55. Chapter 55
Chapter 55
Emma
T he potion never left her person. Anytime she set it down, her lungs would constrict until her breaths grew shallow, and her heart would race until she picked it back up. She wasn’t sure if it was some sign from the universe that she should keep it with her, or just a deep fear that she’d need the potion and not have it. That she’d let everyone down; be the reason they failed. It rattled her enough to make sure it was in her pocket at all times, checking and double-checking every few minutes to a degree that was almost obsessive.
Days had passed since Lea, Gray, and the others had set out on their journey, and Emma felt absolutely useless. There was nothing she could do but wait—a task that was not her strong suit—but she had no choice.
Thomas had kept his word, staying busy making weapon after weapon, reinforcing existing ones with new magic. He worked himself to the bone daily, his effort even greater than when it had been eternal night. Emma knew the waiting was weighing on him as well, but still, he stayed. For her , and it made her feel warm from her toes to her nose every time she thought about it.
She finished making his lunch—not anything fancy like her mother would have made— a hearty sandwich with thick-cut ham and fresh cheese—and went outside to find him, certain that, just like every other day, he was forgetting to eat, so engrossed in whatever he was working on that even his rumbling stomach didn’t remind him of his need for strength or sustenance.
Just as Emma had suspected, she spotted him sitting beneath the tree he’d taken to working under, leaning against its thick, scaly bark, hoping for a stray breeze to provide relief from the heat. His brow was furrowed, his gaze locked on a bow and quiver full of arrows in his hands. Emma examined the pile of weapons next to him as she approached—at least a dozen—and a pang of worry settled behind her sternum.
"Hey," she said as she drew near, not wanting to startle him.
As soon as he saw her, Emma felt an odd sensation roll off him in waves, a feeling that both scared and fascinated her. It felt like snuggling beneath a blanket by a warm fire, with your favorite book in hand and a cup of honeyed tea—soothing and familiar. And remarkably close to love.
Thomas set down the bow and arrow as Emma plopped down beside him, handing him the plate.
"It’s not lunchtime yet, is it?" Thomas asked. Right on cue, his stomach growled, and Emma pinned him with a look.
"It’s almost dinner, actually."
Thomas grinned, picking up his sandwich. "You don’t have to make these for me."
"I know. I like it, though. My mom always made me special food when I was tired or having a hard day. Though I can’t make anything nearly as good as her sandwiches and soups—"
"It’s perfect. Absolutely delicious," Thomas said through a mouthful of food. "Come here," he added, wrapping an arm around her, still holding his sandwich in the other hand. She snuggled into the crook of his shoulder as they leaned back against the tree, looking up at the sky.
"Are you holding up okay?" he asked .
"I worry about everyone. And I miss them, of course. But I do think this is where I’m supposed to be."
"So do I," Thomas said, resting his cheek on her head, the feeling of his jaw bunching and relaxing as he chewed tickling her scalp.
A flush crept up Emma’s face, but she didn’t pull away. She was getting used to Thomas’s affectionate words and his physical touch, craving it even.
"A few more days," Thomas said. "They should find Alaric soon, and then we can put all of this behind us. We can move forward."
Emma squinted as the sky darkened on the horizon, enormous storm clouds drifting above the trees.
"Thomas, what’s—"
A bolt of lightning crashed into the ground just outside the castle walls, followed by the sound of fat raindrops hitting the dirt.
"It’s raining!" He sat up, his eyes wide and a smile spreading across his face as he held out an open palm toward the sky. "Thank the gods. Let’s go inside before it ruins the weapons. I don’t want them to rust."
They scrambled to their feet, gathering as many of the weapons as they could hold before sprinting toward the castle. The breeze blowing off the storm kissed Emma’s cheeks, cooling the sweat dripping down her neck, and she sighed in relief. A storm would be glorious, and Emma considered dropping the swords and daggers inside and returning to stand in the rain, her arms outstretched and her face toward the sky. She imagined the water hitting her skin, washing away the sweat, dirt, and grime that seemed so permanent these days.
"We’ll come back out, I promise," Thomas said, as if sensing her thoughts.
Emma smiled, following him up the stairs. Rain. She couldn’t believe it. Did this mean the sun god had forgiven Lea? That this reprieve was his way of saying he hoped they succeeded ?
They reached the top of the steps, but Emma stumbled backward, throwing her arms in the air as a hawk swept down in front of the doorway. She shrieked, teetering dangerously backward on the edge of the step. The weapons crashed to the ground as she reached her arms out, trying to regain her balance, but Thomas caught her before she could fall, his own weapons clanging against the stone steps.
Emma’s heart pounded as he pulled her close, the bird soaring away as if it hadn’t just tried to break Emma’s neck.
"What the hell was that about?" he muttered.
But Emma didn’t answer. Couldn’t answer. She was too focused on the scroll at her feet, about six inches long and dotted with raindrops. There was no seal, no bow or writing to indicate who it was for or who had sent it, but she was certain it hadn’t been there before.
With a shaking hand, Emma reached down to pick it up.
"Is it a message?"
“I think so,” she said, unrolling the scroll.
Thomas,
Lea has told me her plan. She assures me that it will work, but I fear she isn’t being forthright with me. Call it a father’s intuition. I write to you in hopes that you can pass this message to Evangeline. Lea has promised me her success has already been seen by her birth-mother. That it is already foretold. Please, ask Evangeline if Lea is telling the truth. I need to know if, by helping her, I am giving her a chance to defeat Alaric, or sending her to her death.
All I want is to protect my daughter.
Henry .
Emma’s hand came up to cover her mouth as she passed the note to Thomas, her mind racing too fast to allow her to speak the words out loud. She knew Lea had been up to something, hiding her true intentions, but Emma had hoped it’d simply been to throw Eudora off. They’d all avoided talking about their plans and their thoughts regarding what they should do and when they should do it, so as to keep the possibilities open in Eudora’s visions. But now, knowing Lea had asked for Henry’s help, her plan was clear.
Lea had divided them on purpose, choosing to bring Henry to freeze time so she could get away—alone. Lea was planning to battle Alaric by herself, and she was willing to give up her life to do so.
"Oh, Lea," Thomas rasped, his voice heavy with emotion, waves of anger, terror, and frustration radiating off him. "We have to follow her. We have to bring the army. What if he brought his soldiers with him? What if this was his plan all along? Does she think she can take on a battalion of thousands?"
Emma’s mind continued to spin. She didn’t know what Lea was thinking, but she did know someone who might. Grabbing Thomas’s hand, she snatched the letter from him and ran through the corridors, up the stairs, down the long hallway, past the red tapestry andstraight to Evangeline’s room. She didn’t knock or announce herself, bursting through the door so hard it slammed against the wall with a crack.
"Lea needs our help," Emma said, out of breath. She leaned against the wall, reciting the letter to Evangeline.
The witch’s mouth pinched as she turned away, not saying a word, placing a hand on her chest.
"You knew," Emma breathed, her heart dropping into her stomach. "She’s going to sacrifice herself, isn’t she? She’s going in there alone so no one else gets hurt."
"Dammit, Lea," Thomas muttered, starting to pace.
Evangeline held up her hands. "Lea’s plan can work. I have seen it. There’s a reason she’s kept it a secret from you all. The goddess told her she has to be the one to kill him. She’s the only one who can. Gray can’t do anything other than distract her. And Eudora is watching you. You know this. She couldn’t tell anyone. Not unless she wanted the future to solidify and alert Eudora and Alaric."
"But how can she take that much magic? She’s never taken more than enough to light a candle," Emma asked.
"With my help," Evangeline replied. She closed her eyes and waved her hand in the air, muttering something incomprehensible. Within seconds, a shimmering blue door appeared, like water rippling down a brook.
"A portal," Emma breathed.
Evangeline nodded. "I can hold back death. That is my gift. I’m to meet her when she calls for me. I can give her the time she needs to take Alaric’s magic, and end his life.”
Thomas was still pacing, ten long, sharp strides each way, his hands fidgeting. "You’re a witch, right? Witches can take magic too, can’t they?" Thomas asked.
“I’m a witch, in that I hold magic of the witches. But it is not who I am. I can’t take magic any more than you can. I’ve tried.”
“So Henry’s right, then? This will kill Lea? You said you can hold death back, give her time. But you can’t keep it away forever.”
Evangeline nodded. "I’ve asked her to funnel his magic into me. To allow me to pay the price.”
Emma’s breath whooshed from her lungs. What she was offering her daughter… it was unthinkable. And yet, Emma knew without a doubt that Elise would do the same for her.
Thomas stopped his pacing. “What? You… Even if that was a viable solution, Lea would never do it.”
"I’ve seen her alive. She must be at least considering it. I will convince her when it’s time. I’m confident I can."
Thomas shook his head. "There has to be another way. And even if we find it, Alaric still has an entire army at his disposal. And who knows how many more from the villages he’s recruited. Men and women willing to join him to save their families’ lives. You two could be walking into a trap to be slaughtered."
Evangeline smiled, and Emma froze as she sensed a wave of relief washing off of her. "All of this… it was your plan, wasn’t it? You knew we’d come? You saw it?"
Evangeline nodded. "To speak it aloud was to risk the fates changing. But yes, I knew you would come. I’ve seen Lea live. I’ve seen all of you live, but you’re right. We must bring our army. In every vision we succeed, our soldiers are with us. I’ve been working on this portal for some time, knowing we would need it. It’s capable of allowing them through," Evangeline explained.
"I’ll gather them now," Thomas said, determination pounding off his skin and against Emma’s. A plan of action. That was what he needed to calm the absolute terror he’d been feeling moments ago.
"No. Not until Lea is there. The army will need to be behind her, so they don’t alert Alaric. But it will be soon, I think." Evangeline closed the portal with a wave of her hand. "Ready our army, and meet me outside. Emma, do you have the potion?"
She nodded, her hand going subconsciously to her pocket.
"Keep it with you. If we are to fail..." Evangeline swallowed. "If for some reason Lea doesn’t survive taking his magic, she still has to be the one to kill him. We need you tethered to the other side to allow her to make that blow. "
Emma’s voice felt far away as she whispered a quiet, “Okay,” her body suddenly numb. Was she in shock that it was actually time? That she was so close to once again taking the potion that had almost ended her life before?
She pushed a shaking hand into her pocket, her fingers touching the cool glass of the potion. She would take the potion, had decided that long ago, but as she squeezed the vial tightly in her fist, she sent up a prayer to the goddess that Lea wouldn’t fail, and that she could kill Alaric before anyone she loved would need to use its power.