“We don’t know. The plan was for her to head there to raise their armies and bring them back, but if she’s not there, we’re shit out of luck.”
“Was there … was there a chance that Hel might have actually allied with you?” Disbelief laced every word.
“Yeah. There still is.”
“Why tell me any of this?”
He clenched his jaw. “We weren’t sure if you or Command had any suspicions about where Bryce went, or if you were hoping she’d carry out some sort of miracle when she got back here. But we figured you should know that doesn’t seem like an option.”
Lidia swore. She looked at her hands, as if she could see whatever plans Ophion might have had crumbling away. “We weren’t counting on any assistance from your sister or Hel, but I’ll pass along the warning nonetheless.” Her eyes churned with worry. “Is she …”
Trust Day to get right to the heart of the matter.
“I don’t know.” His flat tone conveyed everything.
She angled her head, and he knew her well enough to know she was considering all he’d told her. The Oracle’s warning.
But Lidia said, “She’s not dead.” Nothing but pure confidence filled her words.
“Oh yeah?” He couldn’t keep his snide tone in check. “What makes you so sure?”
She took his nastiness in stride. “Rigelus has his mystics hunting for her. He wants her found.”
“He doesn’t know what I know.”
“No—he knows more than you. He wouldn’t waste the effort if he believed Bryce was dead. Or in Hel. He knows she’s somewhere else.”
Ruhn ignored the kernel of hope in his chest. “So what does it mean, then?”
“It means he thinks Bryce’s location might make some difference.” She crossed her arms. “It means wherever he suspects she might be … it has him worried.”
“I don’t see how it could make any difference.”
“Then you underestimate your sister.”
“Fuck you,” he snapped.
“Rigelus isn’t underestimating Bryce for one moment,” she went on, tone sharpening. “One thousand mystics, Ruhn—all looking for her. Do you know how many tasks he usually has them doing? But they are all focused on finding her. That tells me he’s very, very scared.”
Ruhn swallowed hard. “What would happen if his mystics found her location?”
Lidia shook her head, flames twining through the strands. “I don’t know. But he must have some plan in mind.”
Ruhn asked, “Why can’t they find her? I thought his mystics could find anything.”
“The universe is vast. Even a thousand mystics need some time to comb every galaxy and star system.”
“How much time?”
Her eyes simmered. “Not as much as Bryce likely needs—if she is indeed trying to do the impossible.”
“Which is what?”
“Find help.”
It was about as much as Ruhn could take. He turned back toward his end of the bridge. “Ruhn.”
He halted, shuddering at the way she spoke his name, the memory of how it had felt to hear it the first time, after the equinox ball, when she’d learned who he was.
But that was the problem, wasn’t it? She knew who he was … and he knew who she was. Knew that while she might be Agent Daybright, she’d been the Hind for decades before she’d decided to turn rebel. Had committed plenty of despicable acts for Sandriel and the Asteri long before she’d killed the Harpy to save his life. Did changing sides erase the stain?
She said quietly, “I’m doing what I can to help you.”
Ruhn looked over a shoulder. She’d wrapped her arms around her middle. “I don’t give a fuck what you’re doing. I’m only here because other people’s lives might depend on it.”
Hurt flashed in her eyes, and it was kindling to his temper. How dare she look that way, look like she was hurt, when it was his fucking heart—
“You’re dead to me,” Ruhn hissed, and vanished.
16
“Too narrow for me to fly,” Azriel said, assessing the seemingly endless chasm between them and the rest of the tunnel. No bridge this time. Only a narrow, endless drop. Far too slim for Azriel to spread his wings. Far too wide for any of them to jump.
“Is this another manipulation?” Bryce asked Nesta coolly.
Nesta snorted. “The rock doesn’t lie. He can’t even spread his wings halfway.”