Chapter 522: Irreversible
ELEANOR LEYWIN
“I need you here.” That’s what Arthur had said. “I’ve made so strides here, especially with the younger asuras.” But how was I supposed to do anything? “You’re going to have to continue what I started. You two now represent every human, elf, dwarf, and Alacryan on that world.”
Yeah, no pressure, right?
My brother’s words had played on repeat in the back of my mind for hours and hours since he’d left. It was overwhelming. Not just his instructions, but being in Epheotus, specifically in Lord Indrath’s castle. Every raised voice was accompanied by a sharp intent, which slamd into and made my stomach turn.
I’d retreated to an upper-level chamber, a solarium with balconies facing in two different directions. Mom, on the other hand, was practically glued to Elder Myre. Despite everything, she had a kind of furious energy. Maybe it was being surrounded by the dragons with their control over aether, or maybe it was just knowing that Lord Indrath had sent Arthur to face Agrona alone, or the sa crushing sense of responsibility that had hiding up here, but Mom was taking her responsibilities as mother of “Great Lord” Arthur Leywin pretty seriously.
I think it helped that her healing powers utilized aether. For the dragons, it added weight to her being an “archon,” and she’d been super eager to learn more about how aether affected her healing abilities. Even asuras were being injured and suffering from will strain as they fought against the rift wound, and no one in the castle was about to refuse an extra healer.
As I squeezed my eyes shut against a crash of distant splitting earth and the accompanying pulse of nervously wavering mana signatures that followed, I had to wonder where her sudden energy had co from. I felt drained. Exhausted.
I hope Arthur gets back soon. We shouldn’t be here.
“Do you think Tani would let us leave the castle?” I asked Boo absentmindedly, referring to my dragon babysitter, who was currently standing out in the hallway.
Boo, who was lying in a nearby sunbeam, rumbled and shook his head, and unfortunately I agreed with him.
But at least the balconies gave a pretty spectacular view of the sky wound, which really drove ho the existential dread of the mont.
“What am I supposed to do?” I asked myself, then repeated Arthur’s words in my head again.
I had friends here, at least. Maybe I’d even earned a little bit of respect from the asuras who’d gone with us on the ritual hunt. Vireah, Naesia. But would they listen to ? And what, even, was I supposed to say to them? I spiraled back around to what Arthur had said, but it was soone else’s words that ca to .
“Until Arthur claims one of these won as his wife, none of them will spare a glance for any other man.”
My brows shot up as I considered it. Was that what Arthur wanted? to cent so kind of alliance? I dragged both hands down my face. “He can’t marry so asuran princess though. He’s got Tessia,” I said aloud to myself. I felt a scowl tightening the muscles of my face. “After everything they’ve gone through, this world owes them so peace.”
I plucked at my hair in frustration. ? Am I supposed to join our clan with another one? The thought made vaguely queasy. I’d never even had a real boyfriend…and Arthur had always been firmly against any kind of romance in my life—not that an arranged political marriage sounded romantic. Still, I really didn’t think that’s what he had in mind.
Boo grunted and looked up, his small, dark eyes looking right into . I moved to slump down next to him, my back against his warm side, and scratched his tough fur. He had seed largely unbothered by the chaos unfolding. Honestly, I was a little jealous of his calm, co-what-may attitude.
“But what if the lesson is that people rarely get the ending they want,” I said, turning my head and looking at Boo, who had rested his chin on one paw, half looking back at . “What about you, Boo? If you were a prince of Clan Leywin, would you be willing to marry so lady bear in order to forge an alliance between us and another, stronger clan?”
He huffed, looking away and closing his eyes in purest disgust.
I chuckled, a little bit manic. “So team player you are."
Another grunt, and I blanched. “You know what I an.”
His body vibrated against my back. I sank into his fluffy side and closed my eyes, trying to silence my buzzing thoughts for a few minutes.
One of the many headache-inducing mana signatures buzzing around the castle caught my attention as it seed to be approaching the chamber with purpose. I heard low voices in the hall, and then Tani poked her head in as the other asura moved off at a quick march.
“Apologies, Lady Eleanor,” the green-haired dragon woman said with a tight smile. “You’ve been summoned.”
“Summoned?” I repeated like an idiot.
She only nodded and waited expectantly.
Boo stood and nudged to my feet. “All right, all right,” I grumbled to him, pulling myself upright with his thick fur. “Did the ssenger say what this is about?”
The guardswoman gave a polite shake of her head. “Several of the heirs are being gathered, but that’s all I know.” Glancing around, she lowered her voice and said, “But I imagine it’s an effort to keep you all safe.”
“Okay, lead the way then,” I said, gesturing for the door.
She smiled again, nodded, and turned on her heel, marching quickly down the hallway.
Winding through regally decorated halls past open doors into expansive suites, sitting rooms, studies, and places I couldn’t even guess the purpose of, we descended into the depths of the castle. It was eerie, as we crossed paths with only a few guards and servants, even though I could sense the crushing press of the castle’s powerful inhabitants.
At the bottom of a spiral stairs, filling the landing so we couldn’t pass, a young asuran man with tumbling blue-black hair and a hint of muddy green coloration to his skin was speaking to another Indrath guard, his arms crossed. “I should be with my father, not bolted away in so bunker. This isn’t how the Grandus clan faces death.”
“Please, Lord Raedan, I—-” The guard looked up the stairwell and noticed Tani and . He cleared his throat and stepped pointedly out of the landing into the connecting hallway. “These orders co not just from Lady Myre Indrath, but from your uncle as well. The great lords were insistent.”
The titan stepped aside, his expression suggesting he wasn’t done arguing, and Tani led past. She shared a nod with the other guard, who gave her a put upon look with his back to Raedan. Boo issued a low rumble of warning as we passed by, and I felt the titan’s gaze follow us. The young noble seed to give up on his argunt, and both he and his guard fell into step a bit behind us.
I shuffled my feet as we walked, suddenly nervous. Boo made a resonant hum, comforting as he moved to walk at my side, brushing up against the hallway walls and occasionally knocking a painting or tapestry askew.
Clearing my throat, I asked, “So, what’s going on?”
“Just a precaution,” the other guard said stiffly from behind .
“He ans we are being sequestered as designated survivors should the worst co to pass,” the titan grunted in answer.
“The great lords have arranged for your absolute protection,” the other guard said again. “This is Lord Indrath’s own safe haven, given over to you and the other heirs. Nearly everyone else is being called out to assist with the effort to stabilize the land and the rift wound, Lady Eleanor. It is both a great honor and necessity…”
Raedan waved away the guard’s continuing explanation. We didn’t talk anymore until we reached our destination.
Tani led us down into the heart of the castle. The tunnels beca rougher, naturally carved from the stone of the mountain. She stopped at a beautiful charwood door, carved with intricate patterns inset with silver and gold. It humd with magic.
When she touched the ornate iron handles, there was a spark, and the movent of mana took my breath away. The door opened smoothly, though, and there was a gust of warm air, voices, and the sll of smoked at and fresh baked bread. She gestured for us to enter.
Boo trundled through, sniffing around for the source of all the mouth-watering slls, but I turned back to my guard. “Will my mom be joining us here?”
Tani could only shrug, although she sohow managed to do so gracefully. “I believe she’s still with Lady Myre. I can’t speak for the Lady, but I expect your mother will be sent along soon enough.”
I bit back the childish urge to demand my mom. After all, she was probably safer with Elder Myre than she would be just about anywhere else.
Bowing, I gave her a small wave and followed Boo into the chamber.
“Eleanor!”
Riven of Clan Kothan jumped up from where he was lounging next to a little multicolored fire. He was just one of several people already inside the chamber, all of whom had turned to look at and the titan. “So you’ve been imprisoned as well, then?” Though his tone was bright, there was a distinct edge to it.
The titan, having strode in practically on my heels, spoke first. “My pleas to assist my clan in holding our holand together have fallen on deaf ears.” He glared back at Tani and the other guard as they wordlessly closed the door behind them.
“Apparently we’re waiting for several more,” a phoenix I didn’t recognize said. “We’re going to be placed in so kind of extradinsional space. Even if Epheotus were to crash into the old world, those inside will survive unscathed.”
“Yeah, but what about the rest of our clan? Our parents?” Romii, Riven’s sister, asked in a tight, frustrated voice.
I bit my lip, thinking about Mom, then Arthur. If it was scary up here, what was he dealing with?
Boo nudged consoling with his head.
The titan was looking down at as if I’d lost my mind, and I realized I was staring at the floor with my mouth open, a half-ford question humming in the back of my throat. I snapped my mouth shut and looked around again.
Vireah, Naesia, and Zelyna were already there. Along with a few other mbers of their respective clans, it seed. They all sat in a series of lounge chairs and couches in a large half-circle centered on the fireplace. Low tables were covered with food and drink. A woodsy looking hamadryad stood off the side, sipping from a wooden mug and seeming to not include herself in the conversation.
The room was half cave, half lavish seating chamber. The walls were like obsidian, gleaming and glasslike with sharp facets that seed broken naturally. Unlike much of Indrath Castle, there were no decorations on the walls or ceiling here, but four golden statues of dragons in humanoid form occupied roughly the corners of the chamber. With my eyesight sharpened by Boo’s will, I was able to read the na plate affixed below the closest statue, which nad her as a hero of the wraith wars, from a ti before Epheotus even existed.
It was difficult to imagine.
“Co on, El. Sit down and make yourself comfortable. You too, Raedan. We might be here for a while.” Riven returned to his seat, hopping over the back of the couch and bumping his sister, who punched him in the arm.
The titan grunted and took a stiff, high-backed chair slightly out of the circle.
Boo chuffed, nudging . I chuckled, grabbed a slice of at still dripping juices, and tossed it to him, then took a woodsy slling, green-swirled roll for myself, mostly just to occupy nervous attention. I had no clue what I was doing here or what to say to these deities. Vireah patted the couch next to her, and I slumped into it. Leaning over, she embraced like a long lost sister, her power wrapping around and making feel like a swaddling infant.
Riven and Romii sat together in a large, thickly cushioned seat across from . Naesia, daughter of Novis Avignis, sat in a plush, nest-like seat beside the couch I shared with Vireah. Zelyna was pacing back and forth between two of the golden statues on the opposite side of the room from the hamadryad.
Boo forced his way into the circle and plopped in front of the fireplace, nearly occluding it. Vireah and Naesia shared a look before laughing lightly. Their outward good humor wasn’t quite enough to hide the edge of tension they both carried. Boo watched them, and everyone else, warily, his small, round ears twitching constantly.
“He is an impressive guardian beast,” Raedan said out of the blue. The dour titan tossed another chunk of at, and Boo snapped it out of the air. “A bit on the small side, but he is still young. Your connection is strong. This…surprises .”
My brows shot up my face. “You can sense our…connection?”
He grunted in a way that sounded a bit like Boo. “I am Raedan, son of Rockford and nephew of Radix, of Clan Grandus. I have trained beasts such as your Boo for half a century.”
“Oh.” I bit my lip, then, unsure what to say, took a bite of the roll.
“Eleanor, I don’t think you’ve t Eithne of the Grenriver clan?” Vireah said politely, gesturing to the standoffish hamadryad.
I’d learned that the hamadryads were fewest in number among the asura, and they had offspring only rarely. There were no young mbers of the Mapellia clan, so this hamadryad must have been the closest thing they had to an heir.
Eithne nodded politely but didn’t smile or respond.
A few more introductions were made. So were other mbers of our hunting party, while a couple others were nas I’d heard during my study of the Epheotan court.
“This is so embarrassing,” Romii said under her breath to Riven. “We are treated like glass while everyone else we know sacrifices themselves to hold the line.”
“We are doing our duty as beautiful figureheads, dear sister,” Riven ribbed his sister playfully, though it didn’t show through in his eyes.
I fidgeted, picking at the edge off my roll and nibbling on it.
“I hate being trapped like this,” Naesia was saying separately to Vireah. “I swear, my wings are aching to burst out and fly free of this castle.”
“At least you understand why you’re here,” Vireah said, her voice very quiet. Even with my enhanced senses, I had to concentrate to hear her. “What I thought was an apprenticeship turned out to be training for a marriage proposal to a man I’d never t.” She blanched slightly and glanced at . “No offence, of course, Ellie. It would be a great honor to—”
I waved off the apology, no idea how to respond.
The phoenix who spoke earlier must have overheard as well, because she leaned over our couch to add, “It’s a sha an alliance of marriage couldn’t have been worked out earlier. The Avignis clan would have really benefited from this alliance.” She smirked. “And if Naesia wasn’t interested, I’d have been glad to show the new great lord my charms…”
I knew I should say sothing, but I didn’t know how to interject. Instead, I picked at the seam of the couch cushion and retreated inward, the pressure pushing deeper down into the thick padding, as if I was going to be swallowed. A dim buzzing in my ears blocked out the sounds of conversation around , and the pressure built in my chest.
I’m sorry, Arthur, I thought, growing suddenly desperate. I’m don’t think I can do it, I’m going to—
There was a rush of warm energy that I associated with Boo, and the pressure eased, the cold edge of panic receding. I t his small, dark eyes, and let out a steady breath. Thanks, big guy…
The door opened again, and two epheral, wispy haired, pale sylphs floated into the sitting room. They were introduced as twins from the Aerind clan, Eolia and Boreas, but their position in the clan and relationship to Lady Aerind was a little confusing to . The pair were indistinguishable. Their eyes, the color of a sumr sky seen through thin clouds, drifted around the chamber, catching on trays of food that had been brought in. Without saying anything, they floated to the spread of food, picked up a handful of berries each, and began absentmindedly popping them into mouths filled with needle-pointed teeth.
“Nice to et you,” I said after introductions were complete.
Both stared and chewed their berries. Neither spoke.
Riven laughed as he stood and moved between the pair, throwing an arm around each of their necks. “Eolia, Boreas. Incredible to see you. Don’t mind these two, Ellie. The sylphs rarely co down from their clouds, and even when they do, their heads remain firmly within them.”
Wind gusted through the enclosed chamber and the twins smoothly twisted away from the basilisk’s touch. “We will all live in the clouds before this is over,” they said at the sa ti.
“Well. I guess as long as we live at all…” The la attempt at a joke died as it ca out of my mouth. I gave the twins sothing half cringe, half smile, then looked instead at Boo, searching for any kind of comfort within my embarrassnt. He gave a curmudgeonly shake of his head. “I just an, well, right now is a scary ti for everyone.”
Raedan grunted. “Which is why we should be anywhere but stuck in here. No offense, Lady Leywin, but I find that I have little patience for chatter when the fate of my clan—my entire race—hangs in the balance.”
“She knows, Raedan,” Naesia answered defensively. “You know it's her brother who was sent down to the old world to deal with Agrona. We all want to be helping, but we’re all here doing what we’re told. That’s a part of our duty, isn’t it?”
There was a noncommittal grunt from Raedan but an eager, “Here, here!” from Riven.
Vireah spoke next. “My mother told that parts of Epheotus are already falling into the old world. Our ho is crumbling, and in doing so, it is destroying hers.” She grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Maybe a little chatter is exactly what we need to calm our nerves.”
Raedan snorted. “Fine then. We know almost nothing of the archons outside of Castle Indrath. Tell us about this Arthur Leywin then.”
I hesitated, caught off guard by the unexpected question. “Not much to tell…” I trailed off, biting my tongue. “Well, I guess that’s not true. I’m just not really sure what you’d like to know. I imagine you don’t know hardly anything about the people you call lessers or our world, do you?”
He scowled, and I realized I’d inadvertently insulted him. “I just an that there has been no reason for you to study our culture. Before I ca to Epheotus, I didn’t really know anything about the asuras either. But I’ve learned so much so quickly…” An unintentional smile quirked up one side of my mouth. “Like that Romii snores like an iron hyrax and always blas it on Riven.”
“Hey!” She crossed her arms and pouted as her brother broke down into guffawing laughter.
“I know maybe I’m out of place here,” I continued, feeling lighter and more natural the longer I spoke. “This whole archon thing…I know I’m not an asura. It’s in na only. Arthur might be sothing else, but I’m not sure what I could tell you about him that would help you understand our clan and our people. Because , my mom… we’re human. It’s actually almost funny because my life has sort of always been like this. With being out of place.”
It said sothing that I didn’t fold as I found myself holding the attention of every asura in the room, all watching and listening in rapt attention. “I awakened pretty early for a human—um, that ans my core ford, in case you didn’t know. But I only did it early because Arthur helped . Even then, he was different. And I guess I was different because he was different. I grew up in this flying city called Xyrus—-”
“You have a flying city?” the sylph twins asked at the sa ti, perking up instantly.
“Yeah!” I bead, brightening at their excitent. “It’s called Xyrus, and it was created by the ancient mages—or djinn, is what they’re really called. Were really called. But Xyrus, it’s kind of like this bubble, this piece of the world away from the rest of civilization. And growing up there, awakening early, always hearing about my brother and his crazy adventures, having nobles and even the head of the magic academy always in and out of the house…”
I paused, knowing I was rambling but still only half certain what I wanted to say. “I’m the daughter of a couple of small-town, retired adventurers. Nobody special. But when things went wrong, and Arthur was arrested, I ended up living in a cave hidden by magic, guarded by a seer and an Epheotan mana beast, which was gifted to from soone who I thought could only be a deity. I really, honestly can’t provide a better example of feeling out of place. It was like soone else's life had suddenly taken over mine, or I’d fallen into theirs. But things kept getting stranger. After that, I lived in a flying castle with kings and queens, surrounded by the greatest human, elven, or dwarven mages.”
Boo rumbled, and I couldn’t help but giggle. Raedan cocked an eyebrow, clearly understanding so of the exchange between us.
Romii had leaned back with her hands behind her head and one foot kicked up over her other knee as she listened. “So has everywhere you lived flown? It’s not exactly the picture I had in my head of how lessers”—she blanched—“sorry, how humans lived.”
I shook my head, letting my smile fall away. “No. I’ve also lived a lot underground. When the war started, the flying castle was destroyed and our kings and queens were all killed by Agrona. My Grandma Rinia saved and my mom—and Tessia, for those who’ve t her—and we survived in a sort of underground bunker place, a sanctuary made by the djinn.” I smiled sadly down at the floor, rembering the friendship that had grown between and Tessia, and all the tis I went out to see Rinia in the tunnels, and supporting Mom when we thought Arthur had died. “And I also lived for quite a while with the dwarves in their capital city of Vildorial.”
“I’d heard that your people was made up of three branches,” the quiet hamadryad, Eithne, said. “These elves and dwarves, alongside humans. They are sothing like the divergent branches of the asuran people, like dragons, titans, and hamadryads?”
I considered the question, not having thought about it in that way. “I guess. I’ve always thought of us as being pretty distinct. When I lived in Xyrus, actually, elves and dwarves rarely ca to the city outside of the academy gates. We’d been at war, a long ti ago. But then I t them. Tessia. Grandma Rinia. My friend Callia. And all the dwarves. And they’re just…people. Like . And then I t Alacryans, too. People who were raised under Agrona’s control, with his blood in their veins. Humans, but…different. And…” I shrugged. “Well, they’re just people too, really. Even though we were at war, they were good people.”
Vireah leaned to the side, tapping a finger on her lower lip and examining carefully. The flas sent liquid athyst shadows cascading across her pink hair. “So you’re saying that we’re all just people, in the end? Humans, elves, and dwarves are equal to each other…and to us asuras?”
I bit my lip too hard, trying to read her tone. I was suddenly and forcefully reminded of the very large difference in power between us, even if she had been nothing but kind and protective of since I t her.
“I wasn’t really trying to make a point,” I admitted. Shooting a look at Raedan, I then added, “Just chatter. But…I actually don’t agree with what you just said.”
There was a round of surprised exchanges.
“I an, maybe you shouldn’t keep calling us ‘lessers,’” I said quickly. “But if you have to share space with us, I guess actually I think it’s pretty important to rember that we’re not the sa as you. At least not in strength and magical power. But we are still…people. Individuals. With our own hopes and dreams and goals. We’re not…worshippers. Or slaves.” I considered the djinn. “Or fodder. Or kindling to burn in the next great war machine.”
I was t with shocked stares and raised my hands defensively. “Hey, I’ve lived most of my life during this war against Agrona Vritra. I’m just saying.”
One of the sylphs, now floating upside down with their hair pooled beneath them as if suspended in water, said, “This war is not yet over. It may be the end of both our worlds, still.”
“Give us so credit,” Riven replied, crossing his arms and looking annoyed. “One, I don’t know why any of you credibly think Epheotus will be destroyed. All of the greatest powers in our world are working to save it. I’ve seen these efforts myself, and I have faith that it will be done.”
I thought I detected so urgency in the way he said this. Like he needed the last act of Agrona Vritra, once leader of the basilisk race, not to end in the apocalypse.
“I definitely have faith in my brother.” I gave him a consoling sort of look. “I trust that he’ll do everything he can, but I also trust what he tells . And he…doesn’t think Epheotus can survive, not as it is. Whether today or in five hundred years, the pocket dinsion you’ve created has to collapse. He’s relying on you to bring your people through that.”
“And who is Arthur Leywin to make such proclamations?” Raedan asked fiercely. “Your clan is only but freshly nad, your race an invention of the great lords out of thin air. You have no binding, no bonds to the other clans or races.” He looked around at the others. “We should take the council of our own lords, not beco subservient to this half human.”
“Oh ease up,” Naesia snapped, coming to my defence. “That’s not what she was saying, and you know it. Arthur Leywin himself is a great lord, in case you forgot. And…if he thinks Epheotus’s ti is ending…” She looked stricken, like she had to force out the following words. “I’ve fought beside him, seen what he’s capable of, and the way he thinks and acts is different…otherworldly. Like what we hear about in stories of the ancient asura, during the founding of Epheotus.”
A solemn quiet settled over the group.
Zelyna, who had not spoken much since my arrival but had stopped pacing to listen as I talked, took an open seat opposite Raedan. Her fingers traced the stitching of her leather pants. “When I was young, our clan was often still isolated following Agrona’s rebellions.” She gave a tight-lipped smile to Riven and Romii. “Father didn’t bring to the Great Eight’s etings, and I was raised almost entirely among my own kind. And then, when he finally agreed to bring to Indrath Castle, I think he regretted it imdiately.”
A genuine smile creased her lips. Despite her aquamarine skin and the dark ridges on her temples, the expression made her look very young and very human. “I t a pantheon general in the service of Lord Indrath and was imdiately smitten. Of course, I was just a child in asuran reckoning, and I don’t think this general even noticed at first. Which only made desire his attention even more.”
Zelyna continued her story, and the group’s mood settled again. Laughs, condolences, and playful jabs were shared equally. Then Naesia picked up the storytelling, recalling a ti she’d been punished with a decade of cleaning their clanho because she snuck off into the mountains with a bunch of the noble boys and made them challenge one another for her attention.
Raedan shared a story of his first failure with a guardian beast, a sky swimr that couldn’t abide being ridden and would bite the feet of any who tried, and how in the end he’d been forced to accept the nature of people and things, which was sotis difficult to rember when your life revolved around remaking what already was.
I thought about stepping in and drawing a connection to this mont right now. How asuran culture would need to change—to be allowed to change, if not be remade entirely. Instead, I told them about shopping in Xyrus with Mom and the Helsteas, and how we would make Arthur try on clothes until he was breathless with irritation.
I don’t need to convince them or change them. Arthur said I’m here to represent the people of our world, so that’s what I’ll do.
“I’d quite like to try so of these ‘sticky buns’ you’ve described,” Vireah said, eyeing the savory array of foods with an air of disappointnt. “Perhaps when this is over, you can take ‘shopping’ in Xyrus?”
“Oh, please!” Naesia added, bouncing up and down in her seat. “So many people without any magic at all making such amazing things. I just have to see it!”
I grinned. “I think that’s a really good idea.”
The conversation continued around the room for what felt like hours.
“And then,” Boreas said, halfway through a story about falling asleep and being blown to the Cerulean Plains before waking again, despite his mother’s scolding, “this big cat made all of cutting grass lunged fifty feet up in the air, desperate for a bite—”
The chamber rocked, throwing out of my seat and onto the ground, where I was bombarded with a tray of mugs and several different varieties of pastries.
Everyone was on their feet in an instant. Vireah lifted effortlessly before Boo nudged her out of the way.
“I’m fine,” I said, scratching him between the eyes and looking around nervously. “At least, I hope so.”
The chamber shook again. This ti, bubbles of wind appeared in order to cushion us. All four statues were knocked down with a crash, and an end table tumbled over into the fire.
“I can’t sense anything through this damned barrier,” Riven grumbled, looking around as if searching for a way through the obsidian walls.
The doors flung open, and Elder Myre marched through. She had several asuras in tow, most of whom looked pale and disheveled with dark shadows under their eyes. It took a mont to notice Mom in their midst, as she was head and shoulders shorter than most of the others. I let out a relieved breath when she poked out from behind two wary dragons and gave a small wave.
“It is ti to go,” Elder Myre said, all the warmth gone from her as she took up the mantle of ruler. “Prepare yourselves to be drawn into the pocket dinsion.” Without looking back, she gestured for the others to enter. So appeared to be joining us, like my mother, while the rest of the retinue arranged themselves as if to support whatever Myre was about to do.
Mom hurried to my side and took my hand. Vireah set her own hand on Mom’s shoulder, wrapping us both in a protective cushion of mana as the floor jolted violently beneath our feet.
“I can’t tell you how long you’ll be outside of space and ti,” Elder Myre continued, her voice grave. “Nor can I tell you in what state you’ll find the world when you return. Without Kezess, it will be all we can do just to send you within.”
Sothing in the way she said this, a raw edge of emotion, caught my attention. “Where is Lord Indrath?”
Her gaze settled hard and heavy on Mom and . “Lord Indrath, long the ruler of Epheotus…is dead.”
“What? That’s impossible—”
“—can Epheotus survive now? We must—”
“—act of Agrona? What about him? Of Arthur Leywin? Are we—”
I heard the sudden crash of questions and lantations across one another, but I didn’t process it. My mind was blank.
Arthur…
“Please, there is no ti,” Myre said firmly.
I looked at her then. Really looked at her. Written in the pale creases of her aged face was a kind of raw loss and desperate determination I didn’t even have words for.
“We have passed through the rift,” she continued. “Epheotus is falling.”
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