Page 76 of Black Crown

Longer?I snarled. He still wanted me unconscious?Don’t you dare do that again. Ever.

The moment of hesitation between my demand and Tyrrik’s answer was enough to make my anger slip. I focused inward, gasping as I saw my vibrant-blue energy almost completely alone. He’d withdrawn most of his onyx tendrils from my powers; only threads of black lined my blue. I focused, harder, and felt a twinge of discomfort I knew wasn’t my own. He was there, but then why had he drawn his powers in?

I can’t put you under again. It would take too much energy from here. And we’re trying to find Dyter.

Guilt stung me, and my talons retracted an inch.Did you find him?

No. Not yet.

There was a moment of silence so profound I wondered if Tyrrik was still there.What are you doing—

Will you . . .

I waited, but he said nothing more. And now, with my fury interrupted, I couldn’t quite get the emotional vehemence back. Especially considering the reason for Tyrrik’s manipulation. Despite what I’d been through and my angry words, I’d let myself be controlled ten times over if Dyter’s safety was in the balance. The emperor was here, or had been, and might still be around. I wasn’t about to step out of the door without some precautions. I listened, letting my Drae senses pick up smells and sounds on the other side of the closet door: the clatter of dishes, the murmur of anxious speech, hurried footsteps. The briny smell of ocean was still heavy in the air. I was still in the Azule palace. With my next breath, I extended my moss-green Phaetyn veil just over the door.

ThenI annihilated the wooden barrier.

Standing in the splintered remains of the cleaning supply closet, I panted and retracted my talons, feeling a little less hostile after a bit of exercise.

Will you please stay there until I can come for you?

Uhh, I’ve got my veil on. He can’t see me.

What? Ryn. Panic pulsed through the bond, and I got a glimpse of Tyrrik, Nielub, and Niemoj arguing with Gairome and Zarad.Where are you?

Focusing on Tyrrik’s location through our bond, I took off at a run.I’m coming to you.

No!

I could feel him mentally scrambling, but he blocked me from his thoughts, so all I could feel was his anxiety. I sent him a pulse of my energy as I ran toward him, following the wisps of our connection. I rounded the corner and skidded to a stop when I arrived at the same passage as before. But then I hesitated, focusing hard because my mind was telling me Tyrrik was straight ahead . . . through the solid stone wall.

I glanced at the irregular opaque glass on the door to my right which I knew concealed a stairway. I tapped on the wall, but where I could feel him sounded solid, the glass as thick as a normal stone wall. Had they gone into the stairwell and then dropped down somehow? Or did one of the adjacent passages have an entrance to the room beyond?

I examined the entire stretch of wall, but there was only the one door. I gently opened it and listened hard. Nothing.

My jaw was still clenched as I closed my eyes at the base of the stairs. I imagined my Phaetyn veil as strong as diamond. Not sure if that would help, but while I was imagining, I wrapped my Drae tendrils around my mind, thicker, thicker until the weight of the veil and shieldfeltmentally heavy. After all that practice, surely the emperor wouldn’t be able to get through. The Drae powers alone, maybe. Phaetyn powers, no way. Together, I was invincible.

Ryn. You need to get out of here.

I can help you. I’ve got my veil going strong. I’m good.I wanted to yell at him. Tyrrik should be here with me, by my side, or me with him. But he’d left me behind like a coward.Hehad patronized me for months with platitudes about us being stronger together. And even though I’d seen the panic in his eyes and felt it as he breathed into my face, that didn’t excuse his action.

I could guess at the reason behind his choice to take my will, but I needed Tyrrik to know that hecouldn’tdo that to me if we were going to be together. Because what he’d done? That wasn’t love even if I could understand the fear that had driven him to act in such a way.

Inhaling the scent of dust and wood and man, I opened my eyes, tilted my head up, and began up the stairs, flinching when the wood creaked underfoot. Someone needed to oil these—or whatever people did to stop stairs from creaking.

The closer I moved to the top of the stairs, the more I could feel power, and I assumed that meant my father was still here. But wouldn’t he have felt me while I was asleep? If he knew I was here, why wait to take control? I hadn’t had my veil on while I was sleeping, but he hadn’t attacked. Nearing the top, I stopped again, realizing I hadn’t thought this through, entirely.

Ryn—

Because now I was certain the emperor was still here. I could . . . feel his power on the other side of the door at the top of the stairs, the oiliness of it, just like when he’d coated my mind. The dark power left a sour taste in my mouth.

Tyrrik’s control disappeared, and his energy whipped through me. I heard Nielub tell Zarad to not be a fool through Tyrrik, and then I was hit by my mate’s overwhelming drive to protect me. He growled low.

Tyrrik, I’m fine.

I glanced behind me, straining my ears again, but the only sounds of activity were the clamor at the other end of the castle. Uneasiness tightened my chest, and I didn’t shift from my position four steps from the top.

If my father was up there, wouldn’t there be some kind of noise? I concentrated on my connection with Tyrrik and asked,How do I get to you?