Contents
Chapter 83 — Grim
Overview
On the morning of the duel, news breaks that Isla has escaped her cell. Grim, furious and conflicted after their night together, realizes she likely used Lark’s feather. Fearing the duel will be canceled and Nightshade doomed, Grim offers to prove loyalty to Cronan and commits to finding Isla.
Summary
Grim struggles to suppress memories of the previous night with Isla, insisting to himself it was meaningless as he prepares for their fatal duel. The arena fills with rulers and crowds awaiting the spectacle that will precede Cronan’s invasion.
Commotion interrupts Grim’s tense meal with Cronan. Knights report that the prisoner—Isla—has vanished from her supposedly impenetrable cell. Grim immediately suspects she exploited Lark’s feather, perhaps sensing the healed mark he had concealed and using their night together to bypass his illusion.
Wracked by anger and self-reproach, Grim considers the consequences: if the duel cannot occur, Cronan may refuse to spare any realm, dooming Nightshade. Cronan orders Isla found, and Grim resolves to do so—not for Cronan’s sake, but to protect his own people.
Reasoning that Isla acts from emotion and still hopes he might remember her, Grim concludes she timed her escape to his loss of control after their night. Determined to sever any doubt and keep the duel on track, Grim turns to Cronan and declares his loyalty, choosing Nightshade’s survival over personal ties.
Who Appears
- GrimTorn after a final night with Isla; realizes she escaped; resolves to prove loyalty to Cronan to protect Nightshade.
- CronanOverseer of the duel and invasion; enraged by Isla’s escape; orders an immediate hunt for her.
- IslaPrisoner who escapes, likely using Lark’s feather and Grim’s lapse; her flight threatens the scheduled duel.
- KnightsCronan’s enforcers who report Isla’s disappearance and await orders to find her.