I think he knew it before I did.
Besides, there"s only one thing I really want him to know.
One thing that might help him to hold it together when my echo-the part of me that will float on the breeze, telling him the story of what happened-reaching him.
Telling him I"m gone forever.
I add my words to the wind"s song and send the gust to the sky.
Then I close my eyes and wait for the water to wash me away.
CHAPTER 9.VANE.
I.
should be angry.
The woman who murdered my family and ruined Audra"s life is standing ten feet away, separated by only a thin wall of chains.
But when I look closer at her, all I feel is pity.
Arella used to be this gifted, powerful beauty.
Now she looks pale and greasy, her pants and tank top filthy and ripped, like the crazy homeless lady who hangs outside the grocery store muttering about people stealing her socks.
Still, I don"t like the way she"s pressed up against the chains, like she"s trying to get as close to me as she can. Whatever she thinks, she"s not going to be able to manipulate me. I won"t even give her the chance to try.
"I changed my mind," I say, spinning around to find Os blocking the exit. "I can"t stay here."
Os shakes his head. "You need to rest."
"Then move Arella-"
"I can"t, Vane. I built the Maelstrom for her. It was the only way I could keep her contained."
"They"re afraid of me," Arella chimes in, laughing when I turn to glare at her. "But don"t worry, down here I"m completely useless." She rattles the chains, her skinny arms flexing and straining. The metal barely wiggles. "See?"
Os marches toward her, stepping right in her face. "If you do anything to bother Vane, I will have the guard silence you. I"m sure you remember how unpleasant that was."
"I do." She says it with a slight smile, but her voice cracks and what little color she had seems to drain from her skin.
"Good." Os gives me what I"m a.s.suming is meant to be a rea.s.suring smile as he says, "Rest well, Your Highness."
Oh yeah, because nothing says "rest" like being locked up with a psychopath in a place too creepy to let normal people know about.
I try to look confident as he leaves, but everything inside me shudders when the weird mesh curtain latches closed, leaving me trapped underground with the devil woman.
I turn my back on her and study my tiny cell.
Stubby candles are set into the spinning walls to provide faint light, though their glow seems strange. It takes me a second to realize it"s because they don"t flicker. Their flames are solid and steady, and even when I blow on them nothing happens, like the air is swallowed as soon as it leaves my lips.
"Feels wrong, doesn"t it?" Arella whispers.
I ignore her, making my way to the pile of fluffy things and collapsing on my back.
I close my eyes, and they burn behind my eyelids, like they"re screaming at me for keeping them open too long.
I let out a slow breath, trying to relax.
"So it"s Your Highness now," Arella says, refusing to be ignored. "Does that mean I should congratulate my daughter on being queen?"
Faster that I thought possible, I"m on my feet and across the room, slamming my fist against the chains. "There is nothing between me and Au-"
"Relax, Vane," she whispers, leaning closer instead of backing away. Her breath smells like a rat crawled into her mouth and died as she tells me, "I haven"t told them about you two and I don"t intend to."
"There"s nothing to tell."
"Of course there isn"t."
She smiles.
I back away. "Whatever you think you know-you"re wrong. And if you don"t shut up right now, I"ll call the guard and have him silence you."
"Oh, fine, have it your way. But if there were something to tell, your secret would be safe with me."
"Right. Like I"d ever trust you."
"Look at me, Vane."
She waits for me to meet her eyes and I"m struck by how much they remind me of Audra"s. The same dark blue that almost looks black. The same intense stare.
"In a strange way, I should be thanking you," she whispers. "I never realized how much the winds affected me-how much the pain fueled my life. Not until you had them suck all the winds away. It was like I could finally think again, after living in a fog for so long."
She steps back, rubbing the skin on her arms.
Audra never told me much about her mother, but I know she feels things on the wind that no one else can. A rare gift that gives her crucial insights. And causes her incredible pain.
"I won"t waste my time apologizing for what I"ve done," she says after a moment. "But I do want you to know that it wasn"t me. Not really. My gift is very . . . confusing."
"Hey-you know what else is confusing? Growing up an orphan with no memories of my past. And I"m betting Audra thought it was pretty confusing growing up without a father-especially since you let her believe she killed him."
I"m done with this conversation.
I stalk back to my pillows, lying on my side with my back to her.
"How is she?"
There"s an ache in Arella"s voice that I"m not used to hearing. It almost sounds like she cares. And even though I"m sure it"s all part of her game, I decide to answer her question.
"She"s free."
"Good."
I glance over my shoulder, stunned by the peaceful smile spread across her lips.
This woman is a murderer, I remind myself.
"You"re wasting your time with this I"m a changed woman act. I don"t buy it-and Audra won"t either. You"re lucky I stopped her from killing you that day in the desert."
"You mean when she was attacking me with Westerlies?"
She drags out the last word as she raises one eyebrow.
I sit up, trying to stay calm. "I taught her a few commands."
"I"m sure you did. But you haven"t taught anyone else, have you? I wonder why that is." Arella presses her face against the chains, smashing her pale skin through the gaps. "There"s no point denying it, Vane. I can see it in your eyes. But I"m not going to tell the Gales, if you"re wondering. I see no point in being on the bad side of the only person who can release me. Or his future wife."
The word "wife" throws me. I guess Audra will be my wife someday, given that we"re already bonded.
But that"s still a weird thought.
I try to picture Audra and me living in a house somewhere like normal people-though is that how normal sylphs live? All I"ve ever seen are the Gales, and my only childhood memories are from when we were on the run. I have no idea how it works for regular Windwalkers.
Of course, if I"m king, wouldn"t we be living in some sort of crazy wind palace?
Focus, Vane.
Psycho woman threatening you right now.
"If you think you can convince me to let you out of here, you"re a bigger idiot than I thought. So why don"t you skip the whole blackmailing thing and let me get some sleep?"
"You do look exhausted, Vane. When was the last time you slept?" "I don"t remember," I admit, lying back down and rolling away.
She"s quiet for so long I start to drift off-or I must have because when she finally speaks it makes me jump.
"Is it nightmares or fantasies?"
The question is so spot-on I can"t help turning back to face her. "How did you know?"
"The winds told me many things about Raiden"s tricks. I"ve just never seen their effect." She squints at me, and it"s like she"s staring into my brain. "It"s been nightmares mostly, hasn"t it? Though I"m sure the fantasies linger? And I bet I know what they were about."
Okay, that"s just creepy.
"Stop acting like you know me."
"But I do know you, Vane. We"re not as different as you"d like to believe. We both know how to break the rules and take risks when it comes to something we really want."
"You realize you"re talking about murdering my parents, right?"
Does she really not get that I could order her execution if I wanted to?
Well, I think I could.
I could certainly try.
"I"m just trying to show you that I can help you. Whatever games Raiden"s playing. Whatever brought you down here, pale and weak and willing to be locked underground in this miserable place just so you can finally sleep. I can stop it. It"s my gift."
I watch her rub the skin on her arms and hate myself for being a tiny bit curious.
If anyone could figure out how to block Raiden"s winds, it"s Arella. But she"s forgetting one key detail.
"So let"s say I actually believe that you"ve changed and are no longer the heartless, murdering psychopath we all know and hate. If I ship you back up to fresh air and put you to work protecting me, how long before the madness takes over again? How long before you"re back to scheming and betraying and not caring who gets hurt-or killed-in the process?"
"It wouldn"t be-"
"Yes, it would."
I turn my back again-for real this time.
Still, I can"t quite tune her out as she tells me, "I can help you, Vane. I might be the only one who can."
CHAPTER 10.AUDRA.
I.
"m not dead.
The water crashed over me, swallowing my air. And as I drifted with the waves I felt my consciousness slip away.
But here I am.
Still breathing.
Facedown on the soggy sand of an eerily silent cave.
Thick cords bind my arms to my sides, telling me I"m a hostage. But I feel no hint of my captor"s presence. Only a suffocating stillness in the air.
The entrance to the cave is unguarded-but I dare not try and run. My enemy has always been five steps ahead of me. This is just another part of their game.
I pull myself up, wincing as my bonds twist tighter. I can feel the sharp rocks still in my pockets, but given my attacker"s ghostly methods, I doubt they"ll ever get close enough for me to use them. Still, I twist and squirm as much as I can to bring one closer to my reach.
The cave is empty and unremarkable. Rough gray walls and dripping stalact.i.tes. No signs of life except the tiny green crabs skittering across the sand. No breeze except the rush of my own breath. My only clue to what I"m facing is the broad piece of seaweed coiled around my palm.
Cool tingles sink into the blisters underneath, easing the pain of my burn.
An unnecessary mercy, probably meant to soften me. See if they can coax my secrets instead of beating and breaking.
I shudder.