Chapter 18
Elariya
“Back To Galaythia”
The twin suns hung low on the horizon like dying embers, their pale light barely strong enough to chase away the night.
I gripped the ship's railing, watching as the first sun—a muted gold—crept higher while its companion, tinged with deep amber, followed in its shadow.
It was brightening, but stars still pierced the indigo sky above, refusing to yield to the approaching dawn.
This had to be what passed for twilight in this realm. Within the liminal space between night and day, neither light nor dark claimed dominance.
The world seemed suspended in perpetual dusk, caught between sleeping and waking, like everything else about this place that defied the natural order I knew.
I couldn’t sleep anymore. Couldn’t rest either.
Every time I closed my eyes, I kept thinking about everything that had happened.
I saw the faces of all those who depended on me. Then I thought of Wolfe, Thayden, and all the difficult choices that lay ahead.
I came out here before the suns rose. I thought perhaps the air would give me some clarity.
It hadn’t. Of course, because there wasn’t exactly air here as such. Just enough to keep you from dying.
I didn’t feel any worse for being out here, so that was a plus.
Beneath me, the ship groaned as waves slapped against the hull with increasing force.
The gentle rocking motion I'd grown accustomed to had given way to something more insistent, more alive.
Whatever magic had been guiding our passage through these dark waters had clearly abandoned us to the whims of wind and tide.
But that wasn’t a bad thing. It meant we were drawing close to the world of the living.
Arielle told me I’d begin to notice slight differences. Signs of life, especially in the water. The air would follow. Life would bleed into death until the unnatural sensation that shrouded us would pass.
I hoped it would come soon.
I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders and gazed ahead at the horizon. Apart from the twin suns, it looked like I could be back in Stormfell.
There was so much beyond the Veil I didn’t know about. People in the mortal lands grew up thinking the world was simply divided in two—humans and magical beings. But beyond the Veil, there were limitless places. Like this one.
Although I hoped to never cross this way again, I would’ve loved to see the magical realm.
I wished I could spend time exploring it and all the wondrous creatures. All the things I’d written about in my journal. But I needed to get home.
The first chance I got, I needed to return to Stormfell.
I didn’t want to take any more risks. I’d taken enough already, and something worse could have happened at every turn.
As for Wolfe…
I wasn’t sure what to think about him. We both needed to find the ring to break free of our curses, but to find it, I had to learn to harness my time magic. I couldn’t do that in the mortal lands.
So, where did that leave me? Where did that leave him?
I didn’t need anyone to tell me that being trapped in a curse for the rest of your life could never be good. I couldn’t imagine what my life would become if I stayed this way forever.
And Wolfe…
It had looked as though his curse would consume him when he transformed into that deathlike creature. I couldn’t imagine him returning to his former self. When he did, I wondered what he must have felt.
What was it like to know the monster lived inside him?
Was he fighting hard to hold it back?
I’d been searching for some kind of compromise, something that could bridge the problem between us. And had found nothing.
I wasn’t surprised because realistically, our focus should be on finding the ring. And finding my father. Not all this other shit caused by Thayden.
Gods, I was eager to return to my family, but I wasn’t just going back to them. I was going back to Thayden, the man who had driven a sword through Wolfe’s heart.
There was no way Wolfe was going to let that slide.
He hadn’t spoken about it. Yesterday, he’d been resting, and the entire journey I hadn’t seen him.
Maybe once we reached Galaythia, we’d talk.
Light footsteps crossed the deck. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Arielle approaching. Her white-blonde hair caught the oncoming sun, and when she smiled, her eyes sparkled.
“You’re up early.” She glanced ahead at the horizon.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Me neither. I could sense we’re nearly back.” She stretched her hands out on either side and wiggled her fingers.
I lifted my brows, studying her. “How can you tell?”
“The air is different.” Her smile softened. “The heaviness is lifting. And if you focus hard enough, you can just about feel the wind.”
I couldn’t feel any difference. And I doubted I’d be able to sense the wind at all. I was too troubled to focus.
“Kaem said when we cross over, it will almost be like going through the Veil. There’ll be a magical barrier separating the realms.”
“That will be interesting. And a little scary, considering what we’ve been through.” I raised my brows. “I don’t know how many more experiences I can handle.”
“This should be a good one.”
“I sure hope so.”
Arielle moved closer and looked me over. “You okay otherwise? I know this is the million and tenth time I’ve asked, but I want to make sure.”
I pulled my shawl tighter and swallowed hard. “I guess I’m as good as I can be. Solve one problem and another appears, right? We found Wolfe, but it feels like that was just the beginning.”
Arielle clutched the rail and let out a slow sigh, her hair drifting over her shoulder. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot, too.” She looked ahead briefly then returned her gaze to me. “I’m sure we all are.”
“Have you spoken to Wolfe?”
Arielle shook her head. “Have you?”
“Not since we left the house. And we didn’t exactly end that conversation on a good note.” I’d filled her in briefly yesterday. She’d seen how torn I was and immediately tried to distract me with talk of magic—which I’d welcomed. But now I had to face reality.
“Maybe it’s best if we don’t talk.” My stomach squeezed when I thought of heading back to Stormfell without seeing Wolfe again.
Arielle frowned. “No, why? You should talk. I can’t imagine Wolfe letting you go without talking to you first. He wouldn’t do that.”
“Well, after yesterday, he may think differently. And it might be for the best for me, too.”
“Talk to me. You sound upset.”
“I just… feel terrible that I can’t remember him. I can’t even try. It’s not like I hit my head and lost my memories.”
“We know that’s not the case.”
“Maybe so. But Wolfe looks at me like he’s expecting me to wake up and become that version of myself who…loved him. But this is me. I’m myself. I’m not her.”
“You’re still you, Elariya.”
“I’m not, though. I feel hollow. I feel nothing where I should. I don’t know if this is how I usually am after a reset or if this is something different from going through too many. I just know that all I feel is this intense fear for my family’s safety.”
She rested a hand on my shoulder. “Try not to worry.” Her voice stayed steady. “We’ve just been through one hell of a lot. We’ll figure this out. We have to.”
She sounded so sure that I couldn’t tell if she truly believed it or if she was putting on a show—for both me and herself.
I bit the inside of my lip. “I don’t see how we’ll sort anything out without causing more trouble.”
“This situation requires a bit of thought and tact.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Thought and tact won’t work with Thayden, Arielle. He outsmarted us once. He’ll do it again.”
“We’ll be ready for him if he tries anything next time.”
I gripped the edge of my shawl. “I’d rather it didn’t get that far. My family are…” My throat tightened. “They’re my everything. It doesn’t sit right with me—giving Thayden what he wants after everything he’s done…” I swallowed hard. “But I won’t risk their safety.”
“And no one will ask that of you,” Arielle assured me. “No one expects you to do anything that will place them in harm’s way.”
As soon as she spoke, a gust of wind picked up her hair and wrapped around me.
We both gasped and looked around. A faint vibration tinged the air, and there was a noticeable ripple, as if the fabric between worlds was loosening.
Below, the waves had picked up suddenly, lulling the ship forward.
“Blessed Mother. Look.” Arielle pointed ahead.
I followed her gaze, and my breath caught. Falling from the sky like a shimmering curtain, thousands upon thousands of stars were cascading downward in streams of liquid silver. They fell in graceful arcs, creating an ethereal waterfall that stretched as far as the eye could see.
It was a barrier of starlight separating the realm of the dead from the world of the living.
The falling stars caught the twin suns’ light, flaring like diamonds before dissolving into the water, only to rise again at the top of the cascade.
"Gods. It's beautiful," I whispered, utterly transfixed.
The beauty before me made up for the all the horrid things I’d endured since leaving Stormfell.
The ship surged forward, and as we drew closer to the waterfall of stars, I could hear it—a soft, melodic chiming that seemed to resonate in my very bones.
The stars sang as they fell, their voices weaving together in a harmony that spoke of endings and beginnings, of crossing over, of coming home.
The orchestra grew louder the closer we got, then we were right there.
"Hold tight," Arielle called out, as the bow pierced the first trailing edge of starlight.
Everything went white. Pure, brilliant light enveloped us as we sailed through the cascade. I felt each falling star brush against my skin like warm rain, washing away the last traces of death's chill. And then—
Sunlight.
Real sunlight, golden and warm and alive, burst over us as we emerged on the other side. The familiar blue sky stretched endlessly above—with one sun—and my heart stuttered back to life as the land of the living welcomed us home.
Arielle and I looked back at the waterfall of stars, but there was nothing there.
It was gone. As if we’d just emerged from a dream.
“We’re back,” Arielle muttered.
I looked at her. “We are.”
Real air filled my lungs with life instead of the emptiness of the underworld. Then, through the golden haze of sunlight, I saw it.
Land.
Land in the distance adorned with rolling hills and shimmer blue-leafed trees that soared toward the heavens.
Magic hummed in the air, wild and alive and different from the death magic we'd left behind. The ship glided toward shore as if the land itself was drawing us in, welcoming us to this realm where beauty and danger walked hand in hand.
"Gods, we’re not just back. We’re in Galaythia’s harbor,” Arielle breathed. The relief in her voice was unmistakable.
“Did my best to get you as close as possible to home,” Kaem’s hearty voice rumbled from behind us, thick with satisfaction and something that might have been affection.
“Oh, Kaem, thank you so much.” Arielle left my side and threw her arms around him.
He held her tightly. When he released her, he pat the top of her head the way a father would. The way my father used to with me.
A tug of sadness coursed through me, but I shoved it away. Better not to think of such things.
Kaem looked at me next. I schooled my expression, hoping he couldn’t see through me. Throughout this voyage, I’d pasted on a smile whenever he was around and did my best to act like I knew him.
According to my journal, I’d met him at the luminaire festival—my first outing with Wolfe. The closest thing we’d had to a date. There, Kaem gifted me a notebook from the Ravenwood realm.
“My Lady.” He gave me a gentle bow. “It was a real pleasure seeing you again.”
“And you, my Lord.”
He chuckled. “It’s been quite some time since anyone called me lord. Nice to hear it, though.”
“I’d like to thank you, too. For rescuing us.”
“You are most welcome, my Lady.”
“Are Wolfe and the guys up?” Arielle asked, glancing over his shoulder.
“Yes, they’ve actually made their way back to Vyrenth Hollow. Wolfe gave instructions for you two to portal back there and go straight to the meeting room.”
That sounded kind of… odd.
Why didn’t we all leave together?
And we were to go to the meeting room?
Arielle looked a little thrown, too, but she seemed to be doing her best not to show it.
“Okay. I guess we better go, then.” She glanced at me and gave me a reassuring smile.
“May I do you the honor of creating a portal? Just want to see that you get back safely.” Kaem circled his index finger, and a whirlpool formed at the tip.
Arielle smiled. “Thanks. See you again soon.”
“My Lady.” He dipped his head, then smiled at me.
With a swish of his hand, the whirlpool widened and stabilized to a white glow, looking less chaotic.
Arielle held my hand and guided me through into radiant light. Kaem and the harbor vanished, and magic hummed around us. For a heartbeat, there was nothing, then the world folded in on itself as if we were being drawn through a seam in reality.
Moments later, we stood inside a meeting room. I realized we were at Vyrenth Hollow.
The swirl of light faded, revealing Wolfe seated at the head of the table in a high-backed chair that amplified his imposing presence. The Bloodsworn flanked him, silent and unmoving.
My eyes locked with Wolfe’s. I took in the stony expression on his face, and an ominous sensation settled in the pit of my stomach.
I didn’t know how or why, but I had the sinking feeling that everything was about to change.
Again.