Chapter 22 #3
She bit her lip, and his eyes briefly dropped to her mouth. I don’t understand.
Varax chose me as her rider, but she never actively chose you. She just accepted you, remember? I pulled you from the waterfall, and she didn’t even need to look at you.
Nya furrowed her brow. Are you saying I’m not her rider?
No, not at all—
“Fates, there are two sets of you now,” Carus said, and they both jumped. “It’s unnerving enough to watch Sora and Vane do the silent talking thing, but Morgen, the embers flare every time I assume it’s your turn. It’s creepy.”
Morgen shut his eyes, sighing sharply. “What do you need, Carus?”
He snorted. “Perhaps to get back before they think we kidnapped Nya and Vulcan sends a fleet of Vemon dragons our way. But mostly, it’s just cold, and I’m bored.”
Morgen glared at him, but Nya wondered silently how Carus managed to be so flippant and droll, even with everything that had happened to him.
He was younger than her and had endured more, and yet he still seemed to have a less pessimistic outlook on the world.
Then again, Carus had not been targeted by a nameless creature of darkness.
She discarded the thoughts for now and glanced at Morgen. “Are you even well enough to create a portal right now?”
He hesitated. “Ah…most likely.”
“Good enough,” Carus grumbled, striding closer to where they still sat on the ground.
“Are you sure?” she pushed, standing and offering him a hand.
Morgen took it but let go quickly. He didn’t reply, evidently confident he was ready to or convinced enough by Carus’ whining that he didn’t want to argue, because the air began to shimmer in front of his outstretched hand. It shook as the portal turned silver, and his tan complexion turned pale.
“Morgen—”
He cut her off, speaking through gritted teeth. “Just go through.”
She wasn’t exactly keen on returning yet, but she was also sure if she didn’t listen, Morgen probably wouldn’t have the energy to draw up another portal. Carus was likely also right about the reaction of the principals and her parents to the three of them suddenly missing.
She stepped through, followed by Carus, and the folded pocket of space choked the air from her lungs for a brief handful of seconds.
When she emerged on the other side, she was standing in the middle of a flower bed in Nyx’s garden.
Morgen flickered into existence next to her half a second later and fell to his knees before either she or Carus could catch him.
Her chest constricted painfully, and her vision blacked out.
Then, just like last time this had happened, the agony disappeared as if it had never been there at all.
“None of these flowers are blooming,” he muttered, his words already beginning to slur. “What is the fucking point of the garden?”
“Shit,” Carus said under his breath. “He’s magic drunk.”
“Yes, thanks to you,” Nya snapped just as the back door opened. “We should have waited longer.”
A figure appeared in the doorway, and at first glance, she thought it was her father. Quickly, she realized he was a few inches too tall, and his eyes were a slightly different shape.
Vulcan.
“They’re back!” the god of fire called into the house.
She allowed the shock of seeing her grandfather for the first time register for only a few short moments before kneeling next to Morgen.
“Nya,” he groaned, shaking his head. “I was trying to tell you, and it was important, but now…” His head fell to her shoulder. “My head is so fuzzy.”
“Hush,” she murmured, threading her fingers through his hair.
Thanatos and Nyx hurried out, followed by her parents, and then Juno and another woman who she realized had to be Anabeth.
She pulled him close, a hum just beneath her skin as her magic rose instinctively to protect him. “You just need to sleep this off.”
“I can’t sleep,” he said, voice muffled against her shirt. “What if it comes back and I didn’t tell you?”
She had no idea what he was talking about and couldn’t tell if it was nonsense or something genuinely important. If it was the latter, now probably wasn’t the time anyways.
“It’s all right,” she told him, and he made a low noise, the vibration of it buzzing against her chest.
Vulcan stepped forward. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Magic drunk,” Carus replied. His expression was tight, but still, he laughed dryly, dragging a hand over his face.
“Very magic drunk, by the looks of it.” Apparently, this was a phenomenon unique to Morgen, because they all stared at him blankly.
“When he uses too much magic, usually when he portals too far or twice without pause, the mortal part of him begins to die with the strain. The embers react and flood his system with way too much magic, making him all loopy.”
A long moment of silence followed, broken only when Morgen lifted his head and whispered loudly, “Nya, why are they all looking at us?”
Vulcan snorted. “Fates, he really is drunk.”
“Wasted,” Nya’s father said, rubbing at his temple as Morgen started to monologue about how useless the garden was.
Her mother glanced at Anabeth, her expression wary and a little cold. “Do you know anything about this? You spent time with him after you abandoned Cion.”
Anabeth pressed her lips together. She no longer wore the robes of a priestess, instead donning a blue wrap dress.
She looked younger, standing next to all the others, and Nya almost felt bad for her when she replied in a quiet voice, “I told you, I did not abandon her. She practically begged me to investigate when rumors of Morgen started to float over the border. You know I never wanted to come back here, same as you.”
“That’s not what she asked you,” Nya’s father said, his tone flat. “Have you ever seen this happen before?”
Anabeth frowned at him, some unspoken hurt in her eyes as he glared at her.
Anabeth had hinted during the marriage ceremony that she had been friends with her parents, who weren’t necessarily being hostile now, but who weren’t acting as her friends.
Nya assumed it had to do with Anabeth assisting Morgen, though her mother had referenced that she’d ‘left Cion.’ Could she really mean Aren’s elderly queen?
Had she and Anabeth been friends, or even lovers?
The questions promptly left her mind when Anabeth said, “It might be best if you keep your distance right now, Nya. You’re both weakened, and he has no way to defend himself if you—”
“No, no, no.” Morgen cut the demi-god off, laughing.
“No… You are not giving me advice anymore, cryptic lady. You told me to do this.” He slid his fingers over the scar at Nya’s throat, and she had to bite back an entirely inappropriate noise for the current situation.
“Bad, bad advice, even if I liked it. Now all our colors are even brighter, and when she’s gone for too long, it hurts my head. ”
Anabeth sighed, evidently understanding exactly what his ranting referred to. “I did not explicitly tell you to do anything. It was merely a suggestion, and I warned you it would likely make your preexisting connection to Nya even more elevated.”
“What do you mean by that?” Carus asked, brow furrowed. “What preexisting connection?”
“Their soul,” Anabeth said, as casually as if she were talking about the weather. “They share it. It’s why Varax claimed them both as riders.”
Nya froze, and it took her only a few short moments to realize everyone besides her and Carus were already aware of what Anabeth had just revealed. She found her mother’s gaze, hardly able to speak, half-mouthing, half-speaking to her down the pathway, “How do you all know?”
“Anabeth told us when you were sleeping,” her mother said gently. “None of us knew before that, Nya. I swear it.”
With his head still buried in her shoulder, Morgen snorted softly and mumbled, “Bad Morgen, I know. Probably should have mentioned it before, but please don’t be mad.”
Suddenly, everything Morgen had been saying mere minutes ago by the waterfall made complete sense.
Many things made sense now.
Their immediate connection when they had first met, his ability to reach her in her dreams, Varax, even the discomfort she used to feel in her chest when they went too long between meetings… It was because a part of them had been and always would be the same.
“I can explain it, if you wish,” Anabeth said, as if she were merely offering to tell Nya why the seasons changed or what made the trees green.
“No,” she said, her arms tightening around Morgen. “Not now. He needs to sleep this off.”
Carus glanced at her when Juno nodded but said firmly, “Away from you.”
“Good luck with that one,” Carus muttered at the same moment her father chuckled and said, “I’d like to see you try to make that happen.”
Nya saw them look at each other for a brief handful of seconds, Carus offering him a wry smirk. She let herself feel the fleeting burst of joy, watching her father’s eyes light up at the interaction, before she said, “They’re right. I’m not leaving him when he’s like this.”
“Nya, you don’t understand—” Nyx began, but then Thanatos cut in, surprising Nya, and apparently everyone else too.
“She understands the risk more than any of us can. Just get the poor boy to a bed before he crushes more of the roses.”
Juno looked like she was about to argue, but then Morgen slurred, “Any of you assholes try to put your hands on my wife…” He shook his head, grinning at Carus. “No more spines.”
Carus nodded, offering him a hand. “That’s right, no more spines. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Nope,” Morgen sighed, letting Carus help her drag him to his feet. “Carus, there is so much magic in my head. More than the last time, right?”
“Does this happen often?” her mother asked, obviously fighting a smile.
Carus shook his head and muttered to Nya, “Try to get him to lean most of his weight on me, sweetheart. It’ll make this easier. You’re far too short to carry the big bastard.”
She didn’t argue. Her head was beginning to spin with the overwhelm of the last three days. Still, just before she and Carus dragged Morgen into the house, she glanced back and made herself ask, “Do we need to worry about Sol?”
Thanatos shook his head. “Not yet. This house is heavily warded against him and has been for a long, long time. We have at least a few days.”
Nya had little idea of what a ward even was, beyond being a protective barrier, but she took him for his word for now.
It’s a biiiiig portal, but it’s only open one way.
She glanced at Morgen to find his eyes half-lidded but focused squarely on her. Carus grunted and all but carried him down the hall, muttering, “Make doe-eyes at your wife later, preferably not when I’m around.”
Morgen muttered something incoherent and then grunted as she and Carus managed to drop him on a large couch in one of the endless sitting rooms.
Carus swept a scanning gaze around the room. A general combing the space for danger, she supposed. “I can stay if you want?” he said.
She shook her head. “I’ve got it. And if I… Well, if anything is wrong, I’ll make sure Varax knows to alert Thessilnn and Heles. She’ll be aware if there’s a change.”
“Alright,” Carus said, his expression tightening slightly. Still, he trusted her enough to head for the door, only stopping when she called his name.
“Back at the waterfall,” she began when he turned. “He mentioned there were times he tried to…” She trailed off, not sure if she could make herself say it aloud.
Carus understood, though, nodding curtly. “He can’t kill himself, Nya. Not with the embers. I’m glad for it, because if he could, he’d already be dead.”
The blood drained from her face, hearing Carus confirm it. “Right,” she managed to say.
He left without another word, and she curled up next to Morgen, counting, recalling facts about dragons, reciting poetry, making lists of herbal plants used for healing…
Anything to keep her awake and out of that place.