31. Chapter Thirty One

Nero and I gather wood from the clearing whilst Sybil takes her time cleaning Kela's body in a nearby lake until she looks peacefully asleep. Seeing Sybil and Nero so lost in their grief over the death of the wolf shifter had nearly brought me to run back to the castle and kill Tricella with my bare hands. Until Sybil announced she would not leave until Kela had a place to rest and Nero promised her they'd give her a pyre worthy of a princess which made me realize that my place is here, comforting the people I love.

Sybil brushes and braids Kela's wild hair into a crown around the top of her head and places her hands together across her chest, her favorite dagger nestled against her breastbone.

With a nod at Nero, she steps back.

My friend slowly approaches the pyre we've created with Kela nestled in the middle. Blue flames lick from his mouth, igniting the fire. It quickly eats through the dry branches, fueled faster by the beating of his wings until the entire pyre is alight.

As I watch the flames mount higher, smoke twisting up into the sky, something inside me cracks. I can't return to the castle. Not until Tricella is dead or until we have everything we need to kill her. If I truly want to save my kingdom, my people, and my father, I have to help Sybil find a way to break his curse. Returning now would only lead me to my death, I am sure of it.

We stand together, an odd trio; an amateur healer, a halfling drake, and a now outcast prince, remnants of a short alliance of a worthy cause. I didn't know Kela well enough to truly grieve her, but she was an important female. I'm sorry for the loss of integrity, of independent thinking, and true nurturing care for her people, friends and family.

"Aye, Kela was a grand warrior," Nero says from beside me as he creates a miniature wolf of flames in his palm. He sends it running towards the flaming pyre and up into the sky until it's mere sparks. "She had nae fear since I met her the first time as a wee pup, always defending the weak to her last breath."

"Kela was a true friend to me," Sybil solemnly speaks up, her eyes never leaving the fire and I notice how her posture has changed. "She believed in the strength that she saw in me; believed that I would join the shifters and be a force of great change. I just–I never imagined I'd be doing it without her by my side." Gone is the insecure woman I took to Shadowvale. I had seen a glance of this version of Sybil in the dungeons but here, with the glow of the flames reflecting in her eyes, it is crystal clear. Sybil demands revenge, and she is ready to bleed for it.

I cross my hands behind my back and decide it's only right that I say the truth I understand now, after death. "Kela and I were not friends. But she had integrity, passion, and loyalty to a cause I am only beginning to understand. I'm sorry for the loss of such a worthy warrior." A single solitary tear slips down Sybil's cheek. I step forward to lift my hand and brush my thumb against the delicate skin.

Her hazel eyes are rimmed with red as tears fall unbidden.

"You'll do her justice. I see her spirit in your eyes." I run my hand down to Sybil's chin, turning her face towards mine, pulling her closer to me–as close as I think I can get away with. "I did not know her long, although I wish I had. She knew her fate before any of us did. You honor her memory and sacrifice by fighting on. You don't falter. You don't lose resolve–do you understand me? That was her last request."

"I will honor it," Sybil says solemnly, closing her eyes, and the weight of her head leans into my caress. Tears cascade silently down her cheeks, grief etching her whole body. She needs me. A great sigh carries over my body, and relief wraps around me as I bury my hands in her hair and hold her close.

"Listen Sybil darling," I begin. "Will you?"

Sybil stiffens slightly at the term of affection, but nods with agreement. Thank the goddess. "We both know loss is never easy, and the pain never goes away," I murmur, brushing the tendrils of her hair gently. I send a wisp of wind to brush a stray tear away and she shivers into me.

She softly exhales against me, and it's a breath that taunts my dreams. "We carry it like a badge of honor. Grateful for the time we had with them," I say. Sybil exhales hard but nods.

"Please consider," I ask one last request, taking advantage of the moment to wrap my fingers in her hair. It's as soft and thick as I imagined. "That whatever Tricella has done, that I am here for you. I support you, and I will do everything I can to make it right." Rubbing at my chest, I glance again at the fire, which has dimmed considerably. Sybil looks up with a shy smile and, seeing where my gaze falls, she pulls away from me.

"Thank you, Aramis." Sybil offers me a sweet smile and I watch her walk away from me, the distance heavy between us.

As she kneels before the fire, she tends to it with a furrowed brow. I send a wind her way, letting the fire grow, and she looks back to me and gratefully nods her head, sadness still etched in her eyes. We remain at the pyre, watching the flames burn down, only leaving the remains of ashes on the ground. Nero and I make quick work disposing of the bodies of the creatures while giving Sybil space to mourn her companion. We collect our packs and make a small meal of dried bread, cheese, and berries before refilling our cantines from a nearby stream.

"Aramis?" Sybil's voice is tentative and unsure as she kneels at the remnant of the pyre. I immediately gravitate to her side. I want to tell her. I need to tell her, but she is grieving, and now is not the time. She needs a pillar of support, not another complicated emotion. "Will you do me a favor?"

I move to sit on the ground next to her left as Nero crouches beside her on her right. I hand her the cloth I've wrapped the food in and nod as my eyes drift over her face, memorizing every curve. "Anything."

"Will you send her ashes across the mountains? I think she would want to be free to roam and protect this sacred area." Sybil nibbles at her bottom lip, hands twisting in her lap. "Then I think we must be going. The queen has to know by now that her creatures failed, and will send others after us."

"Aye, tis wise," Nero says as he clasps a hand to her shoulder. My eyes are immediately drawn to the contact, my lips pursing involuntarily before I meet her gaze.

"It would be my pleasure. She deserves nothing less." I reach down and squeeze her hand before pushing up to stand. Running my fingers through my disheveled hair, I inhale deeply before reaching deep for my magic. I overspent more than I usually do during the battle to ensure we were protected, but it wasn't enough. Tapping into the wells of my magic, I sensed it waning, and towards the end of the battle, I was slowing down. Could I have prevented Kela's death if I had been faster? Stronger? Guilt clenches deep in my stomach as I lift my hands before me, guiding the wind to swirl around the ashes, lifting them higher into the air as my power swells inside me. One powerful gust, and my magic sends the ashes outward across the mountains and tree tops.

Nero's strong arms catch me as I'm propelled to the ground. I rest my forehead against my knees, breathing deeply, my body trembling from the exertion of the remnants of my power.

"Thank you," her quiet words cause my chest to constrict as she rests her head against my shoulder, gazing up into the mountains before us..

"Always," I whisper back, closing my eyes and imagining for a brief moment a vision of our future.

As we pack our belongings and plan our next move, I think about what lies ahead of us. Is this the beginning, then? Have we started something by identifying the lichen with her magic and the necklaces the goddess' warriors handed to me? We have to find this magical path or Goddess knows where we'll end up. Sybil goes back to the tree she first identifies and as soon as she is near it the lichen starts glowing. "Let's start from here," she says, raw determination lacing every word, and I follow her command.

You'll need each other. I exhale hard as Kela's final words still echo in the wind and I wonder if she knew the truth about us. She seemed to know a lot about Sybil after all. What a peculiar twist of fate that this shifter with her deep hazel eyes was the bane of my existence for a while, is the answer to all my prayers and now the solution to all our woes. I pray to the Goddess to grant me the strength I need to make the amends I must make so I can be the male by her side to support her and her power, whatever it builds into.