Chapter 49
A few days later.
The crisp morning air stings my face as we all move to the edge of the cliff. The sun sits low in the sky, bestowing a peaceful glow upon us that fills the world around us. The air is light, and we walk in unison toward a small area prepped by Oak and Rose for this moment—a memorial for Warrick.
A small, grassy path leads us toward the area, and I keep my gaze forward. I walk hand in hand with Silas. Larkin and Fen walk behind us, while Oak assists a limping Maines down the path. Rose stands before the small pillar, and I hold my breath, forcing myself to look.
A white sheet flutters in the wind, covering a large body—Warrick’s.
I squeeze Silas’s hand, letting him know that I’m here, as I fight back the tears that want to flow. The morning sky is filled with a beautiful warming light, and I can’t help but think that Warrick is here right now, using his Lumor abilities to cast us—and this moment—in such a lovely glow.
A few chairs have been placed around the area for us to sit, share a few words, and dedicate a lovely moment to Warrick, and Warrick only. Fen quietly sobs as she sits closest to him, followed by me and Silas, with Larkin on the other side.
Since the trip was far, Maines and Oak stay at a distance, so we don’t exhaust her too much. The healers warned that even shifting her during this fragile state could be detrimental to her healing journey, so heading back to the mainland isn’t going to be an option for a while.
We can continue our plans from here. Plus, Andorwood seems like home at this point.
Over the past few days, Oak has mentioned the darkness that seems to sit on Maines’s shoulders like an ever-present shadow, but I can’t feel it—it’s like I’ve been shut out. He’s so worried about her, and I can’t blame him.
Seeing someone you love suffer like that changes you—always for the stronger, but never for the better.
Rose stands before us, dressed in a beautiful gown, and begins to speak in her softest voice about what it’s like to love and to lose.
She talks about how people cope with grief, and how, over time, everyday pain eases, but the deep wound that death leaves never disappears—like a dark stain on your soul.
Death is an invisible, deep scar that we all will share.
Everyone except Fenmore fights back tears, but we all listen together, letting the soft breeze surround us like a peaceful whisper.
The sky above us is beautiful. White clouds that look like you could sit on them fill the sky, and the sea is like a sheet of brilliant glass. A small fire burns near our chairs, and a torch sits close by.
The past few nights, I’ve spent time with Silas, talking into the late hours until he passes out from exhaustion—usually in my arms. Larkin has also been keeping close, while Fen prefers her own company.
Oak spends most of his time with Maines, helping her recover by going on short walks and engaging in various forms of therapy.
We’ve had no luck reading anything further in the book we retrieved from the Archives.
We will have to wait until Oak’s grandfather can get his hands on it to truly understand what we possess.
In the meantime, we will study, train, prepare, and rebuild Andorwood from the losses of the battle before we make our way back to the mainland.
Rose steps down from her post and is replaced by Fenmore.
She stands on unsteady legs and moves toward the platform with Larkin’s assistance.
Her footsteps are silent on the soft grass, and her hands quiver at her sides, but she remains tall.
Fen stares at the white sheet covering Warrick for a long while before facing us in the small gathering.
A tear rolls down her cheek.
“I’ve gone back and forth for days about what I could possibly say to you all that might help ease the pain—the wound we all feel—but I couldn’t think of anything.” She shakes her head. “I couldn’t think of a single fucking word that would help any of us.”
Silas squeezes my hand, trying to keep himself from falling into despair.
“Grief is an odd thing.” Fen’s voice trembles.
“It ebbs and flows like the tides, building and crashing into us like the waves at random times, and it’s deep—deeper I fear, than the sea that surrounds us and deeper than the love that he had for you all.
” She fights back tears. “Warrick wouldn’t want us to be sad.
In fact, he would be so annoyed that we sit here today doing this. ”
A hushed giggle mixed with a painful sob leaves Larkin’s lips, reminiscing on his friend and how true that statement is.
“Warrick was strong, so we must be strong.” Fen glances behind her at his body.
“Warrick was wise, and he was quiet, because he used every moment to soak in his surroundings, watching us as if he were always memorizing the best parts of his life.” She turns her gaze, the pain of looking at him too much to bear.
“I will live my life that way, now. I will be strong, wise, and quiet in my efforts to absorb the world around me, and I will always remember the good moments and cherish the hard ones for shaping me into the person I am today.”
She pauses for a moment and leans down to grab the blazing torch.
Larkin and Silas rise, walking to stand alongside her as they ignite the wood with an intense flame. They move toward Warrick’s covered body together.
Fen stumbles backward, as if getting too close pains her. From my chair, I see Larkin’s hand go to the small of her back, and Silas takes the lit torch from her trembling hands.
Larkin steps back a few paces with her, holding her as she buries her head in his chest, letting the sobs pour from her quivering lips.
Silas stands alone at the edge of the cliff before Warrick, having a moment of silence with his friend for the last time while the lit torch roars in his unwavering hand.
His hair whips in all directions, but this time he’s steady, as if the task before him is sure.
He releases a long exhale and takes a step forward.
Tears stream down my cheeks as I watch him slowly lower the flames, and my hand slowly covers my mouth. My heart flips, causing uneven breaths to come from my lips.
Even in the breeze, the sheet covering his body becomes engulfed in a red glow. Silas takes a moment before turning his back slowly. His eyes are red, but no tears fall onto his expressionless face. He walks back to where I sit, and in this moment, I can tell that his body is an empty shell.
We sit in silence, watching the flames devour the platform. Given the horrors we’ve witnessed and with the resurrection stone still out there, there was no way we could bury Warrick—it isn’t a risk we’re willing to take.
I glance across the sea and watch as the sun shines brighter, casting thousands of diamonds that dance on the water. The warm breeze moves around us, and Silas takes my hand.
I place my other one on top of his.
“I’m here,” I say in my mind.
He doesn’t respond; instead, he tightens his grip around my hand, desperate to remain steady. He’s restraining himself from crumbling.
“I’m always here,” I repeat.
It’s quiet except for the crackling flames, windless breeze, and crashing waves below. It’s peaceful and even in this devastating moment, defeat doesn’t surge through me. Hope does.
The minutes pass by as we remain as a group on the cliff.
Together.
Silas opens his mouth to speak, but pauses, a twisted look of concern etching his face.
The wind changes, sending a gust of icy air swirling around us.
I glance over at Silas, who furrows his brow as he looks toward the forest behind us.
The puffy, white clouds begin to rush across the sky, and a leaden sky replaces them quickly, making all hope I had disappear.
I slowly stand and look toward Larkin and Fen, whose faces reflect the same level of unease.
“Briar,” Silas whispers. “Do you feel that?”
My shadows scream at me to run, to get up and race them all somewhere else, but I don’t react—I can’t—and the familiar haunting feeling I’ve once felt creeps into my body, soul, and mind. I’m frozen, and I’m taken back in time to when this happened twice before.
“Hello, Briar.” An ancient male’s voice snakes into my mind, and I go deathly still. “Hope I’m not interrupting.”
I whip my head in all directions, and Silas notices my panic.
We all look around, each of us feeling the apparent shift from lightness to a devastating darkness.
Oak slowly stands, and his hands begin to tremble at his sides. We all shift our gaze away from Oak, unsure of what he sees in this moment.
The color drains from my face as I think of who also sits back there.
Maines.
I slowly turn, and a dread I’ve never felt before settles in my chest, causing me to stagger backward into Silas’s body.
“No,” I say.
Malachi stands behind Maines, Hux at his side, with his hand wrapped around her shoulders.
Her face is horrified, and she sits still, too afraid to move and still too injured to run.
Oak stands nearby, but is frozen. His head is slightly tilted, and I notice something pressing into the side of his throat—an invisible claw ready to end his life if the order is given.
Fen and Larkin slowly take a step toward us, unsure of what to do or how to help.
Malachi wears a smile of triumphant madness on his face, and Hux’s face remains hard, uncaring that his once friend lies dead before him. Hux’s shadows dance in the sunlight, and an evil radiates from him, mimicking Malachi’s.
“What a lovely morning,” Malachi’s awful voice sounds toward us.
“Maines,” Oak says, attempting to take another step forward. “You are okay.”
“Oak,” her lips quiver, understanding the severity of the moment.
“It’s going to be alright.” Oak attempts a reassuring smile but fails. “Just sit still, darling.”
She nods, trying to remain calm, but the panic shows all over her face.
“No, it actually won’t be,” Malachi responds. “You shouldn’t lie.”
“Get the fuck out of here, Malachi,” Silas’s voice booms, and black shadows begin to swirl around us from the King of Darkness.
In the morning sun, you can see the shimmers of the creatures surrounding Malachi. He’s not alone, even though one would think he is, besides Hux. The Travelers lurk invisibly, ready to do Malachi’s bidding and strike should he give the signal.
We are completely surrounded.
He traces the side of Maines’s face, and a whimper leaves her throat.
“You see, the thing is, I’ve grown increasingly bored since leaving, and I had a thought I couldn’t shake.” He angles his head and stares at Maines. “The night of Yara’s unfortunate death, I said something to Briar.”
I go deathly still, but my heart knocks as if it will break through my chest.
“Do you remember what I said?” he asks, staring directly at me.
No one responds, and the dark, rolling clouds begin to churn like a growing storm. The sea below us no longer resembles glass, but is a hurricane of pure chaos.
“Oh, you all are no fun,” Malachi teases. “If I can’t have Briar, I had an idea that drawing you to me against your will would be so much more amusing.”
I step forward. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
“I think I will,” he says, smiling maliciously.
“We will fucking kill you,” Silas warns. “This is a death sentence.”
Malachi leans forward, wrapping his arms around Maines’s shoulders.
He tilts his head, smelling the nape of her neck, and uses his tongue to trace up the side of her jaw.
She winces against his touch, and I hear her spit.
A wetness coats his face, and Malachi takes his finger, wiping the spit off, before sticking his finger in his mouth.
“Yes, she will be just the entertainment I’m looking for,” he laughs.
I hear footsteps first as Oak races forward, faster than a bolt of lightning. He grinds his teeth and dives into his power, summoning a blinding light that rests in his palms.
“Come find me when you are ready, Briar,” Malachi calls. “We will be waiting.”
“Malachi,” I whisper.
“Tick-tock,” he smiles.
Hux vanishes before our eyes, shifting into a darkness that settles into my soul.
“Fuck!” I scream.
Malachi disappears next, and I watch Maines fade into the darkness around him.
Oak yells and refuses to let his magic escape, for fear that he will hit Maines, but he powers forward.
Tears well in my eyes as I watch a dark trail of shadows move through the forest. Oak releases his magic, and a blast of white light envelops us, knocking us all backward.
My ears ring from the explosion, but I ignore the pain, propping myself on my elbow to watch the shadows retreat deeper into the forest, further away with each passing second.
I stand and race forward, disregarding the pain radiating through my body.
“Briar,” Silas screams after me.
No.
No.
This is my fault.
I run, shifting in small bouts to chase the shadows with Oak at my heels, but they fade faster than we can move. I watch in horror as Malachi drags Maines directly to a place I never wished to revisit, a place that haunts me—the place I died.
Yet, it’s a place I’m willing to enter, even if it means dying again to save her.
My hazel eyes fade away and are replaced with unholy black as anger, rage, and desperation pile on top of each other, sending me spiraling into a blind madness.
Their shadows vanish, and my fierce heart splinters into a million pieces as Malachi drags Maines directly into the place where the shadows were formed and darkness will be destroyed.
The closest place to the darkest realm that exists.
Where I will confront my demons and enemies directly, and…Bring. Her. Back.
From Death’s Opening.