41. Raea
Raea
I knock on Aolyn’s door, even though Kamden said she isn’t talking to anyone right now. “A, open up. It’s me.”
I wait a few more moments before the door finally clicks open.
She doesn’t say anything—only turns and retreats to her bed.
I step inside, taking in the room. The spaces here are still breathtaking.
Maybe it’s my Elven heritage connecting with the land, but the way these rooms are carved into the cave makes them feel…
safe. Warm. Like nothing can reach us here.
There are a few scattered candles lit throughout the room, and enough light to see that she’s been crying. Wordlessly, I crawl into bed beside her and pull her close. Aolyn doesn’t fight it. She folds into me like she’s been holding herself together by sheer force of will.
“I don’t think you’re a traitor,” I murmur. “I think you were put in an impossible place—and you chose what you could live with.”
Her breath stutters. “I didn’t know Morana was your twin. I never saw her face. She was always cloaked.”
My chest tightens at the memory she’s not saying aloud. Morana’s presence was completely unexpected. Honestly, I still haven’t had time to process it. I thought every time I saw her, it was a dream.
“I believe you,” I say.
Ciara slips in quietly a moment later, all sharp edges yet softness beneath. She takes one look at Aolyn and crawls onto the bed. “What are we panicking about?”
Aolyn hiccups as she says, “The awakening.”
Both of them wait on me. I tug at the linen bedding and pull it higher. I’ve been thinking about it all day. Ryker and I will need to go through it, and if it works, what does that mean for us long-term? Will our families be able to go through it? Will we outlive all we’ve ever known?
My mind drifts to our professors, our staff, and the different members of our courts. They’re all still human. I know Brynna said it’s never been done before like this, but I can’t help but think that it has to work.
“The awakening restores our bloodlines,” I say, keeping my eyes trained on the fabric.
“Remember how our ancestors forfeited their immortal lifespans to power the Veil?” They nod.
“Well, by restoring your bloodline, you will become Elven or Fae once more, and I learned today that they’re thousands of cycles old. ”
Ciara snorts. “What’s a cycle?”
I shake my head with a smile. “That’s what you took from that?”
Aolyn giggles, relaxing me. I hate that she’s been so sad. “What if we aren’t either and we’re just human?”
It’s my turn to shrug. “I don’t think you are. The Lumos Bond worked because it connected with our blood. Your brother has a Bond, and you felt one, so that means you have magic.”
She shudders as Ciara asks, “So if we do the awakening, we live for thousands of years, get our choice of a partner, and we get magic?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes,” I respond, drawing out the word. “I guess in simple terms that’s the gist.”
Aolyn and Ciara look at me, the weight of a thousand lifetimes hanging between us.
“I’ll do it,” Ciara says.
Aolyn nods, her fear finally replaced by a grim resolve.
“I’ve heard the voices in the wind, Raea.
I’ve felt the death in the air. If this is the only way to fight back against what my father helped unleash, then I’m in.
I was ready to hide away until it was time to leave, but then I saw her commanding the shadows. ”
The hair on my body rises, and for the first time since we arrived in Auralan, I feel my magic stir.
It’s been a weird sensation. At home, we were always tapped into Sgya and the Veil.
When it disappeared, I could still feel Sgya.
But here, it’s different. I feel the magic all around me, like a living, breathing thing, but I’m not connected to it. I can sense it, but can’t reach it.
My body hums, and a moment later, there’s another knock.
I already know it’s Ryker from the way the iridescent waves that only we can see float between the space.
I jump out of the bed and open it before turning back to Aolyn and Ciara.
“I love you both, I hope you know that.” They nod.
“And I want to say thank you. For coming with us, for trusting us. I know this isn’t what any of us imagined, and yet, you guys have been here.
I can’t imagine having to do it without you. ”
Ciara wraps an arm around Aolyn as she responds, “We’re stuck together. All of us. I don’t think any of us would have it any other way. You are my family, Raea.”
My eyes water as I think about our group. We’ve all found a family in each other, and for better or worse, we’re in this together. I groan as I tilt my head back, fanning my eyes.
“See you tomorrow,” I say softly before shutting the door.
Ryker doesn’t say anything as he wraps me in his arms, kissing the top of my head. “Ready?”
Riven caught us on the way out and pointed us down a path that took us away from the warrior encampment. They’ll be stationed there for a little while longer to make sure we’re safe. Now Ryker and I are walking hand in hand down a dark sand beach with streams of water coming from the forest.
The streams shimmer like teal glitter, pulsing through the dark sand. It’s nothing like the dead weight of shadow Morana poured over the beaches of Malaya. This magic feels alive—aware. Not something that devours, but something that waits, patient, even as I stand beyond its reach.
Ryker bends down, running his fingers through the water and plucking a shimmering shell that he tucks into his pocket. I love that he collects shells for Clara wherever he is. She undoubtedly has the largest collection of shells in the galaxy.
I find a dryish spot in the sand and sit, leaning back so I can look at the night sky. I can’t make out any planets or constellations I'm familiar with. I wonder if our system is somewhere up there. It would look like a cluster of stars with our seven suns so close together.
Ryker sits behind me, pulling me back until I'm settled between his outstretched legs. “Is Aolyn okay?” he asks as I lean into him. I nod. “I spoke with the guys. Trysten wants to train with us. Tate is already making jokes. Kamden seems unsure, but said at this point, he’s willing to do whatever to keep his family safe. Kellan…” He sighs. “You might have to talk to him.”
I glance over my shoulder. “I’ll talk to him. He’s not a big fan of change.”
Ryker’s laugh reverberates through me. “I’m sure he’ll do it, but he won’t like it.”
“Do any of us?”
“No.”
I can’t help but smile. “But thousands of lifetimes with you isn’t a bad trade-off.”
Ryker tilts his head back and laughs, the sound carrying out over the quiet roar of the ocean. It’s lighter than I’ve heard in days. “Good to know, Princess.” He runs a hand through his hair, his chest still bobbing with laughter. “I’ll hold you to every one of those thousand lifetimes.”
We fall into an easy silence after that—the kind that doesn’t demand anything, where the world feels far away, and our Bond wraps softly around us.
The tide creeps closer, the air cooling as the night deepens, and Ryker adjusts without thinking, pulling me tighter, his warmth anchoring me as sleep tugs at the edges of my mind.
When he lifts me into his arms, I barely register it. “Let’s get to bed, love.”
The world fades before I can answer.
I drift instead—floating on a familiar sea. The water is warm, impossibly gentle, holding me without effort. Above me, the sky stretches wide and endless, painted in unfamiliar stars that don’t frighten me the way they should.
Ryker is there. I don’t see him at first—I feel him, the steady presence beside me, the calm certainty that I am not alone. When he appears, it’s seamless, as if he’s always been part of this place.
We float together, side by side, the water rising and falling beneath us like a shared breath. There is no war here. No prophecy. No fear. Only warmth. And us.
Safe—for now.