51. Aryn #2
I nod, already sweating under my layers.
We take a step forward to make room for the others, and he squeezes my hand before we start shedding clothes.
Taryn steps through with a relieved smile, then Lillith follows right behind her.
One by one, the rest of the crew follows.
Ailynor emerges in the middle, her eyes wide as she takes in the new world.
Her tails lash as the heat slams into her.
She hisses, clearly uncomfortable, and immediately starts removing her heavier outer layers.
Her guards do the same, muttering in surprise at the sudden change in temperature.
Ailynor turns toward the rift, staring as it slowly closes behind us. Her expression is unreadable, but there’s a flicker of something there—awe, perhaps, or unease—as the shimmering doorway seals shut. She stares for a long moment before nodding decisively and snapping her guards to attention.
They pass the newly tailored lightweight clothing to everyone. There’s no ceremony as we shed clothes and step into fresh ones, though Ailynor’s guards turn away and form a respectful wall while she dresses.
“I feel so fancy,” Lillith whispers to Taryn as she admires the thin woven fabric.
Cameron plants his hands on his hips and spins. “Honestly? Me too. Where’s my cloak?”
“You don’t need a cloak, mo’sziv,” Ronan says, fighting a grin. “It’ll just get dirty.”
Ailynor steps out from behind her guards wearing her matching white shirt and thin, flowing pants, with her hair pulled back into a braid. “It is always this hot?”
“This is actually the start of the cooler months,” Ronan explains with a grimace. “It’s… pretty mild.”
Ailynor’s eyes go wide as she glances around at the arid surroundings. “How do you survive?”
“It’s not all so… dead,” Cameron answers, though it sounds more like a question and does little to convince her of anything.
I slide the leather band off my wrist and pull my hair back. “Our village is much more lush.”
“And speaking of the village,” Cato says, nodding toward the trees before looking around at the group with a grimace. “How are we going to get there? The van Sovran left behind won’t hold this many bodies.”
We move into the woods, thankful for the shade. The air is thick with the scent of earth and pine, so different from the floral smell of Elyra.
The van is exactly where Sovran said it would be, hidden among the greenery. Ailynor stops dead when she sees it. Her tails go rigid, and she stares at the vehicle with open suspicion.
“What is this beast?” she demands, circling it slowly while her guards stay tense behind her. “And why does it sleep?”
Cameron grins, leaning against the side. “It’s called a van. A vehicle.”
“Vee-hick-el?” she repeats, perplexed, as she jabs the metal and then rips her hand back as though she expects it to bite.
“The humans have technology far beyond what’s in Elyra,” I explain. “It isn’t a living thing. It runs on fuel, much like the fluid used in your lanterns. There are parts inside that turn the wheels.”
Ailynor’s eyes narrow. “And you trust this… thing… this van, to carry you?”
Ronan steps forward to open the door, inviting Ailynor to peek inside. “It’s safe, and much faster than riding. Here, watch.”
He sits and cranks the ignition. She jumps back with a hiss before creeping forward to touch the hood, then yanks her hand back again when she feels the engine running underneath.
“It is alive, and purring. This is unnatural.”
Rhael looks equally fascinated and wary. “This is… remarkable. But how does it know where to go?”
We spend the next several minutes trying to explain cars, engines, and driving while Ailynor and her guards listen with growing skepticism.
She’s particularly confused about how something can move on its own without magic or beasts to pull it.
As we’re figuring out how to fit everyone inside, tires approach in the field.
“Hide,” Cato orders.
We duck into the trees. Ailynor’s guards draw their weapons, but she holds up a hand, watching warily as another large van approaches. The door opens, and Sovran steps out, calm as ever.
“It’s alright,” I say as I step out into the clearing. “He’s a friend.”
Sovran scans our group, assessing us for injuries before turning his attention to the new faces. “I saw your return, and your”—he glances at the van—“predicament. I came to help.”
Ailynor’s eyes narrow. “You are the seer?”
His chin dips in a solemn nod. “And you are the rebel queen.”
“And Ronan’s mom,” Cameron drawls as he steps forward with his arms crossed. “Kinda forgot to mention that little tidbit in your debrief.”
A flicker of surprise crosses Sovran’s face before he smooths it out. “As I have explained, my sight does not show me everything. It only gives me glimpses.”
“And you didn’t glimpse that piece of information?”
“I did not,” Sovran confirms. “Only that it was important for Ronan and Aryn to go.” His eyes dart to me, head tilting while he waits for me to answer the question he never asked.
My throat dips in a rough swallow. “My son… Brihn. He lives. He was the reason we got an audience with the Vaelor.”
“And the reason we’re still alive,” Cato mutters.
“And that,” I agree.
Sovran’s eyes drop to Cato’s exposed arm, cataloguing the mark that winds across his skin. My tail drapes over my shoulder lazily, and his gaze shifts to the freckled skin among the red.
“That’s new.”
Cato huffs a quiet laugh. “You’re telling me.”
Ailynor steps closer, examining Sovran with intense calm. “If you are this seer, you are the reason the worlds are dying.”
Sovran doesn’t flinch. “Yes.”
“If you could not see the danger in your actions, how can we trust you now? Dividing our worlds is what now kills them. Maybe your prophecy will be the final straw before they both collapse.”
“I made many mistakes,” Sovran admits, “and I have paid the price. I did what was necessary. The veil had to close to give us time. Now it must open again.”
The skepticism from Ailynor and her people is palpable. If there was any question about her formidability as a leader, it disappears as we watch her question him. Her posture is regal in a combative way, chin tilted the same way as Ronan’s when he’s convinced his way is the best one.
She demands answers about his involvement in the destruction, his meddling in the Fates’ plans, his motives, and whether he can be trusted. Zadeus’s name is wielded like a weapon that Sovran has no defense against, but when dust appears on the horizon, I realize the interrogation needs to wait.
“Please,” I interrupt, stepping between them and glancing back and forth. Gold eyes meet mine on one side, deep brown on the other. “I understand this is important, Vaelor. I do. But there is a time and a place for this conversation, and that is when we are safe.”
Ailynor flashes her fangs at me for daring to interrupt, but when the logic of my words lands, she reluctantly takes a step back and glances at Ronan. “We can trust him?”
“We can,” he answers without hesitation.
“Sovran saved my life,” Cato adds. “More than once.”
The tension is thick as she thinks for a few moments longer, but finally, she nods. “We will go to your home, then.”
Relief loosens my shoulders a notch as we split the group between the two vehicles. Ailynor’s guards insist on riding with her, as does her general, Baelith. They load into one van with Ronan and Cameron.
The rest of us climb into the second vehicle. Sovran sighs to himself in a sound more exhausted than I’ve ever heard from him, but he pushes it aside when he catches Rhael’s curious face. He gawks at the dashboard and front seat, watching the dials and peering through the glass.
Sovran offers him a small smile. “Would you like to join me up here where you can see everything?”
“Oh, could I?” he breathes, eyes enormous.
Sovran gestures toward the seat. “Please. I’d be glad to have the company.”
Rhael asks a dozen rapid-fire questions that Sovran is happy to answer, and their voices fade into the background as Cato leans against my shoulder with a heavy sigh.
“We made it,” he murmurs.
I glance down at those gorgeous, exhausted eyes. “We did.”
“What do you think will happen from here?” he asks softly.
“First order of business? A shower.”
“Gods, yes,” he groans. “And an entire day in bed.”
“Now, that’s something I could get behind,” I murmur as I nip his ear.
He gasps and tries to wiggle away. “Troublemaker.”
“Me?” I ask innocently. “You’re the troublemaker. I’m perfectly respectable.”
Cato leans into me, putting his lips against my ear. “Do I need to remind you who dragged who into that alley?”
My smile spreads as I hug him tighter. “I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re implying.”
He snickers again, resting on my shoulder and closing his eyes. “Think we can make Sprocket move in with Sakane and Ego?”
“Why’s that? Are you not sick of me yet?”
“Just a little,” he says through a wide yawn. “I’ll get over it, eventually.”
“Anything I can do to speed that process up?”
Eyes closed, he grins widely. “I can think of a thing or two.”
“Too bad we don’t have privacy to do them in.”
Cato huffs and nuzzles closer. “Which leads us right back to my request. That’s your first task when we get back. Convince the lot of them to be roommates so I can have you all to myself.”
I press another kiss to his forehead. “That’s a plan I can get behind, kitten.”