5. Chapter 5
No!
My feet moved and before I realized, I had made it across the clearing and was kneeling beside Ora. Fyom’s brow dripped with sweat as he frantically poured all of his strength into closing the large gash across Sury’s abdomen.
“Tell me what to do!” I pleaded to Fyom. We had been able to go over basic Healing remedies for small cuts and scrapes, but nothing of this magnitude.
Fyom gritted his teeth as his hand moved at a rapid speed. The glow of his Wielding cast a green hue over Sury’s body, highlighting that the large gash was just one of many, all in the shape of claw marks. I held back a sob as I saw the blood that had pooled beneath him. So much blood.
Ora sobbed next to me, clinging to my ripped tunic. “Fyom!” I called again as I brought my Wielding to the surface, ready to attempt anything to help. “Tell me what to do.”
Fyom mumbled incoherently as I desperately tried to get his attention. This couldn’t be Sury’s end. The world around us went dark as Fyom rested his hands in his lap. He hung his head as his shoulders began to shake. “Fyom!” I roared.
He lifted his head but refused to look me in the eye. “I’ve done all I can do. Even…the most…experienced Healer would not have a remedy for… I’m–I’m sorry.” He hung his head as a tear slid down his cheek.
Blood swelled where I bit my lip, holding back an anger that threatened to tear through me. “You’re sorry?” I whispered in disbelief. No, Fyom could cure or Heal anything. Ora shook against me with uncontrollable sobs. I wrapped an arm around her to steady her.
“You’re sorry?” I bellowed, sending spittle flying. The sudden tempered rage roared back, sending my vision back into a gray haze. “What do you mean you’re—” I stopped and inhaled deeply, trying to control my frustration that had been on a knife’s edge since the Rising Rock.
Fyom sat with defeat written on his face. My eyes snapped to the forest floor as I sensed something sweet. Something I so desperately craved. Needed. Desired to be mine. Within Sury’s body, I saw it. It was beautiful and it was there. I licked my lips, wanting to taste it.
Rough fingers grasped my chin and forced me to look into a pair of bright, silvering eyes. “No,” Peiro grumbled. How did he know? My eyes readjusted as my rage started to descend. I took another deep breath before slowly exhaling to calm my roaring fire.
I turned back to Ora, who wailed into my shoulder. “Aurora.” I spoke softly but urgently. “I need you to focus. Please.” Ora looked up with her tearstreaked face. Her lip quivered as she tried to steady her breath. “It’s there. Barely. But it’s there. You have to act quickly.”
She sniffled and pulled out of my grasp. “What do you mean?”
“His lifesource. It’s there. Do you see it?”
Ora looked down at Sury’s lifeless form and shook her head frantically before weeping again.
I grasped her hands in mine, commanding her attention.
“Aurora. Look at me!” I screamed. A flash of magic zipped from my hands into hers, causing her to jolt and snap her gaze back to mine.
“It’s just like when we were back at Fyom’s cabin and the Rising Rock.
I don’t know why it’s easier for me to see, maybe because death is just easier somehow, but Ora, Sury’s not dead yet. He’s draining fast, but not dead.”
Hope sparked in her eyes as she looked back down at him and whispered something that sounded like recognition between her ragged breaths.
“I can’t touch it because if I do…” I didn’t want to finish that train of thought. “But you were blessed by Ythos. You have the power of life coursing through you. You’ve done it before. Your Wielding will just know what to do to save him…”
Ora looked at me again and then to Fyom and Peiro before looking back at Sury. “I see the golden light inside him.”
I only nodded, not wanting to look at it too closely for fear the temptation might become too great. Each lifesource seemed to fuel my power and tempt me to take more. My fingers clenched my trousers as I fought against the thought.
Peiro took my hand, pulling me to my feet to grant Ora some distance. Fyom did the same, so we all stood a few feet away. Peiro wrapped one arm around me, pulling me in tight, while gripping my shaking hands with his free one. Steadying me. Grounding me.
Sury couldn’t die. I didn’t know how my sister would survive it.
We watched as Ora took a deep breath and put her hands on Sury’s chest. Her shoulders rose and fell in rhythm as her hands began to glow.
Her Wielding crept over Sury’s body, encasing him in a warm light that rivaled the sun.
I had to turn my face into Peiro’s chest to shield myself from the brightness—such a stark contrast to the forest around us.
Moments passed before the glow dissipated and threw us back into darkness. The fire next to us had dwindled and barely gave light, but it didn’t stop me from seeing the movement. I released a tight breath as I watched Sury’s hand reach up and palm Ora’s face, his thumb wiping a tear away.
Fyom whooped in excitement and dropped to the ground to assess Sury’s wounds.
He quickly cast a few specks of Firus magic into the flames, forcing them to burn brighter.
The light revealed something short of a miracle.
I gasped as I took in the wounds, now stitched together, the blood dried. New silver scars marred his skin.
Ora tried her best to hold back a sob but failed miserably. Fresh tears crested her cheeks as she leaned down to kiss Sury like it was their first.
“Who died?” Sury spoke, looking at us all in bewilderment.
Ora let out a soft chuckle as she scooped Sury’s hands into hers and kissed his knuckles. “How are you feeling?”
He raised a perplexed brow and looked at us with questions written in his features. “I died again…didn’t I?” He wiped another tear from Ora’s eye before he looked up to the stars and said, “Wow. Someone must really not like my part of this story.”
“I’m sure the giant writing your tale loves you just fine,” Ora said and swept his hair away from his face.
“Or…they’re showing you love by teasing you mercilessly,” I spoke up softly with a small smile.
“Yeah, well, they can stop fucking with me now,” Sury huffed as he slowly propped himself up on his elbows.
“You gave us a bit of a scare, Little Lord,” Peiro said. “Were you just wanting the attention since your kill number is down?” he asked with a smile. “If I would have known how much our competition upset you, I would have let you win.”
“You’ll win over my dead body, Old Man,” Sury said as he made his way to his feet with Ora’s help and Fyom mumbled something about the joke being “too soon.”
I wiggled out of Peiro’s hold and ran to Sury, throwing my arms around his shoulders for a tight embrace. I squealed when Fyom pulled me away and gave his own hug to Sury, followed by Peiro.
“Don’t you dare do that to me again, Sury Anmathios! Do you understand me?” Ora said as Sury broke away to hold her in his arms. “You’re not allowed to visit Cisoi or Thuvina until we’re old and gray and we have tens of grandbabies. Even then, I say it’ll be too soon.”
“Yes, my dear,” he softly replied as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.
I leaned back into Peiro, the adrenaline from the attack settling, and became overcome with a storm of emotions about how close Sury had been to Cisoi’s Door.
What would have happened? Would Ora simply stop caring if the love of her life ceased to exist?
Or would it have fueled her determination?
I looked up to Peiro as he observed the others and pondered what would happen if the giants separated us.
He must have felt my gaze because he looked at me so intently that my body flared in response.
His eyes widened enough for me to grasp that he could tell what my body wanted.
Like he understood I needed something to distract me until I was ready to decompress.
Peiro pulled me closer and planted a tender kiss into my hair.
The sweet notion sent a swirl of butterflies soaring through my chest.
“I think a celebratory drink is in order,” Fyom boomed. “First for killing these bastards.” He waved his hands over the dead carcasses. “And second for Ora and Sury dancing with Ythos!” He turned away and headed back toward the tent with Sury and Ora in tow.
Something shiny in the dark caught my eye.
I turned my sight on Ora, just paces away, and blinked a moment.
I saw it again when she turned her head to laugh at something that was said.
I quickened my pace, catching her by the arm and turning her to face me, and found a shine glowing bright against the fires.
My fingers reached for her fallen braid and the small strand of hair that had caught my eye.
“Ora. Your hair.” I brought it to her line of sight. “It’s white.”
“What?”
I wasn’t mistaken—a strand of her hair had gone from a golden honey to a white that marveled snowcapped mountains. I continued to inspect her, not finding any open wounds. Could an urthen have done this?
“I’m fine,” she said a little too quickly.
I eyed her, ready to speak, just as Fyom cut in. “Let me brew you something to calm your nerves. It’s been a trying day.” He looped Ora’s arm through his and led her back to the tent.
Sury hesitated to follow. “I’ll make a sweep to make sure we’re safe—”
“No, you will not!” Ora twirled away from Fyom’s grasp and grabbed Sury by the arm. “I’m not risking you against—”
“I’ll be alright. I’m better prepared this time.”
“I’ll do a sweep. It’s okay. You all go on ahead.” I tilted my head to the tent. Ora quickly pulled him along while Fyom relooped Ora’s arm through his to lead them away from the dead creatures.