Book 15: Bursts of Chaos

Marianna

I get dressed, and then we’re ushered down to the basement of the castle in short order. Soren doesn’t set Skye down until we reach the web of hallways leading to what I thought were storage rooms but end up being an intricate, absolutely unreal, training facility built levels below the main floor of the castle. There, we enter a small arena of sorts, where several guards are already waiting for us, as well as… Sydney.

Blake and I haven’t married yet, but Sydney is as close as he can be to a father-in-law at this point in time, and that’s written clearly on his face when Skye runs into his waiting arms, but his eyes remain on mine. Silent. Hollow with both grief and startling understanding. There’s no room for anything else, but I… I feel nothing but anger.

Soren’s talking, but I barely register a word he says as I stare back at Sydney, my hands curling into fists at my side. I want to say what’s on my heart–that he should have known that