Solivagant

Chapter Forty-Two

Rivas was shivering.

Nervous energy still shot through his veins as he strode from Soren's office. Asher's arm weighed heavy on his shoulders; Rivas took another breath, wincing as the air seemed to shrink away. It was cold. The Raek had nearly taken him as he fought it back from Asher's mind, digging deep into his bones. Even though the boy and Soren had reigned it in before that could happen, its freezing touch seemed reluctant to fade.

Rivas adjusted his hold around Asher, willing his muscles to still. His pain was nothing compared to what the boy must've been feeling. Asher was shaking five times as badly; his skin was ice to the touch. And his magic... When he wasn't drugged, it had always blazed like a sun amongst stars, clean and fresh. But now Rivas could feel a bitter chill overtaking Asher's energy, radiating the cursed, warped darkness he'd only ever tied to Soren.

This is my fault. Rivas lifted his head as they neared the staircase, motioning for Wade to follow. It was a struggle to keep his movements calm. This is all my fault.

Rivas shouldn't have used the drug: even taken by surprise, Soren had managed to burn enough of it away to drastically slow the effects. And instead of quickly falling asleep, his magic and the Raek safely out of reach, the king had completely lost control.

Rivas swore under his breath at Soren, and then himself. That fool had let the monster out, and Rivas had accidentally set it free. He should have waited longer. He was supposed to be smarter than this, to know when fear was clouding his judgement. Rivas had wanted to stop the suffering, not cause more. He should have taken the time to alter the drug, make it safer. Acting so soon was a terrible idea.

And yet... Rivas hadn't been able to stand the thought of waiting any longer. He couldn't bear to be sent back to Asher, forced to break the poor boy piece by piece, knowing Soren would watch his every move. The king would test him, again and again, until Rivas either snapped or lost whatever scrap of humanity he had left. It wouldn't take much. Rivas had nearly cracked that morning; Asher's screams still echoed in his ears.

Rash, stupid, emotional thoughts, all of them. Rivas shoved them from his mind, trying to focus as he guided Asher and Wade down the staircase. What was done was done: right now, he could not let what he felt turn him into an idiot again. He intended to live.

As Rivas moved off of the last step, he felt Asher glance in the direction of his cell. The boy flinched away, a quiet whimper escaping his lips. Rivas grimaced and tugged him forward, trying to move past the barred doors as fast as he could. This, too, was his fault. The old guilt speared his heart, and he let it burn there. It was the very least he could do, allowing the things he had done to haunt him. It was the only retribution he knew how to give.

They left the corridor with Asher's cell; Rivas paused for a moment, mentally following the route they needed to take. The northeastern section of the castle—at least at the lower levels—was mostly empty, and only used for storage. Not many walked the halls below the floor Soren's office was at. The only reason Asher's cell was here was because Soren had wanted the boy closer.

He doubted God would bother to listen to him, but Rivas still sent a quick prayer of thanks. The dungeons were much farther from the exit: here, if Rivas was quick, he could still get these boys to safety.

Rivas turned right, gritting his teeth as Asher's weight pressed down onto him again. He still needed to be wary. Rivas hadn't expected Kain to appear outside Soren's office: the king must've called him back. Soren probably hadn't expected this—if he had, Rivas would've already been dead—but he may have taken precautions in case something went wrong. And he hadn't bothered to tell Rivas, which was unfortunately not unusual.