These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows 1)

Sebastian still holds him off the floor, but Jalek suddenly wheezes and sputters as if the pressure on his windpipe’s been released.

“Give me a reason not to kill you right now,” Sebastian growls.

“Kill me, and she’ll never give you the crown.”

Why would the queen refuse Sebastian his birthright for killing a traitor?

Sebastian drops him and steps back, his nostrils flaring. “What do you know about it?”

Jalek laughs. “Enough to know that you don’t have her fooled.”

A blast of light slams into Jalek, knocking him to the floor.

“You sleep there tonight,” Sebastian growls. “If you have a change of heart by morning, perhaps we can make a deal. If not, I will make an example of you. I’ll show the whole kingdom the consequences of threatening my family.”

Sebastian storms up the stairs and right past me, Riaan following.

I wait until they turn down the hall at the top of the stairs and are no longer visible. Only then do I release my grip on the shadows and find my physical form again.

I approach the cell and rub my arms. It’s so cold down here. “Jalek?”

He straightens at the sight of me. “Brie. How long have you been here?”

“Long enough.”

His face pales. “How much did you hear?”

“Enough to understand that he’s likely to kill you if you don’t betray Finn.” And I can’t risk that for too many reasons to count. “I have to get you out of here.” I run my hands over the bars, looking for the lock.

“It’s a magical cell. The entry appears and disappears as Prince Ronan wills it.”

I shiver. “You’ll freeze before morning. There has to be a way. What about your magic?”

He chuckles—low, dry, and . . . hopeless. “The first thing they did was inject me with a toxin that blocks my powers.” His head rolls to the side, and he closes his eyes. “It kind of feels like having lead injected into your veins.”

“Will it wear off? Maybe I can distract Sebastian in the morning so you can—”

“I appreciate the offer, but no. You could distract the prince for days, and they’d still keep me pumped full of that poison.”

“It’s hard for me to imagine Sebastian like that. If I hadn’t seen for myself . . .” I swallow my confusion.

“War brings out the worst in all of us.” Jalek shakes his head. “Tell Finn I’m sorry. Tell him . . .” He cradles his head in his hands, muttering a string of curses. “Tell him he was right about the queen. She is dying, but not fast enough.”

I wrap my hands around the bars, wishing I had something to say to reassure him. But all I have are questions. “Will the queen really keep the crown from Sebastian if he kills you? If that’s true, maybe he’ll keep you alive as long as she lives.”

He meets my eyes and gives me a sad smile. “You know too much and not enough.”

“Then tell me what I need to know!”

He closes his eyes again and seems to curl into himself as he whispers, “Curses are made of secrets and sacrifice. We will suffer as long as she pays the price.”

* * *

When I sneak out of the palace, the Litha celebration is still in full force, and it’s easy enough to sneak a horse from the stables. I’ve been escorted between the palace and Finn’s enough times that the route is ingrained in my memory.

I ride quickly, sticking to the shadows and not allowing myself to think about what lurks in the darkness beyond the trees.

When I arrive at Finn’s, I tie the horse up in front and don’t bother knocking. Instead, I cut through the alley and shift into shadow to walk through the wall and into the back of the house. Low voices are coming from the library and getting louder.

One belongs to Finn, and when I get closer, I realize that the second is Pretha’s. I could slip inside and spy—see what they’re saying when they don’t think I’m here—but I don’t have it in me tonight. Seeing Sebastian nearly strangle Jalek and then watching Jalek curl into himself in that cell, seeing the defeat in his eyes, like that of a man awaiting his execution, it broke something inside me.

I can’t bring myself to deceive these people who are my . . . Pretha said they were trying to be my friends. Are they? I don’t know. I don’t know if anyone is my friend anymore, but I can’t leave Jalek there. Even if he won’t betray me or Finn, I couldn’t live with myself if he died. So I emerge from the shadows, open the library doors, and walk inside.

Finn and Pretha stop talking and turn to me.

“What happened?” Pretha asks.

“Jalek. He was captured. Sebastian’s threatening to . . .” I realize I don’t exactly know what Sebastian will do if Jalek doesn’t give him the information he wants. Kill him, I assume. Maybe worse. “Sebastian said he’d make an example of him.”