Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
LYVIA
Spell caster must be a Mystic.
– Forbidden Whispers of Persuasion, Restricted Root Level, Living Library.
Lyvia – Borva, Votruvia
My hands made quick slaps against my leathers as I paced the dock, the caw of white seabirds clapping over the activity of Borva’s shipyard. A pressure rose in my chest at the task at hand, my mind fogging whenever it drifted to returning to the Land of Light and Life.
Keep moving.
A flash of black caught my eye from above, and I squinted against the blazing blue sky. I shaded my eyes as Tiberius soared over the island, a skittish Tempest wavering behind him.
You’re going to burn a hole in that deck, Tiberius muttered as he circled overhead.
My boots thudded as I reached the end of the dock, the rough waves of the Crimson Sea splashing up my leathers before I pivoted.
She’s improving. I changed the subject as I tracked Tempest overhead.
Tiberius scoffed. She’s insufferable.
Amusement bubbled up, but it dissipated as Drystan’s form moved through the bustling pirates loading supplies onto Kellan’s ships.
My stomach twisted in inadequacy. Had I fucked up the caeluma transformation?
Xenelpha said the caeluma were the key to defeating the Embodied…
Why didn’t Tempest bond with Drystan when I transformed her? I was so certain I’d done it right…
Drystan stopped when he reached Vulcan, and the two of them bent their heads in conversation. I reached the harbor walkway and began to turn when a hand appeared on my arm.
Sunshine hopped from the waves to Kellan’s dark eyes as he pinned them on me, his brows narrowing as he scanned my face.
“We can find someone else to go,” he said quietly, his hand drifting to the side of my face.
My hand clasped over his as I pulled it down between us, and my eyes slid along the faint scars on his neck. The ones I’d left with my nails last year after the Hydra had attacked the Centurion. So much had changed over a year later. I shook my head softly.
“No,” I murmured, my eyes darting to the Hydra’s flag flailing wildly in the wind. “I can do this.” The lie rolled off my tongue, and I resisted the urge to meet Kellan’s gaze.
“I know you can,” he murmured, moving closer. “And I know you will. You’re a better person than I am.”
My brows furrowed, and I turned back to him. His eyes were soft as they darted between mine.
“You’re a better person than you think you are,” I corrected him, looking back at the hills rolling in the distance. The beautiful green land of Borva, where orphans and fugitives from the other Votruvian Islands found refuge.
Raek’s call interrupted the quiet moment, but Kellan kept his eyes on mine. His thumb brushed a line against my jaw before he looked away.
A flash of brilliant red hair drew my eye to the approaching group. Naomi’s hair glowed in the sunshine, long ripples of it drifting across her low-cut dress as she strode arm in arm with Mother Eghan. Raek led the small farewell party to where we stood.
Naomi’s light brows furrowed as she scanned the limited space between us. Mother Eghan reached for Kellan, and the pirate lord wrapped his long arms around her, murmuring in her ear.
Raek nodded as he reached a hand forward, and I clasped it in mine.
“Good luck. Take care of him.” His head bobbed in the direction of his captain.
I offered him a firm nod before Aeriden’s arms wrapped around my shoulders, and he pulled me into a back-cracking hug. My eyes pinched shut as I squeezed him back.
“Stay safe, Sis,” he muttered.
“You too, Aer,” I whispered, a vice wrapping around my chest at the thought of leaving him, even for a few days.
Raek and Aeriden were to gather the rest of Kellan’s fleet and continue preparations for battle… The time and place of which we had no idea.
My eyes cut to Vulcan and Isla as they approached with Drystan.
“Are we ready?” Isla asked the small group.
“I think so,” I murmured, turning to Drys for confirmation.
If he harbored any resentment toward me for failing to transform his caeluma, he didn’t show it, but my mind continued to turn over those threads I’d visited. What had I missed?
Drystan’s blue eyes sparkled against the sun, and he offered a confident smile as he nodded.
Drystan would transfer five of us to Lotrennia, powering up with Kellan’s help between each shift. He’d return with the leaves from the Living Library, and he, Isla, and Ezrich would begin work at the forge to start crafting the múritinne rings.
Kellan released his mother’s embrace, taking her hand and moving it in my direction. His lips quirked to the side as he looked up.
My throat bobbed as I stepped forward, allowing him to place her hand in mine. Naomi’s gaze burned into the side of my face as Mother Eghan squeezed my hand, pulling me closer. I bent down as her other hand reached my shoulder, and her warm cheek pressed against the side of my head.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For bringing back my son. For bringing my daughter back to life. And for opening my eyes to a gift I’d been blind to all these years… For my grandchildren. You are not without a mother, Lyvia. Please, come back.”
A sob threatened in the back of my throat, and my eyes pinched shut. Tears pricked between their lids, and I took a deep breath of Mother Eghan’s rose-scented perfume as I leaned into her embrace.
The five of us traveling to Lotrennia moved to the end of the pier, and Drystan clasped hands with Kellan and Isla.
Their traveling coats billowed against the wild wind ripping from the Crimson Sea.
Drystan gave a firm nod, and the three of them disappeared as a thunder-like clap rippled through the air. My chest tightened as we waited.
A moment later, Drystan and Kellan reappeared, and my heart resumed its beat. I scanned Kellan’s face, searching for any sign of exhaustion as he poured power into Drystan’s reserves. He caught my eye and winked, his lips kicking into a cocky smirk.
Vulcan’s hazel eyes were thoughtful as Drystan held his hand to him. The broody elf stared at his outstretched hand for a moment before whirling away from the group. I cocked my head as he stormed down the pier.
My chest squeezed as he strode with confident purpose and wrapped his hands around Raek’s face before his lips crushed against the pirate’s mouth.
Kellan whooped before clapping his hands together and letting out a loud, encouraging whistle.
I couldn’t help the grin that stretched across my face as my brother by bond, my ex-War Slayer friend, gave in to his own desire for happiness.
Raek’s arms wrapped around Vulcan’s waist, and the two of them shared a moment of devastating bliss before their foreheads met in quiet tenderness. Raek’s throat bobbed as Vulcan turned and strode back to Drystan.
“That was beautiful—”
“Don’t even start.” Vulcan cut me off as he clapped his hands with Drystan, and the three of them disappeared.
Tiberius thundered down the pier at their exit, and Tempest landed in a jumbled mess on the nearby hill, her whinny coming out in a frustrated grunt.
A crack, and Kellan and Drystan returned once more. The three of us piled onto Tiberius’s broad, inky back, and with one last power up from the Conduit, a suffocating pressure squeezed me from every direction before darkness lunged, and we sped through time and space.
I gasped for the muggy, Lotrennian air as Drystan completed the shift and I blinked rapidly against the blinding sunshine. Tiberius staggered, his legs wobbling like a newborn foal, and the three of us slipped off his back and into the lush, green valley.
Saliva flooded my mouth, and I retched into a small patch of ferns. A hand appeared at my back, and Isla’s jasmine scent washed over me.
“Easy, Lyv,” she murmured, reaching her hands to my shoulders.
I scanned the clearing just outside the Eye of the Wood, where we had celebrated last year’s Awakening. Fourteen months ago, I realized, struggling to my feet.
I’m never doing that again, Tiberius snapped in my mind.
Can’t say I enjoyed it either, I murmured. But holy hell… I trailed off as I stared at Drystan in astonishment.
“That was amazing,” I signed when he caught my eye.
He simply nodded his head and turned away. He was always uncomfortable with praise. My fist moved to my mouth as the nausea returned.
Kellan’s hand was at my back at the movement, and I scanned his face. A small bead of blood formed at the bottom of his nostril. My brows narrowed as concern immediately squeezed my chest. I opened my mouth, and he shook his head, relaxing his features into easy confidence.
“I’m fine, Bonscaíh,” he murmured.
“We’d better get going if we want to arrive in Ayla before sundown,” Isla said, slinging her pack over her back. “The Gilded Fortress awaits.”
Memories danced in my mind’s eye as we made our trek from the Eye of the Wood. The familiar, tingling sensation tickled the back of my neck as we strode the ancient path.
I scanned the bright green canopy, watching for the silver wings of pixies or the golden, glowing eyes that appeared last year on the Awakening. The tingling disappeared with the arrival of a soft breeze.
My heart leaped into my throat as my ears picked up the subtle scratch of a branch overhead. The Obscura bucked, darkness running down my veins and merging with the Transcindiel to form my shield as a tall, lithe elf swung down and landed before us in a crouch.
Lida’s tawny eyes narrowed. Her gold and brown streaked hair was tied tightly behind her head. Bayne’s ex straightened as she slung her bow over her shoulder. My shield siphoned back into my palms as I noted the shimmer off Isla’s already formed barrier.
“FUCK, Lida! This is not the group to sneak up on,” Isla admonished, releasing her shield with a swipe of her hand.
Lida smirked as she scanned our small group. “You seem to be the ones sneaking,” she countered, cocking her head.
“You have us there,” Isla continued, gesturing to the path. “We needed to land somewhere we wouldn’t be swarmed by War Slayers. We need to speak with Bayne. It’s urgent.”
“Good luck with that,” Lida replied, a bitterness riding her tone as she turned to join us. “I’m not sure His Majesty has time for anyone.”
My stomach clenched, and I felt Lida’s eyes cut to me. I kept my gaze forward, noting the flowering vines trailing up the trees and hanging from the arching canopy overhead. It appeared Lotrennia thrived once again.
Hours later, our group waited in the grand entry hall of the Gilded Fortress. The strange dewdrop lights glistened on the thin branches that twined above, and little reflections bounced off the stone and root floor sprawling beneath.
Isla’s arms crossed as she paced, her ebony brows furrowed in annoyance as she glanced at the archways leading to various halls.
“Someone is taking their time,” she grumbled.
Vulcan grunted his agreement as he leaned against one of the thin, golden trees stretching to the enchanted ceiling.
A light-haired servant finally appeared at the end of the hall and strode to where we stood, dipping his head in a quiet, serene greeting. He stretched out a carefully folded correspondence as he reached us.
Isla snapped it from his hands and handed it to me. “Thank you. Now, please tell His Majesty, we’re ready to speak with him.”
The servant remained pensive. His bright eyes darted to the note in my hands. Isla huffed a breath, and I tore open the correspondence, my brows narrowing as I read out loud.
“‘Welcome back to the Land of Light and Life. His and Her Majesties will receive the Bonder and the Conduit at a private dinner to discuss your arrival. The two attendees shall proceed to the dressing rooms. The rest of you are…’”
I paused, and my eyes darted to Isla as my stomach clenched.
“‘Dismissed.’”