Prince of Air and Darkness (The Darkest Court)

She leaves me there. I don’t know how much time passes before her return. The soft brush of the warm towel over my face is an apology.

She watches me while she cleans away the blood. “Really, Roark,” she chides me gently as she wrings the towel out in the basin, “you based a protection spell on love? I thought I’d taught you better.”

The water goes a hazy purple as my blood settles in the bottom of the basin. My face aches. “I was in a bit of a hurry. It was the only thing I could think of that would be impossible to break.”

So simple, really. His memories of this moment altered, protecting him from the knowledge of why my mother wanted him, and the poisonous oath of the Winter Knight. I buried it far enough that if someone else takes him and interrogates him, he won’t know why Queen Mab ever showed any interest in him.

She sniffs, wipes my face one last time, and stands. “He’ll hate you for this if he ever breaks it.”

“I know.” If he ever does, I’ll have bigger things to worry about than his discovery that I altered his memories.

“You’ll be going back to school, then?”

“If I’m living with him, I’ll know when his powers develop.” When her brow rises, I add, “After all of this, don’t you think we owe him some protection?”

“The cost seems steep.” She sighs. “It would have been so much easier to kill him.”

“Don’t.” I use glamour to hide my wince as I get up. “I assume there will be some complaints made to the dean about my living in the apartment after all of this settles.”

She waves off my concern. “I’ll see to that.”

“Thank you.”

I’m nearly past her, limping back to my room, when she asks, “Will you ever forgive me?”

There’s no reason to slow or turn. I already know the answer. It’s in the guilt that will assail me every time I see his scars. Every stab of agony when he accuses me of something I didn’t do. Every moment I remember that I can’t defend myself to him and instead watch him fall deeper and deeper into hate with me.

“No, Mother,” I call back softly. “But all shall be well regardless.”

Protecting Smith is worth any cost. Eventually the pain will fade and he’ll be safe, even from me.

Until they find him. Until they realize he’s broken the spell...

I struggle against the thought that disrupts this memory, but it’s too late. The darkness floods back and takes me under.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Phineas

Sue and Herman follow me out of the car and down the street. Sue continues her pleas, despite my staunch refusal to listen. “Finny, we shouldn’t be doing this. Let the Pantheons handle it. They’ve opened an investigation. They’ll find him.”

The sun has nearly crept below the horizon. Overhead, the streetlights flicker, their halogen buzz nestling gently into the white noise inside my head.

“It’ll take too long,” I argue. “You know how much red tape they’ll face. We need to find Roark now and the ley line can help me.”

“You don’t know that! Search spells require finesse and delicacy, which the ley line has never been able to do. Besides, you look like you’re about to combust.”

She has a point. The air around me shimmers, but I’m not putting off any heat. The ley line and I are in sync for the first time and its strength pours into me. I wish Sue and Herman could understand how it feels. How invincible I’ve become. Nothing can stop me. Nothing will stop me from getting Roark back.

“It’s been almost twelve hours,” I remind them.

Where Sue’s been arguing about the safety and thought behind my actions, Herman’s focused on the logistical problems.

“How are you going to find him?” he asks again. “Which spell are you going to use?”

I couldn’t answer him in the car and I still can’t answer him now, although the way the ley line starts vibrating as I hurry toward the spot where Roark was taken seems proof enough that at least it has a plan. I’m okay with winging it. Like Roark said, I’m shit with spells. This is all about instinct.

The ground is scuffed. I give the ley line some room and it pushes out of me, scouring the area. So much in that tiny space. The grass stretching up out of the dirt. The seeds lying dormant in their cases, scattered here and there. Insects, worms, creatures stirring above and below. Everything, everything at my fingertips—