“What happened to my mother?”
“She went into deep mourning, and no one has seen her since.”
My eyes lowered as a lump formed in my throat. I worried deeply for my mother. If Dorian could kill his own brother-in-
law, what was to stop him from killing his sister to get to what he truly wanted?
“What does Dorian want with Nicholas?”
“The ultimate power,” Karim interrupted as he sat next to me, creating another orb of light.
“Your uncle believes that below your husband's kingdom lies the Goddess’s true power. He intends to take it and harness it
for himself.”
I shook my head at how unbelievable this all was, how Nora was going behind Nicholas’s back spying and then reporting
everything to Dorian. I wondered what she hoped to gain from all of this.
“You said Norok and Talia came up with this plan, but Norok allowed you and your sister to remove my bond from
Nicholas.”
Another piece of my shattered heart broke off, the emptiness inside me intensifying.
“We did not remove it, your highness, we simply put it to sleep for the time being.”
“What?”
I felt it though, that sensation of something being ripped away from me, that feeling of loneliness and as if the world had
forsaken me.
“It will return once you are with your king, I promise you. My sister and I do not wish to harm anyone. We just had to make
your uncle believe it worked.”
So many truths and lies ran through my mind. So many confessions. All I wanted to do was run into Nicholas’s arms, for
comfort, warmth and safety. Now that I was away from Dorian and the others, our next step would be getting me back to Nic
and his sisters.
“What’s in it for you then? Why are you and her helping me?” I asked.
Karim paused for a moment as he looked outwards, towards the skyline, and rubbed his hands together. “My sister and I
just wish to return home and to be left alone. For years, Dorian has used us for his own personal gain, and we wish to be free
of him.”
I could understand his reasoning as it was similar to my own. I wanted to be free of Dorian for as long as I could
remember. If it meant helping two mages, I'd gladly help them. No one deserved to be used by him.
"What next then?" I looked at Karim as Marcus walked back to join us.
"For now, we rest, and before sunrise we will return to the Obsidian Castle where we will defeat Dorian. Norok will help