36. Epilogue

Epilogue

Skye

This meeting was dragging on. My jaw ached with the force of my clenched teeth.

A tall elemental cut in. “The Heretic’s influence is growing on Earth, and the last time I went to Porada before the portals closed, it seemed to be getting worse there, too.”

“We have bigger problems than a religious dispute.” The hunter that spoke rolled her eyes. It took every ounce of self-control to stop myself from calling down a storm of sharp ice on her.

“It’s more than a religious dispute.” The elemental scoffed. “The Heretic is a terrorist. If his words are gaining traction, more is at risk than our beliefs in our Ancients.”

Finally, a topic of conversation I could get behind.

“I met two representatives of the Heretic here, hosted by Valeria,” Arsyn said, drawing the undivided attention of the elementals and druids in the room. “They seemed rather friendly with each other. Valeria referred to them as allies.”

“No such representatives have been found,” Cyrus said. “Alive or dead.”

“They’re elemental,” an unfamiliar hunter said. Dark red dots covered his face and neck. “They couldn’t have gotten far. You’re the famed Arsyn Morgan, right? You can sense auras from a distance. Why don’t you find them.” He narrowed her eyes. “Unless the stories aren’t true.”

“Oh, they’re true!” Donald climbed out of his chair onto the table. “The Enchanter can suck otherworlders dry from a mile away. I’ve seen her do it. Right, Enchanter?”

Some of the shine dulled in Arsyn’s silver eyes. Her chair screeched as she stood abruptly. “Sorry … I-I have to pee.”

She practically ran from the room, taking the stairs two at a time. I moved to follow, but Shael grabbed my shoulder.

“Are you the right person to go after her?”

I shrugged off his hand and strode up the stairs. I walked down the hallway until I reached an open door. Arsyn wasn’t there.

I stepped inside. Weapons covered the walls. I wrinkled my nose. I wasn’t sure I’d ever understand hunters. They had such barbaric ways and customs. But then there were people like Arsyn, Max, and Genevieve.

Elias had surprised me. He went from trying to kill Arsyn to sacrificing himself to save her.

I pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes. I’d been foolish. Hypocritical. I condemned the hunters for branding a group of people as the enemy, but in my hate, I did the same.

A soft breeze stirred the curtains of the open window. A soft sniffle carried on the wind. I crept closer and stuck my head out the window. Arsyn sat on the sloped roof.

“Hey,” I said.

Arsyn startled, her hands flying out to steady herself. “What did I say about sneaking up on me?”

“I thought I’d have to learn to hide my aura.” I chuckled, but it died in my throat as her face fell.

I always said something wrong around her. Shael had a way of always comforting her, but I only ever seemed to make her angry.

I cleared my throat. “Mind if I join?”

She gestured to the roof beside her, and I sat, looking out over the rest of the compound. Hunters and otherworlders worked together below. A sight I never thought I’d see. A sight I never thought I wanted to see. Before her.

“How do you start with meditation?”

I adjusted my pantlegs. “You want to learn to meditate? Is Cyrus forcing you?”

“No,” she said quietly. “I haven’t been able to access my elemental magic without the corruption. I’m beginning to wonder if I ever really found my spark or if it was the corruption all along.”

“The spark is there.” I smirked. “As much as I hate to admit it, you’ll probably be stronger than me when you learn to harness it.”

She smiled, but it was sad.

I furrowed my brow. “But that’s not what’s really bothering you.”

Arsyn opened her mouth to answer, but a yell came from below.

“Lovebirds! Down here!” Donald waved his stubby arms in the air. “Enchanter, I got the ifrits to agree to a high-stakes card game. Whoever loses has to ask a harpy to dinner.”

Arsyn glanced sideways at me. A genuine smile graced her full lips for the first time since she and Ari returned. “As fun as that sounds, I can’t right now.”

“C’mon, Enchanter, ditch the blue-haired wet towel!”

“Hey!” Arsyn shook her fist at him. “No one insults Skye but me!”

“Eh,” Donald said, waving his hands dismissively. “You’re no fun when they’re around.”

Donald disappeared behind a cottage.

Arsyn hugged her legs to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. Though she sat beside me, she seemed distant. Like there was a wall between us.

I brushed my hair from my face and studied her. She’d been different since the battle. Was she mourning her father?

Was she mourning Sebastian?

“Enoch is already harvesting mana. The Aether will start to regenerate.”

“Yes.” Arsyn sat up and sighed. “He has his gift back.”

I pressed my lips together.

“I always thought of that power as my own personal curse. Something that kept me from fitting in, even among my family.” Her thumbs drew circles on her kneecaps. “I never thought I’d miss it, but I can’t feel …”

She could no longer feel my aura like she always had. She could no longer feel any of them. But she still had the gift of the soul embracer.

I reached out and took her hands before I could overthink it.

Her wide eyes turned to me. There was a glint there that I hadn’t seen for days.

“Do you feel it?” I licked my lips. “My magic?”

Tears welled in her silver eyes. “Like taking a mud bath in a cloud.”

“Good.” I smiled. “Then, I won’t let go.”