yelled at me, as it had daily for longer than I wanted to admit.
Maybe. Maybe not, I answered myself. Power came in many forms. Just because we’d never suspected innocent little Imogen of nefarious deeds didn’t mean she wasn’t capable of them.
An image of her looking like an angry kitten earlier popped into my mind, and an unintended and unwanted smile threatened. She’d been so damn adorable as she tried to defend her dessert. And I’d had way too much fun playing with her.
Fun.
At that thought, I chuckled under my breath. While I’d never been a barrel of laughs, I’d been able to find amusement in the small things. But, these days, I barely even remembered what it meant to have fun. To let loose. To not worry every second of every day.
The door opened, and Flynn appeared. He immediately sought my gaze and shook his head. “You’re thinking so loud, you woke me up.”
Ignoring the jab, I tilted my head toward Killian. “He’s worse tonight.”
Flynn studied our brother for a few minutes before plopping on the bed next to me. “You’re not doing him any good by sitting up all night and obsessing. I’ll stay with him. You go take a walk or go to the pub or get laid. I don’t care. Just get out of here.”
He was right—not about the pub or getting laid part. But I did need to clear my head.
Without responding, I stood and threw on a jacket and my boots before leaving. I’d barely made it a few steps before I was able to breathe easier. Killian’s bedroom was starting to feel like a sickroom. It was stifling.
Wandering throughout the castle, I encountered few people at this hour, thankfully. I’d probably been walking for an hour when I found myself outside of Imogen’s room. I didn’t remember making the conscious decision to seek her out. My body had overruled my brain and made the decision for me.
I leaned against the door, debating. It was the middle of the night. I couldn’t barge in as though I had a right to be there. I didn’t.
Just as I forced myself to take a step away, the most beautiful sound drifted to me. It was a song but not just any song. It was a song distinctly otherworldly and even more distinctly Imogen.
Like the last time I’d heard her lament, it took me several seconds to snap out of the enthralled state the too-perfect, melodic notes put me in. But, when I did, I wasted no time unlocking and opening the door.
Imogen sat on the floor next to the window, her arms wrapped around her knees while she sang and wept. Unlike when she’d had to endure the pain of her collar with every note, she appeared peaceful, her body utterly motionless.
How is Killian? I sent the question to Flynn. As much as I wanted to take in the scene before me, I couldn’t help worrying about what this meant for my brother.
Settling, he replied.
For now, that had to be enough.
Imogen didn’t look at me or even seem to notice I’d entered the room. Still, not wanting to disturb her, I quietly closed the door behind me and tried to make myself as small as possible in the corner of the room.
I was nothing less than enthralled as I watched her. The song didn’t last long, but every second of it made me feel like more than myself. Like I was experiencing all of life and death and everything in between through her. It made me want to be better. To make the time I’d been given more meaningful.
After releasing the final note, she gasped, as though she hadn’t taken a single breath that entire time. Blinking through tears still pooling in her bloodshot eyes, she looked up at me, clearly confused. “Ronan?”
“Hey, little one. How are you feeling?”
She wiped at her cheeks, then glanced down at her wet fingertips, understanding crossing her face. “I lamented.”
“You did.”
“I don’t remember.” Once the words slipped out of her mouth, she looked like she wanted to retrieve them. “I mean, of course, I don’t remember. I never do.”
“I know.”
It was the truth. I couldn’t deny what I’d witnessed—she’d been in another place while she sang, and she’d had no idea what was going on when she returned to this one.
But that still didn’t answer my most important questions.
Did she have any control over the lament?
Had her song affected Killian?
And, most importantly, was it announcing his death?