4. Tori

After eating, Jun dozed off, and I begrudgingly left him with Pallas. She leaned against a nearby rock and let his head lay in her lap while gently stroking his hair.

Ireturned to Avlyn and scarfed down my share of the meal. It wasn't particularly good; the meat was stringy and dried out from the smoke of the fire, but I ate every morsel.

Iwas licking the grease from my fingers when Avlyn said, "What's the plan, Princess?"

Ithrew my stick into the fire and wiped my fingers on my ruined dress. "Why are you asking me? You're the commander. What was the next step of the plan?"

"This was never damn well in the plan, and you know it." They crossed their arms over their chest.

"DoI? I didn't know the army was going to invade. I clearly wasn't privy to you and Abraxas' schemes." The tears were rising again, and I was already so tired of it.

Avlyn'sface softened. "That's protocol. Knowing could have compromised your role. It wasn't because we didn't trust you."

"But you don't trust me. You've said as much, many times in fact." I raised my knees up and wrapped my arms around them, tucking my head into my arms so that I could hide my shame. Tears fell, and I just felt numb all over.

Avlynput their hand on my shoulder, but I didn't raise my face. "Tori, I saw you fight for him, for us. I know you can be trusted, and I'm sorry I didn't before." They sighed heavily. "He means everything to me, too."

Yes, Avlyn was mourning, too. Abraxas had kept his secrets, and now we didn't know if we would ever get him back.

"I think I got so pissed off when you tried to escape, when you got hurt, because of how he reacted. I hadn't seen him like that in centuries since the years after Malech's defeat. It was like he was completely gone, dead, even if his body was still moving. I knew then how he felt about you, but I hated how you made him hurt like that again, even if that wasn't really fair."

Myheart stuttered. I'd been asleep, so I hadn't seen it. Kaleos had mentioned something to me, but I'd been so blind then, unwilling to see the truth of his feelings and my own.

Avlyncontinued, "The only thing that brought him back all those centuries ago was anger, his desire for vengeance. I ‘spose I can see why now. All his family killed; his entire species gone… except for him. At the time, I thought he killed his father. I thought that's what was eating him up. I didn't understand why he had done it, but I was young then, never questioned him. I never did later, either… maybe if I had…"

Ilooked up. "It's my fault we failed, Avlyn. I froze up in the dungeon. He had my… my mother strung up, and I froze. I let them capture me."

Avlyn'seyes were kind. "It was a long shot anyway, Princess. I don't blame you."

"You didn't make it seem like a long shot when we were planning."

"Not a great idea to tell your troops the odds aren't in their favor. It doesn't build morale. Besides, I think you weren't the only one to blame for the situation."

Mylips pulled tight, and I said nothing, not wanting to think about Ciara. Avlyn seemed of the same mind.

"It's always the beautiful ones you need to watch out for." Their eyes darted over to Pallas.

"It's too much. I can't carry this all on my own. I don't know how to save him, and if I really am…" We didn't speak of it, like saying it would make it true. "…if I really am the WorldBreaker, maybe it's best if I don't. MaybeI should just stay here with him until the end."

Theyfurrowed their eyebrows. "No way in hell I'm letting that happen. As far as I'm concerned, what that old crone said changes nothing. She said it herself. Prophecies aren't straightforward things, so let's not try to pretend we understand something greater than ourselves. All we can do now is move forward."

Theirhoney-colored eyes were strong, and I felt that tiny spark of hope in my chest. "How can you be so sure this is the right thing, Avlyn?"

"Oh, I'm not, but I promised Abraxas that I would keep you safe, so that's what I'm going to do."

Myfingers shook, but my anxiety seemed to ebb a small amount.

In the cave, my sense of time was distorted, but the last rays of the sun could be seen through an opening in the rock ceiling. Avlyn and I decided that at first light, they would try to hunt for some more breakfast, and we would start our journey out of this place.

"Best get some more rest while you can, Princess. We don't know what we will find," Avlyn said, and with that, they rolled over and went straight to sleep. Being able to sleep anywhere was an old soldier's trick, one that I was often jealous of.

Iwalked over to Jun. Pallas had dozed off, but as my footsteps approached, she snapped awake. It seemed she had a soldier's habits as well. She wrapped her hand defensively over Jun's forehead and the other over his chest.

"MayI sit with him for a bit?" I hated to ask, the words tasting like ash on my mouth. Who was she to keep me from my brother? But maybe after all of this, I really was tired of fighting.

Onceagain, for several moments, we stood at an impasse, her eyes set in stony resolve. But then she slowly shifted her legs out from underneath Jun and held his head so I could slide my thigh underneath. She walked away, and I didn't really care where she went.

Istroked Jun's sweaty forehead, pulling his long bangs out of his face. I had known him with long hair for over two hundred years, so it still felt so foreign to me. In fact, everything about him felt foreign to me, as if the person sleeping on my lap wasn't the brother I knew but a stranger with a familiar face.

"Jun, do you remember that song I used to make you sing to me? You said it was too dramatic, but you knew I loved it. I wish you would sing it to me now." He kept sleeping, but his heartbeat was strong, and his breathing was deep. I could be happy about that. I ran my fingers through his hair.

InNiata, physical affection between family members was rare. The light squeeze of my arm was all I remembered from my mother, and my father's touch was never kind. ButJun and I had always been drawn together. My parents had expressly forbidden our touching even as young children. I knew the reason. QueenSoraya and her brother-husband KingSoractes had been in front of everyone's minds. My parents wanted to keep any unsightly rumors about Jun and me at bay, but it had been no use.

Whenwe grew older, our nighttime excursions always centered on causing some mischief, but they had started just as a way for us to lie in each other's arms and talk about every single thought on our mind. I had always known it hadn't been something sordid but something precious that existed between us. And here he was, laying with me just like when we were younglings, but everything had changed.

Iwasn't a talented singer, but I tried my best.

In a land of sun's embrace, where warmth ignites the sky,

A land of ancient stories, where legends never die.

Beneath the blazing constellations, dreams take flight,

Guided by the flames burning through the night.

Mypitch was off, but that had never bothered Jun. I stroked his head again when I saw his eyelids shift like he was in a deep dream, and his lips opened. The voice that emerged was weak, hoarse.

In the realm of icy whispers, where frost paints the scene,

A land of hidden secrets, where mysteries convene.

Witheach word he sang, the surrounding land shimmered. The wisps that danced over the spring leaped across the grass and danced around us. Beneath me, the warm earth and plants seemed to grip me in a soft embrace. AsJun kept singing, I calmed my breath. I felt it then, the same feeling I had always had with him, but through a new lens. His voice spilled over me like warm honey, and I followed that sensation deep into the earth.

Itwasn't hard to find. The magic of the earth was writhing to get free here, and it latched to me immediately. I pressed on Jun's forehead and felt the power spilling into him. His mind felt like it hid in a deep shadow, but I could feel him trying to get out. I let the magic burn away those shadows. They fought me and clung to him, but as every small piece burnt away, his voice became clearer, and the song soared.

Underneath the shimmering tapestry of night"s embrace,

Two worlds collide, each with its own unique grace.

Iplaced my hand over his heart, the magic flowing beneath my palms, and his slate-colored eyes popped open. For the first time since we had been taken from Niata, they were clear, and I could really see him. I felt the magic of his voice entwining with the magic of the earth, and tears leaked from my eyes as we finished the song together.

And as the stars entwine in a cosmic dance,

Both worlds find a common thread, a second chance.

Two souls, once apart, now dare to intertwine,

In the tapestry of fate, their destinies align.

Ourlast note rang out into the cave, echoing off the walls. The silence left behind was almost deafening. But slowly, the cave came alive again, and the sound of water trickling and the rustling of leaves resumed. ButI barely noticed as I watched Jun. He slowly sat up, running his hands through his hair.

Heturned to me. "Tori? You're here?"

"Yes, Jun. I'm here." He reached out his hand and gripped my face like he didn't believe it was true. Tears welled in his eyes. He leaned in, his forehead pressed against mine. I reached out to embrace him but saw his body flinch. I thought of Pallas, how she had only touched their pinkies together. I slowly reached out to his hand and looped our smallest fingers together. "I'm here, Jun, and I won't ever let you go again."

Fora moment, he just breathed, and then he started laughing. A hysterical laugh that would normally have me worried, but instead, my own crazed laugh bubbled up in my throat. What an image we must have painted. Pure manic laughter huddled in the grass at the edge of a magic lake. ButI didn't care. He was here, and he was awake. We kept laughing, and I didn't let go.

AfterJun and I had laughed until we couldn't make any more sound, Pallas reappeared.

"Pallas, you are safe, too?" Jun had tried to stand to embrace her, but his legs wobbled, and I caught him under his arm. Pallas knelt but did not touch him. She said nothing, just held Jun's gaze gently with her eyes. I saw the shimmer of tears, but she quickly blinked them away.

"Jun…" She didn't complete her thought.

"It's alright, Pallas, I know. I'm glad you are here." Even now, my stomach churned with jealousy at their closeness, but I did my best to control that. Jun could have found people to befriend, maybe even more. Gods knew I had. I turned back to Abraxas, his form unchanged. Jun, whether it had been truly him or just my memory of him, had helped me find the strength to be with Abraxas. The least I could do was not be openly hostile to Pallas. Well, at least I could try.