Mermaid Tear (The Fated #2)

50 | A Queen's Fate

Seconds seemed to stretch into days as they continued their silent trek through the shadowed passage. Thankfully, the path eventually angled uphill. Kain could have laughed in relief under different circumstances. Mentally tracking the twists, turns, and dips of the hall had been difficult, but the change told him it was probable that their location was near to the end depicted in the blueprints.

Probably.

Several minutes later, just as doubts began to bubble in his thoughts, a stone wall became visible on the edge of the witchlight. The closer their group grew, the more certain Kain became that they'd reached their destination. Dread settled on his spine like ice, however, as he realized their folly.

There were no levers, buttons, or even misplaced sconces decorating the plain stone. Shouldn't leaving a secret passage be easier than entering it?

His mind swept through what little he knew of secret passages. Artemios had repeatedly instructed Kain of every secret hidden in the Cieonian palace to the point he might be able to recite them in his sleep. Each method of activation slipped through his thoughts, leaving his eyes skimming the walls. But, in the end, there was nothing of merit.

It was just a wall.

In the baffled silence that seemed to overtake them all, Kain stepped forward, deciding to search for an indentation they couldn't see. It was unlikely to be trapped--the lack of security in the rest of the passage had eased any thoughts of danger from his mind--but he still didn't want to risk one of the others' safety if he were wrong.

His wariness flicked to surprise, however, as he was forced to pause when Rhode pushed past him without a word. Awed recognition flickered across her shadowed face. Her hands ghosted over the dusty stone.

"I remember this."

The siren's whisper hung on the edge of audible. She settled her palm over a stone that appeared no different than the others and--predictably--nothing happened.

"Rhode--" Kain began.

"Quiet."

The fierce instruction in that single word held all the authority of the queen she'd once been, and all the tension that came with her fallen position. It stole any thoughts of arguing from his mind, leaving a sole realization in their place.

Whatever their current situation, the countless dark, heavy emotions shifting across her face spoke volumes about how heavy every step they took deeper into Eolisan secrets was. For Rhode, this wasn't just a passage, and that wall wasn't just a stopping point.

It was her history.

"He...I don't remember his face. Or his voice," she whispered after a moment. "I have no memory of my time here, or of any secret passages. It's all just...blank darkness. Muffled emotions. A knowledge of something I should be able to reach, but cannot.

"But, this--the wall, the stones--I--I remember it. A hand over mine. A--"

Rhode cut off and seized an arrow from her quiver. Before anyone could stop her, she slashed the tip over her palm. Isidor cursed and the light cut out behind them. Darkness overtook Kain's senses, before the muffled slap of Rhode's palm against the stone echoed through the hall.

Then, impossibly, the stones seemed to shift on their own. They peeled back, illuminating the passage in glimmering moonlight. It seemed to embrace Rhode as she stepped away from the rest of them, her back to the open gardens before them. A glow encased her blank curls.

Rhode's eyes glimmered with invisible tears.

"The magic shouldn't recognize me," she told them. She didn't budge, even as Kain urged his own feet closer. "But, Akaikos...I think--the magic..."