Chapter 8 Lily
LILY
In the morning, we retrieved the platinum from the blacksmith, a large block wrapped in cloth and then enclosed in a box carved out of marble to make sure it wasn’t damaged on the journey back. Protected inside its own pack, it would be attached to Zehemoth’s saddle.
Is that it? He turned his head as far as he could to look at me near his shoulder.
Yes. It’s heavy too.
Do you think this is the element we seek?
I sure fucking hope so. It matches everything Callum described.
Who’s Callum?
My fingers hesitated as I secured the pack, double-tying knots and locking the top of the sack in place.
No one you would know. I hopped back down and turned to Viper, who was saying goodbye to his brother and sister-in-law, a young, petite dark-haired woman in an ethereal blue gown. She was extremely pretty.
I decided to drop my guard and show my manners.
No one had threatened me or tried to restrain me, so my paranoia appeared to be unnecessary.
I came to Viper’s side and gave a nod to each of them in place of a full curtsy.
“Thank you for your generosity. I’ve been looking for my father’s cure for nearly two months. I hope this is it.”
“We hope so too,” Princess Harlow said with a smile. “If it were my father, I would have ripped the world in two until I found it.”
Her husband was far less pleasant and vocal, leaving the politics to his wife. His attention turned back to Viper. “You’re journeying south and then returning home afterward?”
“Yes.”
“Wish I could see Kingsnake’s face when you get there.”
Viper cracked a slight smile. “I wish I could see it too. Probably won’t get the chance after he gives me two black eyes.
” He moved toward his brother and gave him a bear hug and a clap on the back before he gently cradled his sister-in-law to his chest. “Take care, both of you.” Then he stepped back and returned to my side.
“Thank you again,” I said. “I know our lands are worlds apart, but if you’re ever in need, consider the Southern Isles your allies.”
Aurelias gave a nod in appreciation. “Take care.”
We turned away and walked to where Zehemoth waited for us.
With every step, my heart grew heavier, turning into a boulder inside my chest. This was the final stage of the journey, returning home and bringing my father back from the edge of death.
“We have to make it back.” I didn’t have the command of the dead to rise to my aid if I needed them.
It was just the three of us crossing the wild world without knowing the lands where we sought refuge.
He stopped before Zehemoth so I could climb up first. “I’ll make sure you get there, Lily.”
“I’ve never been so scared in my life.” I gripped the strap to climb up but stayed on the ground. “I’m so close to what I want most, and I’m terrified I’ll lose it. It’s like an egg in my hand, and I’m afraid to drop it and watch it shatter.”
His hand moved to my shoulder, where I couldn’t feel his touch through my armor. “We’ll make it, Lily. We’ll remain cautious and diligent. No campfires at night. One person always on guard. We’ll move like our enemies are just one step behind us.”
Zehemoth tried to push himself to get us home faster, but it wasn’t worth the chance of bodily harm to his wings or his heart, so we returned to our previous pace of traveling only in daylight.
The campsites were cold, and Viper and I took turns keeping watch throughout the night. We were careful not to disturb the land around us, and I always checked that the platinum was still in the pack secured to Zehemoth, even though I’d already checked a dozen times every day.
We slowly made our way closer to home, every single day feeling like a week on its own. When we finally made it to the last stop before the final stretch, I lay in my bedroll but couldn’t sleep. Despite my exhaustion, I was too anxious to relax.
It was the only time I didn’t think about Callum, and that was a reprieve.
When I got tired of tossing and turning, I crawled out of my tent and found Viper sitting on a log in the dark, his silhouette distinct even in the shadows.
Zehemoth slept the entire night undisturbed since he was the one who had to do the most work on this journey, so Viper and I split the rotations.
He didn’t flinch when I quietly approached him in the dark, like he knew I was there the second I crawled out of the tent.
“I can’t sleep, so you should rest.”
“We’ll make it, Lily.”
There was only one man who could truly comfort me, and it was his absence that caused me distress. I wanted to heal my father, but now that it’d been over two weeks since I’d seen Callum, I truly began to fear for him. “If Zehemoth could fly, I’d say we should leave now.”
“But he can’t, so try to relax.”
I moved to the log beside him and stared at the sea of stars overhead. “Now I understand why you’re the general of your brother’s army. You’re so calm all the time.”
He continued to stare off in the distance. “I’m not easily affected by fear and emotion.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because I’ve lived long enough, so if I die tomorrow, it’s fine.”
“But if you die, you don’t pass on.”
“True. But I made my peace with it.”
“If you could do it all again, would you have made the same choice?”
After a long pause, he answered. “Yes.”
“You think the chance of immortality in the mortal world is better than an eternity in the Realm of Caelum?”
“I don’t know what lies beyond the veil, so I’m not sure which is better.
But I think the time we’re granted on this earth as a mortal is far too short.
We don’t live long enough to appreciate death when it comes for us.
” He turned to me, his features hard to see in the starlight.
“What would you choose? Live forever as a vampire or die as a mortal after a few decades?”
“A mortal life,” I said simply. “And not because of children.”
“Then why?”
“I wouldn’t want to feed off the blood of mortals. Wouldn’t want to feel dead even while alive. Wouldn’t want to forfeit my soul.” Not when I knew Callum had given up his and would suffer an eternity for it.
“You’re lucky you get to have both.”
“Honestly, I haven’t given it much thought.
My father wanted me to wait to fuse with Zehemoth until I was a few years older, because your appearance becomes preserved in time once you do.
But I fused with him on the eve of battle for his power and focus.
Didn’t really consider the fact that I’m officially immortal. ”
“Once the battle becomes a memory and your father is healthy once again, you’ll have the opportunity to reflect on that decision.
But if your mother, father, and brother are fused, it’s the best decision for you.
Any mortal in this world would wage war on their own family for the chance to have what you have. ”
“Yeah.”
Silence fell between us, and we listened to the sounds of the wilderness around us, the hoot of owls, the chirp of crickets, the snap of branches when a bear passed through the trees.
Immersed in the darkness, it should make my hair stand on end, but the sounds of nature were comforting, in their own way.
“You should get back to sleep.”
I shook my head even though he probably couldn’t see me. “I’ll sleep when this is done.”
Hours into the flight, I saw the hazy outline of the cliffs across the sea.
“We’re almost there.” I gripped the horn like I expected Zehemoth to sprint the rest of the way. “I can’t believe it. We made it.” The sea beneath us was empty of galleons and sailboats, the surface of the water appearing calm at this height.
It took over an hour to reach the cliffs where the castle had been erected as a pinnacle in the sky. The courtyard came into view, and then Zehemoth made a slow descent, gently landing on the stone before he folded his wings into his body.
I unhooked the pack with the platinum then slid down to the ground.
Hawk and Mom were already there, waiting for me when I’d sent word to them I was close.
I held it up with a shaky hand as I approached them both. “I—I think I have it.”
Hawk took the sack from me and opened the flap before he pulled out the box.
My mother was silent and pale, her hands folded at her chin like she was afraid to get too excited.
Hawk removed the lid and examined the contents, turning it to catch the light and watching it reflect the sunshine in flashes. “This has to be it.”
“How do we administer it?” Mom asked. “We can’t cut off a piece and insert it into his wound. He’ll just bleed more.”
Khazmuda joined us, streaking across the sky before he came in for a landing beside Zehemoth. He quickly rubbed his cheek against his son’s in an affectionate greeting before he stretched his neck and inserted himself into the conversation. It shines like our mighty scales.
Viper was the only one who stayed outside the conversation, like he considered it a family meeting that didn’t concern him.
“The blades transferred the curse once it came into contact with his blood,” Hawk said. “Maybe it works the same with the platinum.”
“We stab him?” I asked incredulously. “That can’t be right.”
“Then what’s your idea?” he snapped.
“Hey, I’ve been traveling for two weeks to get this, so let’s dim the attitude.”
“Perhaps he’s supposed to ingest it,” Mom said. “Melt it into liquid form.”
Too dangerous.
“Melt it into a liquid, let it cool until it’s almost a solid, and then apply it over the wound.
” Viper approached our congregation and stopped at my side.
“It should seal the wound closed from the outside to stop the bleeding, and hopefully, infuse whatever properties it possesses directly into his tissues.”
Hawk stared at Viper as he considered the idea then looked back at the block in his hand.
“I think that’s worth a try,” I said. “Makes the most sense.”
“It’ll burn and scar his skin,” Mom said.