42. Everett
Everett
Our heads whipped to Odessa. “What’s wrong?” Vera shouted, rushing to her side.
With a whimper, Odessa turned her previously injured arm over. I sucked in a breath. The claw marks had opened back up, leaving the skin bright pink and bloody once more. But that wasn’t what made my eyes widen. Inside the four jagged cuts were slivers of stone.
No—not stone. Bone.
“Fates,” Vera breathed out. “What’s happening to her?” she asked the High Elders.
They looked just as shocked as we did. “What gave you this injury, child?” Maeve asked quickly.
“One of the—the guardians,” Odessa gasped out. “Before we opened the portal, we were attacked by these skeleton creatures. One of them scratched me.”
Around us, the High Elders’ faces went still. “We did not know you were injured by one of them,” Maeve said.
Kieran pushed forward, crowding around Odessa. “I thought your healer already remedied this.”
“She healed the flesh, yes, but a wound caused by a guardian of the kingdom…” Arcadia trailed off, sharing a look with the other two.
“Well, what happens?” Vera snapped.
The air stretched tight, all of us waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“It cannot be healed, daughter,” Arcadia finally said.
Odessa’s lips parted on a silent exhale, her eyes trailing down to the jagged marks on her arm. “What’s going to happen to me?” she whispered.
Arcadia closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. “You will become one of them. A spirit guardian tethered to Pyraeth.”
My heart sank. Odessa’s features shuddered, then went blank. She took a breath. “How long do I have?”
“When it has happened in the past,” Arcadia started, his forehead pinching, “the infection runs its course within forty-eight hours.”
Forty-eight hours. It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room. Vera wrapped a protective arm around Odessa’s shoulder. “How do we stop it?”
“We have never been able to,” Maeve said with a frown. “It is impos—”
“No.” Vera cut her off, shaking her head. “That’s not good enough. There has to be a way to cure her.”
Odessa swallowed hard. The brave face she tried to hold now wavered with uncertainty. “Vera, what if—what if we can’t—”
Vera took her hands, dipping her head so Odessa had to look at her. “Stop. Don’t think like that, Odessa. You have to stay strong. We’ve already done the impossible—we found this place because of you. Don’t let your fear make you unable to fight.”
I whispered those same words to Vera countless times when we were stuck in the cells, when I sensed her getting ready to give up.
It clenched my heart seeing her pass it along to someone else.
The girl who had once held so much fear and yet fought her way through.
She didn’t even know she was now that same strength for others.
“There might be a way,” Arcadia said. Our attention snapped to him. “If the enchantment over the kingdom is lifted, all magic associated with it will cease to exist, including the magic over the guardians. She could be healed.”
My gut soured. “How convenient,” I muttered.
Arcadia glanced sharply at me. “What are you implying?”
“You’re saying her safety is directly tied to raising the kingdom. To you getting what you want. You trapped us here,” I growled. “You did this on purpose, so we have no choice but to stay.”
Maeve’s eyes went wide. “We are not the reason your friend was injured.”
“You should consider yourself fortunate that there may even be a way to save her,” Julius added. My blood boiled at the condescension in his tone.
Arcadia turned to Vera. “I promise, Vera, once you have fulfilled your destiny, all of us will be able to leave. But we cannot do this without you. Odessa needs you. Our people need you.” His lips thinned. “We thought you would understand how desperate we are.”
“I—well—” Vera glanced at me, then back at him. Her expression softened. “I do, Arcadia,” she said. “I understand wanting freedom.”
Arcadia took her hands and squeezed. “Then stay, and you can give it to us. You must find the third and final amulet of the Sacred Three. Once they are united, you can finally raise us and save your friend.”
Apprehension surged through me. I didn’t trust these people, but we were backed into a corner. If we left before the portal closed, Odessa would be lost. And if we stayed…what if Vera couldn’t break the enchantment? What if we were stuck here forever?
Or what if there was more they were hiding?
I stepped toward her. “Vera—”
“I’ll do it,” she said abruptly. “For your people and for Odessa. But,” she added, pulling out of Arcadia’s grip, “if any of my friends want to leave, you have to promise to get them back to the portal before it closes.”
“Of course.” Maeve nodded. “We will take them right away.”
“We must warn you, however,” Arcadia added, “that once they are beyond our borders, they will be at the mercy of the guardians again.”
The Elders and Vera turned to the rest of us with looks of expectation. Silence fell over the room. My hands clenched and unclenched at my sides, irritation churning through me.
“If Vera’s staying, I’m staying,” Starke said. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
“I’m staying,” Kieran growled, then looked down at Odessa. “We protect our own. I will not leave either of you here alone.”
“This is crazy,” Tessa muttered. “But Fates, I’m in. Not like we have a ship waiting for us anyway.”
Vera’s gaze settled on me. Those golden eyes sparked in challenge, heating my core. There wasn’t any question. She knew I wasn’t going to leave her.
I gave her a single nod.
Odessa sniffed, then scratched at her injury. The cut had grown more red and swollen at the edges. She let out a soft hiss of pain as her fingers came back bloody.
“We mustn’t waste time,” Arcadia said, gesturing to Odessa. “Come with me to the healer and we can find something to aid with your pain. The rest of you will be taken to the guest wing. Vera, we will find you shortly to begin your hunt for the amulet.”
The halls were filled with a nervous energy as Maeve led us through the palace and to the guest wing.
We passed more floor-to-ceiling windows showing views of the estate, where everything was shadowed by the black sky.
Marble arches with gold accents lined the corridors.
Palace staff, guards, and more robed figures milled about, all pausing to glance at Vera as we walked by.
Rumors of who she was had spread like wildfire. Every eye was turned to her, every head bowed low. They may have thought they were honoring her, but I knew how quickly honor could turn to expectation. To manipulation. It already felt like they were keeping things from us.
We reached our destination, where Maeve promised food would be brought down shortly, and were shown to our individual rooms. But as Vera started to open her door, I stepped forward and caught her arm.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “There’s something about them I don’t trust.”
She turned to face me. “Why? They’re trying to help us save Odessa, aren’t they?”
I scoffed. “Yes, once it also fit their agenda.”
“Don’t be so cynical, Everett.”
“It’s not cynicism, it’s observation. They’re just helping her to help their own cause. They know the only reason you’re staying is for her.”
“That’s not true. I want to help them, too. They’re like me,” she insisted. “You know how long I’ve been wondering why I’m the only one of my kind.”
“Just because they have the same magic as you doesn’t mean they’re the same as you. You don’t know their true intentions. Fates, we don’t know anything beyond the stories they conveniently spun.”
“We know they’re trapped here!” she said, brandishing a hand in the air. “This is their prison. Don’t you remember what it felt like to go without seeing the sun for years? If I’m the only one who can help them, how can I turn away?”
I let out a slow breath. “I’m not saying you have to, I'm just saying you need to be careful.”
Her features were guarded. “I’ve been protecting myself for a long time. I know what I’m doing.”
She turned to walk inside her room, and I reached for her fingers. “Vera, don’t do this. Don’t shut me out. I’m not trying to attack you.”
She paused with her back still to me. “I know you’re worried, but Arcadia and the Elders…
they have answers.” She faced me again. “And I—I need to know more. I need to know why I have the same magic as them, and why I have the power to raise a kingdom. And maybe they know why Mortep was looking for this place to begin with. What if he—”
“Is this still about him?” I shook my head in frustration. “He’s dead, Vera. We watched him disappear. You eventually have to let go and take care of yourself. Don’t let him continue to control your life.”
She took a step back. “Let go?” she whispered. “You think it’s that easy?”
“I don’t think any of this is easy,” I said, more forcefully than I intended. “But you have to try. Try to let go and move on.”
“I have been trying, Everett.”
“No, you’ve been running,” I bit out. I moved until her back brushed the wall, then braced one hand above her head, close enough that I could feel the heat coming off her skin. “First toward revenge, now for answers. I wanted, just once, for you to run to me. To choose me.”
The truth burned my tongue. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding on to it for so long. The betrayal of her walking away from me hadn’t fully sunk in until I was about to watch her do it all over again, for people we didn’t even know.
The pulse at her neck thrummed. “I did choose you, Everett,” she argued. “Over and over again, every time I dropped everything to save your life was because I can’t lose you!”
I couldn’t tell if I was more frustrated or desperate for her. My arm strained above her head with the force it took not to grab her right here. Her chest heaved, grazing mine with each breath. Fates, I wanted what she said to be true. I wanted it to be enough.
“Maybe you can’t lose me,” I said, “but you haven’t chosen me, either.” Her body stiffened, and I pulled away. “You were going to let me walk away tonight. You were going to stay behind and watch the rest of us sail off forever. You’re getting ready to run again, Vera, just like you did last year.”
“That’s not fair,” she said icily. “You can’t throw that at me every time you’re upset.”
“Yes, I can!” I hissed. “Because it’s the truth.
Don’t you see what’s happening? They know exactly what to say to manipulate you.
” The words spilled from me faster than I could stop them.
“I saw the way you looked at them when they showed you their magic. You’re falling for the stories of these strangers just because they tell you you belong. ”
“You don’t get to decide where I do or don’t belong,” she responded heatedly.
“I never said I did.”
“That’s all you’ve ever done!” she cried, no longer keeping her voice down.
“I was a prisoner before I even took my first steps. I was ripped from my family and forced to learn how to survive, while I should’ve been learning how to live.
And when I finally got away, you had it all figured out for me.
” She pointed at me, angry tears slipping from her eyes.
“You and Nox had already decided who I was supposed to be on the other side of things. Where I was supposed to belong. And you can’t stand the fact that it might not be with you. ”
Her words were a slap across the face. “What, and you really think it’s with these people? Or with your precious captain?” I spat.
“Why do you even care?” she snapped. “You were the one who said we’d go our separate ways. You were the one who said you’d walk away from me once we found Mortep.”
“Because I thought that was what you wanted!” I raked my fingers down my face. “I told you I still loved you, and you looked me in the eyes and said that wasn’t enough. What else was I supposed to do?”
“Nothing.” She wiped angrily at a stray tear. “You were right. That’s what’s best for both of us, isn’t it?”
I clenched my jaw and gripped the doorframe to keep from punching a wall.
She was trying to push me away again, like she had that night on the ship.
I didn’t want to play these games anymore.
I was exhausted from fighting with her, from fighting for her, but still, I couldn’t bring myself to walk away.
“Is everything alright here?” a voice said behind me. I instantly stiffened. Of course, it was him.
“It’s fine, Starke,” I said gruffly, not bothering to turn around.
“I was asking Vera.”
His words buzzed through my ears, heating me with more anger. This time, I did turn. Starke’s eyebrow was raised, that arrogant stare crossing accusatorily between Vera and me.
Forget the wall, I wanted to punch him.
“I’m fine,” Vera said, clearing her throat and discreetly wiping the final tear away. “Did you need something, Starke?”
He stepped in front of me, shooting me a look before cutting me off from her. “I heard loud voices and wanted to make sure you were alright.”
“It’s nothing,” she said.
“Good. Can we talk for a second?” Starke asked, then looked over his shoulder at me. I met Vera’s eyes, searching for any sign, any hint that she wanted me to stay.
I saw nothing.
The three of us stood in an uncomfortable, tense silence until I dipped my head to the two of them, then turned on my heels. When I dared to glance back, I watched with an aching chest as Starke slipped inside her room and shut the door.