A Breeding Darkness (Complete)

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Krov Korol seemed suddenly too small, too close. Koshmar wanted her dead, and he wouldn't have to look too hard if he recruited others to do his dirty work. Lucy drummed her fingers against her leg. Her mind struggled to think of some way she could get out of this. There had to be some place she could go where Koshmar couldn't find her body as she slipped back into Zerkalo.

"We need to get you out of Krov Korol," Saul said. "I think you've burnt too many bridges here. The only way you'll be spared is if Prince Joon himself comes back and does it. And even then... we don't know whose side he'd take. It's best if we find you somewhere new to live."

Lucy's head snapped up. "I already found Prince Joon."

"What?" Alisdair asked, laughing in disbelief. "Where is he then?"

"Zerkalo."

"Right. He just magically turned into a Dreamwalker, then?"

"No," Lucy snarled. 

"Both of you, stop bickering," Saul said. "Explain what you mean, Lucy."

"Prince Joon is trapped in Zerkalo. But he doesn't remember being Prince Joon."

Alisdair smirked. "Then how do you know he's Prince Joon?"

Lucy frowned at him. "Because I remember what he looks like, idiot. And he remembers his name. Just not his life before he was a raven."

"I'm sorry? Raven?" Alisdair asked, nearly bursting into full on laughter. He looked to Saul, his eyes wide, as if to ask if this was a joke of epic proportions.

"Forget it. It's too long to explain," Lucy said. "Just trust me. Prince Joon is in Zerkalo, and if we can get rid of the darkness then I'm sure he'd be able to come back. He and I were just about to destroy the source in Zerkalo, before we came back here and got rid of the one—" She stopped and slapped her hands together in excitement. "I can find it here!"

"Hold on," Saul said. "What are you talking about?"

"There's a source of darkness in both worlds," Lucy said. "If Joon can take care of the one in Zerkalo, then I can help him by finding the one in Krov Korol."

"Do you know how to find this source of darkness?" Alisdair asked. "Who even told you about this?"

"Krov Korol is a massive city," Saul added. "Not to mention, Koshmar is out for your blood."

Lucy bit her lip. "I don't know how I can find it," she said. "In Zerkalo, Joon already knew where it was."

"That's not helpful at all," Saul replied. "I think we should just forget this 'source of darkness' and leave this place while we still can. My home country, Samkra, is untouched by this blight. We'll be safe there."

Lucy shook her head. "We don't know if the darkness will stay contained in Zerkalo. But, even fi it does, I can't abandon my family. I can't abandon the innocent people who could be helped if I got get rid of the source." She paused, her eyes suddenly prickling and hot. "Saul, I can't leave Joon behind."

"What does it matter? He's some prince we've never met before, who abandoned his country to a plague."

"He's not like that," Lucy said. "If he came back, I'm sure it would be fixed. So I can't leave until I've done everything I can to save him and save Strana."

"I spent so long trying to get you into Zerkalo," Saul said, "and now I can't stop you from wanting to go back. I'm beginning to feel like our relationship is always going to be like this." He crossed his arms and looked up at her ceiling. But he didn't push leaving Strana anymore, which was something.