Chapter 41

Dravyn

I returned to Avalinth after several hours spent talking and negotiating with the God of Healing, and then helping him create the tonic I now carried—one that I'd been instructed to give to Savna.

The first thing I noticed upon touching down in the mortal realm was that Karys was missing.

"Don't panic," came Valas's voice, almost immediately. I turned to see him reclining against the side of Karys's old house. He looked as if he'd been waiting for me.

"Where is she?" I demanded. Her magic felt faint—not in this realm. Yet I hadn't felt her when I was in Nerithyl, either.

Valas pushed away from the wall, a troubled expression darkening his gaze. "I was only instructed to tell you she was safe," he said, "and that she'd be back soon. She didn't want you to worry."

As though that would stop me .

"You know more than that," I insisted. "I can see it in your face."

"Maybe." He summoned a crystal of ice to his palm and walked it back and forth between his fingers—a habit he sometimes fell into during the rare instances when he was nervous. "But I'm going to let her explain things when she gets back," he said. "I'm curious about what her actual plans and reasoning are, too."

I scowled; I was not in the mood to be patient or to play guessing games.

"That bottle you have there," said Valas, "it's from Armaros, I hope?"

I shifted the tonic to my other hand and gave it a shake, holding it up for his inspection even though I was annoyed by his change of subject.

"Karys's sister is not doing well. You may already be too late."

Too late.

Just like I'd been with Cillian.

I couldn't— wouldn't— fail her again.

Loathe as I was to do it, I shifted my priorities and forgot about tracking down Karys for the moment.

As I started toward the house, Moth appeared in a flurry of feathers and fire, startling me—though I should have expected him; I'd ordered him to stay behind, but following commands was not his strength.

It had been too long since he'd seen Karys, too. So there would be no keeping him away, no sending him back home.

Knowing this, I didn't protest when he perched himself on my shoulder and accompanied me to Savna's room.

Once there, he hopped down and started to rummage through her belongings; sniffing under furniture, rooting through drawers, snatching blankets and pillows in his claws and dragging them in every direction.

Savna slept on, oblivious, even when he leapt onto her bed and inspected her more closely. He appeared confused, for a moment, by this elf who looked so much like Karys but clearly wasn't her. He trotted back to me and clamped his beak around my ankle, tugging, as if he wanted me to follow him in his search for the real Karys.

"You and Zell are both lost without her, aren't you?" I mused, prying his bite off and shoving him toward the hallway. "Go on, wait for her outside, why don't you?"

While he plodded sulkily from the room, I stood perfectly still, silently reciting the instructions the Healing God had given me while watching Savna for signs of life.

She was, as Valas had warned, barely hanging on.

I'd planned to hand this tonic from Armaros over to Karys and let her handle its administration. But now she was nowhere to be found, and time was of the essence.

Knowing her, she'd be glad I had this chance to bond with her sister. Another chance to mend the brokenness between us all, just as she wanted my brother and me to do.

I smiled wryly at the thought and, sighing, made my way over to the bedside, shaking the glass bottle as I went. Uncorking it sent spirals of whitish-gold, magical residue fluttering into the air, along with the scent of citrus.

It wasn't a remedy she needed to ingest, thankfully; her skin could absorb it easily enough. There was a basket of medical supplies on the shelf next to her bed, so I took some of the cloths from it and soaked them in the citrusy substance.

The magic within this concoction would seep into her body and reverse the damage and blood loss she'd suffered, while simultaneously restoring her energy. I only needed to distribute it evenly over the wounded areas, and then there was nothing to do except… wait .

Once the job was finished, I drew a chair up beside the window on the far side of the room and sank down into it. It creaked under my weight as I leaned back and raked a hand through my hair.

It wasn't like me to not be able to keep still, but I found myself fidgeting as the minutes passed. Shuffling my weight from one side to the other. Picking at invisible loose threads on the chair cushion. Tapping my fingers against the windowsill.

I finally stuffed my hands into the pockets of my coat instead, hoping that would keep them still.

As I did, my fingers brushed against the heavy silver ring in my right pocket—a family heirloom that I'd been carrying since our trip to Altis. Fallon had given it to me. Had flung it at me, practically, and I'd accepted it against my better judgment, in spite of all the unwanted memories it stirred when I looked at it.

It traditionally went to the youngest in our family, so it wasn't meant to be mine—it wouldn't have been mine, if not for that fateful night of blood and poison all those years ago.

I squeezed it tight, rolling it around between my fingers.

Such a small trinket, but it weighed so much.

I was drifting dangerously close to clear memories of the night my siblings had died when Savna gave a sudden cough and rolled in my direction.

"You look like you're contemplating murder," she mumbled.

I softened my expression but otherwise didn't reply.

"Not mine, I hope." She breathed in deep, an effort that made her wince. "Though if you are considering it, there are knives under my bed. Very sharp. Should get the job done quickly if you've any sort of skill."

"I don't need knives to provide you with a quick death," I reminded her.

She laughed a humorless, bewildered sort of laugh. "Right. Of course."

We were quiet for a long time before she spoke again.

"Where is Karys?"

"Away on divine business, I'm afraid."

"That figures." With a great deal of effort, she fought her way upright, propping pillows behind herself so she could stay there.

Her face was alarmingly pale, her skin slicked with sweat. But her heartbeat sounded stronger, and she smelled considerably less like death than she had earlier. Or maybe it was just the pungent odor of the Healing God's medicine covering up everything else.

"She's…divine." Another weak, bewildered laugh. "I keep forgetting that, somehow."

"Maybe because you don't want to accept it," I suggested.

"Maybe." She turned her tired gaze my direction, though she seemed to have a hard time focusing it on my face. "It's hard to change the way we see people, isn't it?"

Lucky for you, I thought, or else she would have abandoned you a long time ago.

I sank deeper into the chair, my hand once more in my pocket, turning the ring over and over as I considered what Savna had said.

It was difficult to change the way we saw people; maybe that was why I couldn't bring myself to fully let my guard down around this elven woman—because I'd only ever known her as a source of pain to the one being I cared about more than anyone else.

Savna was quiet for a time, her gaze fixed on something outside the window. "I feel miraculously better. You gave me something, I assume? These cloths against my skin…they carry the god-awful scent of magic, among other things."

"Yes."

Her face scrunched up, I assumed from a combination of the scent and the confusing, tense situation we'd found ourselves in. "So, you saved me."

"For her sake, not yours," I said, bluntly.

"Understandable." She dropped her gaze to her hands, absently tracing the lines along her palm for a minute before she said, "I've made a lot of mistakes, haven't I?"

It took several moments before a reply came to me, and several more before I could bring myself to say it out loud. "You have. But she would want you to forgive yourself."

"Forgiveness." She scoffed. More to herself than me she added, "You don't know the half of what I've done."

"No. I don't." I pulled my hand from my pocket. Clenched it into a fist in order to keep myself from immediately reaching for the ring again. "But I do know your sister."

The words Karys had spoken days ago rang through my mind for what might have been the dozenth time: You are worthy of forgiveness.

Savna stared at me, clearly at a loss for words, as I got to my feet.

"The remedy I gave you is from the God of Healing himself," I told her. "It should continue to help you mend. Keep those cloths pressed over your skin, let your body continue to absorb the magic."

"…Thank you."

I inclined my head, then turned toward the door.

"Hey. Mister, um, Lord God of Fire...Sir?"

My hand stilled against the tarnished handle. "Just Dravyn will do," I reminded her.

"Right. Dravyn." She hesitated. "I just…I wanted to thank you for taking care of her when I couldn't."

I stiffened, unsure of how to reply.

"For giving her power, and for saving her. For…everything."

"She was powerful enough before I came along," I replied, glancing back one last time before pushing the door open, "And she did most of the saving."

"Still. Thank you."

I acknowledged the words with another dip of my head before leaving.

I encountered Mairu on my way out of the house. Moth had burrowed himself snugly into her arms; it never took him long to find someone to take pity on him and offer him attention.

"I've been patrolling the area," she informed me. "It's oddly quiet."

"Let's hope it stays that way for a while."

Between the terrifying display Karys had put on in Altis, and the fact that we had one of their leaders in our control…something told me the elven forces were likely scrambling to find order amongst themselves, if nothing else. It wouldn't last, but it was allowing us to catch our breath in the meantime.

"How is Savna?" Mairu asked.

"Better."

"Are you all right?" She cocked her head, a concerned little smile on her face. "You look as if you went to war in that room with her."

"She's awake. We were just…talking."

"About…?"

"I don't know. Feelings."

"Oh, the horror," she said, eyes dancing with amusement.

"Spare me the teasing and just go watch over her for me," I said. "I'll take over patrolling duties."

She agreed, transferring Moth to my arms before heading inside.

The griffin watched the sky while I scanned the fields and forests.

Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long before Karys returned.

I sensed her approaching, and my own magic rose in reply, brightening and helping to guide her in.

A fiery wind swirled as she entered the realm, gathering bits of dry grass and other debris toward it as it built. The embers in the center of the whirlwind began to shift into the shape of her body, and seconds later she stepped from the fire, shaking sparks and ashes from her hair as she came.

Moth leapt from my arms and bounded toward her, snapping and swatting at the stray bits of fire, tumbling through the grass and making a predictable spectacle of himself.

"You've gotten good at that," I told Karys as she finished materializing and the last of the smoke and fire that had carried her faded away.

She lifted her attention away from Moth, smiling a bit as our eyes met. "It's easier when you're more certain about where you want to go, isn't it?"

"It is," I agreed as she drew nearer.

Her expression turned strange as we came together—though I had little chance to study it before she was closing all of the remaining space between us and lifting onto her tiptoes, pressing her lips to mine.

Her arms circled around my neck. My hands gripped her waist, steadying and lifting her higher, deeper into the kiss.

We remained locked in this embrace for a full minute, at least, until I finally pulled away—only because of the uneasy weight growing in my chest.

"Wildfire…" I said softly, "why does it feel like you're kissing me goodbye rather than hello?"

Her eyes were distant, unwilling to meet mine.

Moth curled at our feet, sniffing her boots, the fur along his back standing on end.

Now that I wasn't distracted by the feel of Karys's hands and the taste of her kiss, I realized what was making Moth so uneasy.

That powerful energy surrounding her, the scent of a far wilder, more powerful magic that didn't belong to either of us…

"Where have you been?"

She finally met my concerned gaze. "We…we need to talk."

The words made my balance sway.

"You should check on your sister first," I said—because, apparently, I was a coward who wasn't truly prepared to talk about where she'd been. "She's awake, now. She was asking for you."

She hesitated only a moment before agreeing.

I followed her into the house but lingered outside of her sister's room, granting them privacy. Their conversation continued until well past sunset, while I steeled myself for whatever would follow it.

I already knew the answer to my question from earlier—she'd been to Valla. The upper-heavens. I'd only visited that realm a handful of times myself, but it was impossible to forget the feel and smell of the magical energy that filled it.

I could guess at her reason for going, too—she had likely demanded an audience with one of the gods who dwelled there. Admiration swelled in my chest at the thought, but beneath it lay fear.

What had she talked to the Moraki about?

What was she planning to do?

I grew restless waiting inside, so I went back to patrolling the yard and beyond. I checked in with Valas and Mairu countless times. I spent much of the time soaring above it all, twisting and turning through the sky, the embers shearing from my wings sizzling as they passed through the low-lying clouds that were heavy with the promise of rain.

I was sitting on a stone bench in the center of the yard, head bowed in thought, when Karys finally emerged from the house.

Moth flew from his perch on the roof to greet her. His tail and ears drooped when she didn't immediately gather him up in her arms as she usually did; she was too distracted to see him— she nearly walked right past me as well, until I cleared my throat, making her jump.

"Is everything all right?" I asked.

She shook her head. Moth made a pitiful mewling sound, and she finally crouched down and opened her arms to him. She hugged him tightly as she straightened, her eyes darting around the yard. "Valas and Mairu, are they…"

"They're close by."

"Good. I need to speak with Mairu. I'm going to require her magic for something."

I tilted my head, curious.

"I need to borrow my sister's shadow, one last time."

"You've been practicing the divine's ability to speak in riddles, I see."

She gave me a grim smile. "Gather the others," she insisted, "and I'll explain as much as I can."

Hours later, deep in the middle of the mortal realm's night, I walked alone along the edge of the fields surrounding Karys's old house.

To my left, a forest loomed. The twisted, shadowy branches seemed a fitting reflection of my dark and tangled thoughts. I was still going over the meeting we'd had, still trying to make sense of all the things Karys had told us.

And the things she hadn't.

She'd gone to Valla, as I'd suspected.

To Malaphar, as I'd feared.

And next, she planned to go deep into the territory of the elven rebels once more. To strike at the heart of their operation, she'd informed us, and undo the corrupted magic they'd created along with everything else.

Beyond this vague plan, she'd shared frustratingly little. We'd gone in circles for the better part of an hour while she explained what she needed to do, and why, but the how …

There was more she wasn't telling us.

Too much more.

It was not her fault, I didn't think; I suspected the God of the Shade had bound her to secrecy regarding some details of their plans. Whether by way of an actual spell or merely a spoken oath, there were secrets he'd insisted she keep from me. And if she failed to do so…

I clenched my hand into a fist, stifling the fire that had started to build in my palm.

Breaking her oath to such a powerful god would only make things worse.

So I was left with no choice but to guess at how I could possibly help her. How I could keep her safe.

I continued to study the woods as I walked, considering disappearing into them for a minute until I felt a stirring in my chest that made me turn back toward the house.

Karys was crossing the field, making her way toward me.

Her hair whipped about in the damp breeze. Her skin glowed faintly, the magic inside of her shining a light that was particularly noticeable in the pale cast of the cloud-covered moon.

Stunning, as always.

I would never tire of seeing her walking in my direction.

She studied my face as she reached me, the familiar, grim smile curving her lips once more. "You're angry with me, aren't you? Is that why you haven't come back to the house?"

Despite the very real rage simmering in my gut, I shook my head.

"No. I'm not angry—not with you." I took her hand. Pulled her closer. Kissed her forehead before gathering her against my chest and burying my face against her hair. "Never with you."

She angled her face so she could gaze up at me. "I should have told you I was going to Valla. But I was afraid I would lose my nerve if I waited too long."

I brushed a hand across her cheek. She shook slightly against me, as if all of the plans and fears she carried were rattling against her insides, trying to overtake her.

"Walk with me," I said, taking a step back and grabbing hold of her hand. "Show me more of this forest; you know all the paths through it, I'm guessing?"

She nodded slowly.

Of course she did—she likely had entire books filled with hand-drawn maps of the area.

We spent the next several hours exploring it. She showed me the places where everything notable grew—berries for foraging, flowers for picking. She took me to the places where magic pooled, and explained the way she had always been able to sense that earthbound power, to find magic-infused herbs and roots that she used in healing recipes of her own creation.

Thunder soon rolled overhead, but she ignored it, focused as she was on bringing me to the places where she had wandered alone when she needed to think, then to all the nooks and crannies where she and her sister had built forts and castles and all other manner of make-believe things.

Finally, we stopped to rest beside a small stream.

She settled atop a large, flat boulder, her eyes on the stream as the first raindrops began to disrupt its clear water.

"Did you mean it," she said, after a minute, "when you said you loved who I was, and not what? You were half-asleep when you spoke those words the other night so I…I didn't know if maybe…"

I turned to find her staring at me, holding her breath.

I couldn't think of the right words to say.

Not at first.

So I focused on action instead, reaching into the inner pocket of my coat, pulling out that ring I'd been carrying with me since our visit to Altis.

"My brother gave me this when we were in the royal city," I told her. "Traditionally, it goes to the youngest heir in my family. With my younger siblings gone, it's now mine to give to whomever I wish." I stepped closer, holding it out to her.

She plucked it gingerly from my grasp.

"An heirloom of my mortal life—but I've also been infusing it with my own divine power during these hours I've carried it, while we were apart and I was thinking of you."

She summoned a bit of her own power, a small flame that floated beside the ring and allowed her to study its details more clearly. The silver band was molded in the shape of two wings that held the oval centerpiece. Three diamonds ran in a diagonal line across the center, signifying the three regions that my ancestors united to form the Kingdom of Galizur.

"It's beautiful," she said, slowly offering it back.

"Keep it."

Her lips parted in surprise. "It's beautiful, but I can't take something so important, I…"

I knelt before her, taking it and slipping it onto her finger as I said, "You're more important."

Her eyes flashed to mine. Holding her breath again.

I twisted the ring around her finger, marveling at how perfectly it fit. Like it was meant to be there.

And I finally thought of an answer to her question.

"There is no limit to what I would give you," I said, still kneeling before her. "What I would burn down to get to you. What I would build with you, forge for you. Wherever you go, whatever you become, I love you. And I will find my way back to you, no matter the chaos between us, and whatever the battles we face in the coming days." I traced my thumb across the ring, igniting the magic I'd been pouring into it until the diamonds in its center flickered with firelight. "Please tell me you believe that."

She traced the diamonds, her own fire stirring, warming the air as she said, "I do."

I rose to meet her lips, pressing her back against the rock. We sank into a kiss just as the clouds opened up and unleashed the full deluge they'd been threatening.

We were soaked within moments.

Rainwater mingled with the taste of her fire. As our kiss deepened and our surroundings heated, the drops began to hiss as they hit, slowly enveloping us in a cloud of steam.

We stayed tangled together, soaking wet and steaming, until the sun came up and started to chase away some of the damp dreariness.

She was curled against me, her breathing slow and even, when she stirred, huddled more closely to me and said, "The battles we'll face in the coming days…"

I steadied her as she sat up, rearranging herself in my lap so we were face-to-face.

She visibly steeled herself further before she said, "Whatever happens in the end, I need you to trust me."

I stared, searching her face for clues about the things she hadn't been able to tell me. About whatever trial Malaphar had appointed to her. Clues about where she was planning to go, what she was planning to do.

Finding none, I planted one last lingering kiss on her lips, swallowing the last of the raindrops still clinging to them.

"I trust you," I whispered against her mouth.

But as she kissed me back—harder than she ever had—I had the strange sensation that she was returning the fire I'd given her, only now it burned more brightly and fiercely than ever before.