Brir (Wanderers Between Worlds #2)

Chapter 18.2

His voice cracked with fear and desperation as he clutched at his hair. “I-I don’t know… I was just hired to help…” Tears streamed down his face. “The boss said this thing was worth a fortune… He planned to sell it.” The fear in his eyes deepened, and the trembling of his remaining arm increased.

“I… I was just following orders,” he whined.

“Whose orders?” My voice was cold, hard as ice.

“It’s a secret… underground market,” he choked out, his voice barely above a whisper now. “They pay handsomely for creatures like the one the guy had.”

The white-hot anger coursed through me, making every inch of me tingle with anticipation of punishment. This man deserved whatever he got.

“The woman,” I barked. “What did she look like?”

His eyes welled with tears as he stammered, “I-I didn’t see her. She had silver hair, maybe… all I saw was the boss’s head rolling on the ground.” His hand shook as he tried to wipe away his tears. “I tried to run, but that horse. That thing… it chased me. Bit my arm off. Please, man, you got to help me.” His eyes pleaded for mercy as he cradled his bleeding stump.

His desperate pleas fell on deaf ears as my thoughts raced. Silver hair… that could only be… my heart pounded in my chest as I tried to push away the possibility. I was not getting my hopes up.

“Where did the woman go?” I demanded, my voice rough. Hope was gnawing at me with sharp, relentless teeth. If he had seen the elusive silver-haired woman, then maybe…

“I… I don’t know!” he cried, sobbing uncontrollably. “She just disappeared after she killed the boss. Please… please help me…”

I stood over the man and yelled, “Where is the man who was with the Rizuga that you shot!” My fingers tightened around his shirt collar as I shook him, desperate for answers. His eyes widened in fear as he stuttered out a response.

Tears streamed down his face, mingling with the sweat and blood on his cheeks. His voice broke as he sobbed, “I… I didn’t see anyone else… just the boss man… he was the one doing all the talking.” His body trembled violently. “And that man the creature was carrying… The boss was going to play with him.” That last comment had my stomach sinking. I could guess what playing with him meant.

My voice shook with fury. “What did you do to him?” My whole being was consumed by rage.

“I don’t know!” the man screamed back, his eyes wide with fear. “I didn’t touch him.”

Without hesitation, I dropped him to the ground and snatched my Kitous from its place on the earth. With a primal roar, I slammed it toward the man’s throat, ready to exact revenge for whatever harm he may have caused my Keala.

He flinched, and his eyes went wide. “Wait, wait! I remember something!” I stopped my blade inches from his throat. His hand reached up tentatively, trying to push the blade away. I kept it right where it was. Eyes narrowed. Waiting. “The girl…” He paused, struggling to recall. “She mentioned a place… said that he smelled like death.” I froze, my Kitous hovering inches from his face. “She was talking to those damn things,” he continued, fear strangling his voice. The pitch increased as his genuine fear of what he witnessed poured out. “And they… they talked back. Those fucking things, they can talk. She talked to them.”

“What did they fucking say!” I screamed, looking down my Kitous at him. “Where is he?”

“I think she took him!” he cried back before a sob racked his pitiful body.

“Are you sure?” I glared at the man, my eyes narrowing as I searched his face for any signs of deception. It sounded like Arya. She would have taken Soren with her to the city.

The man’s breath came out in short, panicked gasps as he pleaded for his life. His eyes shifted between my stern expression and the glinting blade of my Kitous, making it clear that he was truly terrified. “I swear on my mother’s grave,” he pleaded, his voice shaking with fear. “The girl… she was furious… she said he smelled like death. I pretended to be dead, but I saw her lift him onto that creature. Please.” His voice cracked with emotion as he begged for mercy.

I stood up, staring at the man as he gasped for breath. I had no reason to believe or trust him, yet his terror seemed genuine. Pharia was west, and the tracks also went west.

The thought of Roman and Soren in the hands of men like these made every nerve scream with rage. These human savages knew nothing about Rizugae. They were rare, magnificent creatures—mythical to most of this world—and they only saw them as a walking fortune.

“Please… please help me,” the man whimpered again, interrupting my thoughts. His remaining hand stretched out towards me. But I had no sympathy left for him.

I stared at him, disgusted by his pleas. This man, one who aided in the capture of a creature he knew nothing about, was now begging for help. There was no sympathy in me for his kind.

“You knew what you were getting yourself into when you accepted the job. You chose greed over morals.”

“I didn’t know!” he cried again, his face pale with terror and blood loss. “Please, I don’t want to die.”

I pulled my foot off his chest and stepped back, staring at the pitiful sight before me. I looked down at my Kitous, the blade glinting ominously under the setting sun. I thrust it down into the man’s neck. His blood sprayed across the ground when I pulled it back.

His eyes were wide, and his mouth moved as if he had something more to say, but all that came out was a gurgling sound.

The man writhed on the ground, a pained gurgle escaping his lips as he clawed at his neck. His body jerked spasmodically before finally falling limp, his lifeless eyes staring up at me. There was no guilt in my heart. Only a cold satisfaction that justice, however brutal, had been served.

With a final, disdainful look at the corpse beneath me, I turned away, walked back towards Emily, and moved back to the truck. The front of the vehicle looked crushed. I moved around the door, and Emily’s eyes looked up at me and then at the blood that coated the blade of my Kitous.

“They hurt Roman.”

I couldn’t help but sigh, knowing she had heard everything.

My heart sunk in my chest as the realization that Roman, and probably Soren, had been hurt by these men sunk in. Emily’s eyes were wide with fear and confusion, mirroring my feelings.

“I think Arya found them,” I said, more to convince myself than her. Then I forced a small smile onto my face and squeezed her hand. It was a false cheerfulness, but it was all I had to offer. “If so, they are probably in New Pharia.”

I took up the backpack again and helped her into it. “Close your eyes,” I commanded her. She did as she was told, and I helped her onto my back.

She wrapped her hands around my shoulders, face pressed into the scales of my neck as I tightened the straps so she was secure before I started moving away from the bodies that lay around us.

“Hold on now. I’m going to start running.” I felt her nod against my neck, and my feet propelled us forward. “Keep your eyes closed till we are farther away.” I knew she had probably seen worse than what was out there in this field, but I didn’t want her to see it again.

???

Emily was snacking on a granola bar when I turned a corner, and the shimmering shield of New Pharia came into view. Arya’s blood had formed the barrier, which could be seen a few miles away. She had almost died building it. She had walked the perimeter for days, letting her blood fall on its borders before she stood in the city center and raised the shield around us.

As I approached, I could see the familiar glow of the shield, sparking memories of Arya’s near-death. Her sacrifice had been significant, a testament to her will. Her love for her people. It was a sight that always filled me with awe and respect. Arya might be reckless at times, but she had a heart that burned with the intensity of a thousand suns. Her courage was undeniable.

The sight of Pharia city brought back a wave of nostalgia. The image of Arya painstakingly walking along its borders, sacrificing her blood to create this impenetrable fortress that protected the people of this city, was yet another harsh reminder of what was at stake here. If Soren and Roman were here alive, we’d owe their safety to Arya.

I felt Emily shift on my back, pulling me out of my memories as she realized where we were. “Arya’s city,” she whispered, her voice filled with awe and sadness.

“Yes,” I replied simply. It was the largest shield I have ever seen her raise. It was also the only time I had seen her magic try to cannibalize her own body to keep fueling itself, pieces of her flesh tearing away to be used to fuel her magic. I had thought she was going to die that day.

Emily’s grip tightened around my shoulders as we approached the border of New Pharia—the thought of entering the city where Soren and Roman might be sent shivers down my spine. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself under the weight of this mission.

“We’re almost there,” I whispered.

“It’s huge,” Emily said, looking in awe at the shimmering field.

“It is. A military patrol camped out front the last time I was here, so we are going in over there.” I pointed to a waterway that we used when we needed to get into the city when it wasn’t safe to use the highway.

I made my way over to the waterway and carefully climbed down into the canal. Sliding a little, I used my tail to keep my balance as I shuffled us to the bottom. It was dry right now, but I knew it would be flooded in a few weeks when the rains came.

I moved farther into the tunnel.

The encompassing darkness swallowed up the light, and the only sound was the echo of steady footfalls against the dry canal bed. Emily squeezed my shoulder, her small form shivering slightly, but she made no complaint.

She clung to my back, her small frame trembling slightly against mine. I could sense her fear and anxiety rolling off her in waves. It was a feeling I could relate to all too well. We were stepping into enemy territory, after all.

We moved deeper into the tunnel, my footsteps echoing in the deathly silence. Every sound—every screech of a rat, every drop of condensation falling from the ceiling—made me jolt, ready for a fight. But all was well.

As we traveled deeper, the echo of our movements grew less pronounced, and soon, it felt like we were moving through a void, a tunnel so dark and deep that it swallowed all sound and all light.

“Can you see in here?” Emily asked when the darkness finally surrounded us. “I can’t see anything.”

My hand traced the damp walls of the tunnel, a familiar sensation that had become comforting. It was a strange feeling. For the first time, something other than anger filled me as I made my way to Pharia.

“Yes,” I started to explain and distract her from the darkness we were moving through, “Our world is much different from this one.”

“Different, how?” She laid her head back on my shoulder. I could feel her breath ghosting across the scales of my neck.

“It’s darker. We have fewer hours of light than this planet.

“But we don’t need much light,” I added, my voice bouncing off the tunnel walls. “Our eyes are adapted to the darkness. It’s how we hunt, fight, and survive.”

“Oh,” Emily murmured into my ear, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “That sounds scary.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle dryly at her words, the sound echoing through the pitch-black tunnel. “It can be,” I admitted. “But it’s also beautiful. There is a certain… tranquility to it. A peace that you will never experience in the harsh glare of daylight. And our light is different,” I continued, “more like a constant twilight than full daylight. We’ve evolved to see better in the dark.”

We fell into silence again as I navigated us through the winding tunnels.

Emily was silent for a while, then asked, “Is it pretty?”

I paused. It had been so long since I had seen my home that the memory was starting to fade. “It’s different,” I finally said. “We have bioluminescent plants and animals. They light up our world in a way you can barely imagine.”

In the tunnel’s darkness, I felt Emily’s grip tighten around my neck, her breath hitching slightly. “That sounds magical,” she murmured.

“It is,” I agreed, longing for a place I wasn’t sure I would ever get to see again. But there was no time for homesickness now. We needed to get through this tunnel and find Roman and Soren, but talking to Emily was helping ease some of my anxiety. “One of the people on Arya’s team brought a few of the plants back. He has been cultivating them.”

“Plants from your world can grow here?” Emily asked.

“Only some,” I replied. “And only with the right care and conditions. Brir has a knack for it.” I took a moment, picturing Brir tending to his garden of alien flora, the soft glow of the bioluminescent plants creating an ethereal landscape. It was a small piece of home right here on this foreign land.

“But everything else, the animals, the landscapes… it’s all very different from here.” My mind drifted back to our towering stone cities, carved intricately into mountainsides, illuminated by the soft glow of luminescent moss. The thought brought a lump in my throat; it felt like another lifetime.

We continued onward through the dark tunnel. Emily was quiet again. I could hear her steady breathing at my back and feel her heartbeat against mine. She was listening to every word I said, absorbing it. Maybe she was picturing my world in her mind, too.

The shimmering shield that protected the city finally came into view. Its boundaries penetrated deep underground. The shield was a sphere that encircled the whole city, even underneath it.

The shield's light threw long, eerie shadows into the tunnel, and I paused at its boundary, gazing up at it in silent reverence. So much of Arya was woven into the very fabric of this shield. It was a beautiful thing, a shining fortress of light and power.

“How will we get through?” Emily asked, eyeing the shield suspiciously.

“It will let me through, and you, since you’re touching me. Arya will mark you herself to allow you to enter independently when possible. We call it carrying her crest.” I reached out a hand and pressed it to the shield. It crackled softly when my skin touched it. Arya’s symbol glowed on the back of my hand before it slipped through the field. I stepped forward, the feeling of ice falling over my scales as I passed through it. I gritted my teeth against the uncomfortable feeling.

Emily gasped softly as we stepped out from the shield’s boundary, her hands reflexively tightening around me. The sensation was peculiar, like stepping through a chilled water wall without being wet. A shiver ran down my spine, and I felt her shaking slightly against me.

Once we were on the other side, I relaxed my clenched jaw, loosening the pressure. A wave of fatigue washed over me, but I pushed it aside. We had reached Pharia.

Emily clung to me tightly as I straightened up and took a moment to look around. “Are you alright?” I asked her. She nodded against my neck, although her hands remained tangled in my shirt.

“Oh my god. That was terrible,” Emily said, shivering against my back. “I never want to do that again.”

“You will not have to,” I chuckled, but my heart was not in it. The closer we got to the city, the more anxious I became. “We are now home.”

???

I made my way slowly through the rest of the tunnel as it came out from the waterway on the city’s edge. Emily got her first view of the city. She gasped, and I felt her lift her head to look at it.

The city of Pharia rose before us, its towering buildings glowing dimly in the twilight. It was beautiful and terrifying simultaneously, a testament to my people’s prowess and ambition.

Emily’s gasps gradually subsided as she took in the sight. “It’s… beautiful,” she murmured.

I nodded, gazing out over the city. I had never called this place home before. The weight of my loss made this place too much, but with Emily, I saw it in a new light. It was the promise of a home for the first time. My jaw tightened. Soren was probably in this place, hurt, alone, and scared.

“Let’s go find him,” Emily whispered as if she could read my mind. Her words were a dull echo, but they jolted me back to reality. I nodded in agreement. My gaze hardened as I led us into the city.

Entering Pharia was like stepping into a different world. The buildings towered above us, their sleek surfaces reflecting the dim light of the sun overhead. Many people had salvaged old solar panels from abandoned houses to power the city.

At this hour, the streets were busy. Several groups of people moved around, and I caught bits and pieces of their conversation. Arya had torn through town on her Lepot towards the medical center.

Emily looked at all the different species walking around as we walked through the streets.

“Why do they all look different?” she asked in my ear.

“What do you mean?” My brow furrowed.

“Some have scales like you, but others have skin, fur, or feathers,” Emily clarified in a hushed whisper. “There’s so much variety. They all look so different. That person has feathers. I thought everyone would look like you.”

“Ah.” Understanding dawned on me. I had never really thought much about it. “Humans have an array of skin, hair, and even eye colors, yes?" She nodded against my shoulder, so I continued. "Each person is unique. No two people have the same features. This is the same with my people. My world. We have different colored scales or skin. Some have feathers instead of hair. These are just our features,” I explained.

“Some have adapted to live in the deep caves,” I continued. “Others in the harsh deserts or high mountains. Each race has unique characteristics, making them better suited to their native habitats. Remember, my world was much larger than yours. Each race developed independently for their needs.”

Emily seemed to contemplate this for a moment. Her grip on my neck loosened slightly, shifting her weight on my back. I could feel her eyes scanning the crowd, taking in each alien being with an intense, comforting curiosity.

Walking deeper into the city, I noticed a group of Fyrians huddled near one of the grand buildings. The Fyrians were one of the oldest races in our world. They were tall, elegant beings with pearlescent skin that glowed under the sun and large, luminous eyes with centuries of wisdom and knowledge.

Emily gasped softly. “They’re beautiful,” she murmured.

“They are,” I agreed, my gaze momentarily lingering on the group before a tuft of bright neon pink hair caught my attention.

“Meta!” I yelled out. He turned and squinted through the dark to look at me, then his eyes widened, and he hurried over to me.

“Merrick,” the fawn-like man called back as he started jogging in my direction.

“He has hooves,” Emily whispered in my ear.

“Petal,” I admonished with a narrow-eyed look. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the other man.

Meta, with his slightly pointed ears, darkened skin, and vibrant hair, bounded towards us with a boisterous energy that seemed to radiate from him. As he neared, Emily gasped softly at his hooves, clicking on the cobblestone streets.

“Merrick!” Meta said my name again, and the relief on his face was easy to see. He skidded to a halt before us. His large, deer-like eyes were wide and filled with shock. “Spirits above,” he breathed. “It’s so good to see you.”

“You too,” I bowed my head a little in acknowledgment. “I’m looking for Arya. Do you know where she is?”

“She’s at the medical center. I just dropped off dinner for them.” The words came out in a rush. “She found a human. Looks like you did, too.”

With that, my feet moved independently, and I sprinted towards the medical center. Emily sucked in a surprised breath.

“Hold on tight,” I warned her as we bolted through the streets.

We raced through the labyrinth of streets, under archways filled with flowering vines, past towering buildings and bustling crowds. Emily clung to me tightly. The wind rushing past us swallowed up her gasps.

The medical center was a small building in the heart of what used to be downtown. Elex ran it with Peter, his human mate.

Its exterior walls were glass, shimmering like mirages under the artificial sunlight and reflecting the city’s vibrant life onto themselves.

As I raced around the corner, I saw Wraith and Tazo standing guard at the entrance.

As I approached the door, Tazo's white and black striped hide came into view, glinting in the sun. Beside him was Roman, her sleek, dark form almost blending into the shadows. My relief was palpable as I called out, causing Emily to startle beside me. Pointing towards the two giant creatures, I jogged over to join them. Stopping in front of Tazo and Roman, Emily tapped my shoulder to get my attention as she told me to put her down.

“Roman,” I sighed as the smaller Rizuga got up on her feet to try to come over to me.

“No, no,” Nidra’s voice called out on Roman’s other side. “Stop moving.”

I saw a hot needle and a wire in her hand. She was stitching the kit’s injury closed.

“Roman, stay,” I commanded, but the smaller Rizuga gave a defiant chirrup. My heart clenched at the sight of her injury. Emily’s small hands clung tighter to my scales.

“Please, put me down,” Emily’s voice trembled as she pleaded with me. Her words broke as she sobbed in relief seeing Roman. Her tears fell onto my bare shoulder. I quickly unhooked the backpack straps that held her against my back and set her down gently on the ground.

Emily’s face was pale, and her body trembled with relief.

“Merrick?” Nidra questioned, her bird-like face twisting in confusion. “What are you doing here?” Her gaze fell to the youngling who had made her way over to Roman and wrapped her arms around the kit’s neck.

“Nidra, where is Arya?” I asked instead, urgency edging my words.

She pointed towards the medical center entrance without a word, quickly returning her attention to Roman, who was starting to wiggle again now that the pain had subsided.

Tazos’s deep rumble passed through his lips as his large body moved in front of the door. His eyes narrowed at me.

“Tazo, move,” I commanded the Rizuga. “My Keala is inside.” I heard Nidra take a surprised breath behind me, but I ignored her. I needed to see that Soren was okay. “I have to go in.” This time, I spoke to Wraith over my shoulder.

His large form hardly moved as he inclined his head in affirmation. Tazo took a step back.

“Go.” His voice was deep and resonating with authority.

I stepped forward before my brain returned and turned back to Emily. She waved me off.

“Go ahead, I’ll be here.” The youngling didn’t want to leave the Rizuga. I could see her eyeing what Nidra was doing, worry etched all over her face.

“Go, Merrick,” Nidra echoed. “I will bring the youngling to you when I am done.”

I didn’t need any more encouragement. Nidra would keep Emily safe. I dashed through the doors, sprinting down the winding halls until I saw Arya pacing the hall.

Her silver hair swung around her body when she turned towards me. She cried out in pure relief, rushing towards me with open arms. “Merrick!” she exclaimed, her composed face crumbling with worry and relief.

“Where is he?” I gasped out, clutching at her arms as if she were my lifeline. Her eyes welled up with tears as she pointed towards a room along the hallway. “This way.” She pulled me along with her. “Elex is with him. He is trying to close his wounds.”

“A Desori stung him,” I tried to tell her.

“I know. I looked into his memories.” She placed her hand on my arm. “Merrick—” she started, but at that moment, Elex walked through the door.

His lizard-like face looked at me. He put up a hand, but I pushed past him.

There he was. Soren. Lying on the medical bed, his chest rising and falling slowly in a steady rhythm that eased my frantic heart. Bruises and cuts marred his pale skin, but his face was peaceful. I rushed to his side, grasping his cold hand, and closed my eyes in relief. He was here. He was alive.

His hand was cold, but life pulsated underneath his skin, a beat that echoed mine. His chest rose and fell. I leaned over him, my fingers brushing hair strands from his forehead.

“Soren,” I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. His name tasted like hope on my tongue, a hope that had been growing fainter with each passing moment until now.

My knees hit the ground as my body collapsed beside his bed. My head bowed over his arm, and I sobbed.

Somewhere behind me, Arya conversed with Elex, their words becoming a background murmur as my entire focus zeroed in on Soren’s face. Despite the cuts and bruises, he looked peaceful—as if he were simply sleeping rather than knocked out by a Desori sting.

His chest rose and fell on its own. Each breath passed chapped lips, but his cheeks were colored.

A soft hand touched my shoulder, pulling me back to the others in the room.

“Merrick.” Arya’s voice reached my ears, softer and more gentle than I had ever heard it.

I looked up at her, her silver hair falling around her face as she offered me a small smile tinged with relief. Elex was standing behind her, his reptilian eyes reflecting the artificial lights of the room. His face was impassive, but I could see the day’s wear hanging heavy on him. Patches of his green scales had darkened, a sign of fatigue in our scale-skinned counterparts.

“Give him time, Merrick. He’s stable now, but he needs to rest.” Arya rested a comforting hand on my trembling shoulder. “And you need to rest as well.”

I shook my head stubbornly, not wanting to leave Soren’s side. But Arya was insistent, using her strength to pull me up and off the cold medical floor carefully.

“I’m not leaving him,” I protested. I would never leave him again. Never again.

Arya gave Elex a look and then a nod. She sat on the edge of Soren’s bed, looking him over.

“Merrick, we need to talk about the shape he’s in.” Elex’s voice was raspy.

I turned to him, my gaze hardening. “He’s alive. That’s all that matters,” I replied, my voice flat.

Elex exchanged a glance with Arya before he continued, “Yes, but his injuries… they’re extensive. It will take time for him to recover fully. He will need constant care and attention.”

I clenched my jaw, turning back to look at Soren’s still form. “I will give him all he needs,” I promised fiercely.

Arya sighed softly, gently touching Soren’s hand on the bed. A strange pang echoed in my chest at the sight—an unfamiliar blend of gratitude and possessiveness.

“Merrick,” she began, her voice slow and deliberate. “Please don’t hate me, Merrick.” She was unable to meet my eyes. I noticed how pale her face was for the first time.

“You saved him.” I could feel tears falling down my face before I could wipe them away. “How could I hate you? You saved him.”

Her gaze finally met mine. Her eyes were filled with uncertainty and fear, emotions I never expected to see in Arya.

“What did you do?” I asked, my heart thudding hard in my chest. A new fear bubbled up to the surface.

“You have to understand that by the time I found him —he was dying, Merrick. I know you know how fast Desori’s venom takes effect. Sending him to me on Roman was a last-ditch effort because he wouldn’t have lived. He probably wouldn’t have lived if I hadn’t been on rounds.”

Her voice wavered as she held my gaze, her unease palpable in the room. The low hum of the medical instruments heightened the suspense in the air.

“I had to…” I started, “I didn’t know what else to do.”

“You did the right thing,” Elex confirmed. “But humans are weak.”

“What are you trying to tell me?” I asked, dread filling me.

“I did what I had to do.” She paused. “He was so close to dying. His heart was stopping. He smelled like rot. There was no way he would have made it here.” She turned her gaze away.

“Arya,” I repeated her name, my heart sinking.

“I gave him my blood, Merrick.” Her eyes drifted back to my face. The world around me seemed to stop. I remained still, paralyzed by the implications of her words. I reeled before finding my balance, clutching at the edge of Soren’s bed.

“Your blood?” I echoed, my voice shaking.

Arya nodded, her eyes wide and fearful. “I-I had no choice, Merrick.” Her voice echoed in the silent room.

“But that’s…” I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence. The act Arya had committed was forbidden by our kind. We would never consume any part of an Ellid since they had been freed a few hundred years ago. It was against our laws.

“I know what it means,” her voice barely a whisper. “I knew the risks, but… it was the only way to save him. He wouldn’t have made it here to a healer without it.”

Her people were known for their extraordinary healing abilities, and their blood held the key. But the idea of transfusing it into a human body was uncharted territory. We had seen how it affected our bodies, but we had no idea what would happen to humans. Some had tried in the past and failed, succumbing to the overwhelming changes within them. It was a dangerous risk.

I struggled to comprehend the enormity of Arya’s confession, my thoughts a whirlwind of fear, doubt, and unbidden hope.

“Do you even know what will happen to him?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.

“We… we’re not entirely sure.” Her words were hesitant. “We know that his body is adapting to the changes brought about by my blood.”

“But… but how will it change him?” I stammered, desperately holding onto Soren’s hand.

Arya looked at Elex before responding. “The genetic alterations caused by our blood are diverse and unpredictable in different species,” she started, choosing her words carefully.

“It could cause physical changes, or it could…” she trailed off, but I knew what she would say.

“It could change him mentally.” My grip tightened on Soren’s hand. “Rewrite how his brain works,” I finished for her. I knew the stories. We all did.

“I’m sorry, Merrick,” she said again, her voice shaky. “I didn’t know what else to do. It was his only chance.”

I stared at her, my mind reeling from the implications of what she’d done. It was an act of desperation. It was a crime in the eyes of our people and yet a sacrificial deed that might have saved Soren’s life.

My heart raced as I stood over Soren’s lifeless body. Anger, guilt, and love swirled within me as I knelt down and gently brushed his hair out of his face. His lips were slightly tinted with pink, but the rest of his skin was unnaturally white. Almost lifeless. It was clear that he was barely hanging on. My hands trembled as I reached out to touch his cheek, feeling the coolness of his skin against my warm palm. “You risked everything for my Keala. If people discover what you’ve done, they could remove your status as Chihito. You broke the law for him, Arya. This is forbidden,” I whispered, my voice shaking with emotion.

Arya’s light purple eyes darted back and forth between the ground and me, her brows furrowed. Arya nodded, her beautiful face etched with guilt and worry. “I did.” Her voice was laced with guilt. She touched my arm but hesitated, unsure if I wanted her comfort. “The people will understand,” she continued, her words rushed. “They cherish life just as much as we do. I couldn’t let you lose another Keala. Not after what happened last time. Not when I could do something. So I did.”

We fell silent for a moment, the tension thick between us. Elex was observing me from the corner of the room, perhaps waiting for a reaction. But all I felt was gratitude metered by fear.

“Thank you,” I murmured eventually, looking her in the eye. She smiled weakly as I reached out, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her into my arms. Her body was stiff against me as the tears spilled down my face. Slowly, she reached her arms up and hugged me back. I knew I didn’t have anyone else to blame for her hesitation other than myself.

I broke away first, my gaze returning to Soren’s still form. I touched his forehead lightly, my fingers shaking at the cold touch of his skin. Arya watched me silently, and I could see a hint of worry reflected in her eyes.

He was alive. That was all that mattered.