Chapter 22
Alandris’s absence didn’t surprise me when I arrived at the instructed time to meet him.
After what happened between us, I fully expected him to avoid me for as long as possible.
What I hadn’t been expecting was for him to send Kaz and Zorinna in his place.
I was especially surprised to learn that the ‘thing’ Alandris wanted to show me was located on a small island outside Nil’Faerith, and that he’d permitted me to travel there without him on the Phoenix Heart.
I supposed they were intended to be my personal bodyguards.
Though if I legitimately intended to escape, I wasn’t sure what two people could do against my entire crew and I.
I couldn’t pretend to be mad. Not when I tasted the familiar salty ocean breeze on my tongue and felt the wind whip wildly through my hair.
No, I loved this, and I’d missed it dearly.
That Mage whose name I refused to speak for the duration of the trip was the furthest thing from my mind. Definitely.
“It will take a majority of the day to make it to the island,” Lorian said, coming up behind me. “I know you’re supposed to take it sparingly, but you should take another dose when we arrive, so I’ve been told. You can let it lapse during the journey back.”
Wherever we were going, Zaelos wasn’t meant to see.
“Yes, captain.” I beamed. “I’ve missed saying that.”
Lorian scoffed before grinning. “I’m still your captain, on both sea and land, got it?”
“Yes, captain!”
The last time I’d seen my crew, we’d just mended our relationship after arguing over secrets withheld.
There was a part of me that was still upset, but if I had to cut off every person who was presently keeping things from me, I wouldn’t have anyone remaining by my side at all.
If I wanted peace of mind, I’d need to forgive some of it and have a bit of blind faith that they were doing what they needed to protect me.
I spent most of the trip lounging on the deck, basking in the sun, with my face turned up to the sky.
The weather was mild; the waves behaving themselves, so my crew didn’t need much assistance.
They’d been taking advantage of my one bodyguard’s strength to help with the sails, though he didn’t seem to mind.
Aside from Makatza, who viewed everything as a competition with Kaz, he was getting along with everyone swimmingly.
Kaelias plopped down beside me and I turned to look at him. “You’re going to burn,” he signed.
“Oh, let me have a bit of fun. It’s been too long. I barely get to go outside at the Consortium. I’ll regret the sunburn later.”
“Suit yourself.”
Despite his warning, he stayed sat beside me in comfortable silence for the remainder of the trip.
The island we anchored at was smaller than I’d anticipated and appeared to be completely uninhabited.
From where I stood, I could see a large stone structure jutting out from atop the cliff.
The architecture was reminiscent of the Consortium, clearly of Elven influence.
Despite its currently rundown appearance, I could picture the grandeur it once possessed.
What I couldn’t comprehend was why it was here on an abandoned island on the edge of the world, and why the Grand Arch Magus had wanted me to see it.
We’d pulled the ship as close as possible, but the rocks surrounding the island proved difficult to navigate.
For fear of shredding our ship to pieces and a lack of desire to swim, we decided to take two rowboats to the shore.
Naturally, Kaz and Makatza had turned that into a competition as well, and so I was in Kaz’s boat, holding on for dear life while he rowed faster than I’d thought physically possible.
Kaelias sat beside me, thoroughly amused, scooping out the water that threatened to sink us.
The moment we hit land, I was jumping to exit the boat and put my feet on solid ground. Ordinarily, I wasn’t fond of sand, but I was grateful for it now. I shot Kaz a glare to let him know just what I thought about his reckless behavior, but he was too busy boasting his victory to notice.
“Ah, Mak,” he sighed in bliss. “A valiant effort on your behalf. I look forward to you fulfilling your end of our wager.”
Lorian cocked a brow, stepping on to the beach. “A wager?I must admit, I’m intrigued.”
“Do not concern yourself with this idiot, Captain,” Makatza hissed before turning to stare down Kaz, her fists clenched at her sides. “I always keep my word.”
Lorian gave a knowing smirk. “I won’t ask. Lead the way, Kaelias!”
The pathway to the tower was rough, though mostly clear.
I assumed they’d had to cut away most of the debris to make it through the first time they ventured this way.
I’d not been given any indication of what awaited me at the top of the cliff, but I would willingly face anything if it meant I’d gain the power to defeat Zaelos—only when my mind was my own would I have true freedom.
Upon closer inspection, the stone structure I’d spotted appeared to be a temple.
There were several statues lining the courtyard, hands clasped in prayer.
A large archway built into the cliff marked the entrance, surrounded by crystal clear water on all sides.
Small stepping stones covered in moss marked the only path forward.
It was eerily peaceful, in a way that seemed frozen in time.
I did not wait for my friends to proceed before hopping along the stones and making my way to the entrance.
As I stepped inside, every hair on my body stood on end.
There was magic here, and it was ancient, unlike anything I’d ever felt before.
Something wild and unconstrained that whispered against like a siren song begging to be answered.
“What is this place?” I whispered in awe, my voice echoing in the temple's emptiness.
Zorinna reached my side and motioned to a staircase leading down. “When you’re ready, this is where we will put an end to things. According to the research we’ve done, the Mages who discovered it once called it the Soulseer. It does not belong to this world. Its magic is ancient.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s better if you see it for yourself. Make sure you don’t get too close.”
I took each step slowly, clenching and stretching my fingers with each one.
As I descended, the ancient magic intensified, and I felt increasingly destined for this place with every step I took.
It culminated at the last step, where I bore witness to that which awaited me, and my breath fled my lungs.
A pool of what looked like liquid silver shimmered in the faint torchlight in the center of the floor.
Stepping closer, I could see my image reflected on the surface.
But it wasn’t the self I expected to see.
Everything about me was brighter, and more powerful.
My white hair shone like diamonds, my red eyes danced with fire, and the shadows—usually contained beneath my skin—twisted around my body like a serpent.
You came. A voice of pure light, entirely different from Zaelos’, echoed in my mind. I’ve been waiting.
“Who are you?” I asked aloud. To my surprise, none of my companions questioned my sudden lapse of sanity. Could they even hear me?
I am you. What you could be.
“What I could be?”
He who dwells within does not belong. We have fought for centuries to remove him. This time must be different. Our soul cannot survive another fracture.
I stepped closer. “What do I need to do?”
Remember. Remember and return here. The pool rippled without warning, and the image vanished.
“Wait!” I yelled, dropping to my knees in front of the silvery liquid. “Please. I need answers. Real answers!”
Lorian shouted, “Nairu, don’t!”
But I’d already plunged my hand into the depths, and everything as I knew it was about to change.
Countless hands were dragging me away from the pool, but all I saw was bright white light, and all I felt was fire burning through my skull.
I thought I’d known pain; the headaches I’d associated with my nightmares, with Zaelos’s attempt to infiltrate my mind, were nothing compared to the agony of whatever this was.
Something was trying to break free, and it wouldn’t stop even if it killed me.
I gripped the sides of my head, pulling at my hair hard enough to rip it free. Screams tore through my throat until I grew raw. Sobs wracked my body as I pleaded in desperation to anyone who would listen. “Make it stop! Please make it stop!”
I heard what I believed to be Lorian’s voice to my right. “Sister, do something!”
Panic edged Zorinna’s voice. “I don’t know what to do! Fuck! This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Something! Anything!”
I opened my eyes enough to witness her dragging a dagger down her arm, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Come on, Jyuri. I need you!” Blood gushed down her skin, pooling into a small puddle on the ground.
It was mere seconds before the room grew shockingly frigid.
The Fae appeared at Zorinna’s side, face stained with unmistakable rage.
His clawed hands snatched up her arm, examining the wound.
He said nothing, but the murder in his eyes demanded an explanation.
When he didn’t receive one from Zorinna, he scanned the room, eventually landing his gaze on me.
“Why am I not surprised to find that you are the source of her injuries?”
I was certain he was going to kill me, and I would have welcomed it if only for relief from the agony, but Zorinna grabbed his wrist before he could round on me. “We made a deal, Jyuri. You are to protect her at all costs.”
“To protect you both at all costs,” he bit back. “I never said which of you I would prioritize.” He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You should know better than to take my words at face value.”
“If this was ever more than a bargain for you, you will save her life. Or I will never—never forgive you.”
“I love it when you threaten me, darling.”
Jyuri was by my side in an instant, gathering me in his arms. He didn’t warn me of what would come next. All I knew was that one moment I was writhing in his arms in that ancient temple, and the next, there was nothing but ice and snow. And relief. Finally, sweet relief.