my feet. “You’re not going to die. I’m not going to let it happen. And you will be by our side again. The witches are close to finding a way to block Claudine from using Irene, and we’ll use it for you as well. You’re getting your happily ever after, Finn. You’re my friend, and I don’t have many of those. I don’t intend to lose anyone else.”
Finn seemed nothing more than a shadow of himself as he closed his eyes. The sweet and flirty boy was gone. Claudine wanted her daughter’s heart, but she’d ripped out Finn’s in the process.
I was done playing the game her way. It was time to take the fight to her.
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