Chapter 18 #2
Like the Maiden, when she’d split the endless Empty for the first time. . .
Biting my lip, I desperately tried to keep my footing. But the pain grew until I could bear it no longer. I looked down, expecting to see myself crumbling away.
My knees gave out, but Seth caught me before I fell. Sweeping me into his arms, he whispered gently to me. “Don’t let go, princess. I’ve got you.”
Hand trembling, I grabbed his collar, but the touch of leather faded from my skin. With every passing moment, I felt him less and less. It was like I floated alone in the darkness.
Closing my eyes, I imagined the vast emptiness and my single point of light.
The flowers spread faster than before, cleaving through the Empty and racing out of sight.
Straining to keep up, Seth broke into a jog.
Leaning my head against his shoulder, I drew upon the well of magic swirling in my breast until the final wisp of light faded, leaving me with an empty, hollow void.
Had we made it? Or had we faded into dust? A thousand years might have passed, or only a single moment. When I opened my eyes, it felt like I broke the surface of an ocean I’d been submerged in for a lifetime.
Seth stared down at me, face creased with worry. He sat on a bed of patchy grass, cradling me in his lap. A blue sky crowned the world, and red trees swayed in the breeze, painting colors against the backdrop of the Empty, looming behind us like an oppressive wall.
We’d made it.
Sitting bolt upright, I quickly regretted my actions. My body felt like its threads had come unwound, and pain splintered through me. Leaning my head against Seth’s chest, I grinned like an idiot and looked up, expecting the same expression on his face.
His worry softened into a smile. “Fine. I was wrong. There are mages of the Empty, after all.”
Laughter escaped my lips, and Seth chuckled with me. A wet muzzle nudged my hand, and I reached out to ruffle Whisper’s ears.
“How did you manage it?” Seth asked.
“I gave up,” I said. “I knew it was pointless to try. Even if I could carve a path, we had no idea if we’d reach the other side.”
Seth furrowed his brow, not entirely understanding. “Did it hurt?”
I grimaced, echoes of the agony radiating in my bones. “Yes. I don’t know how to describe it.”
“Then it should be used sparingly.”
Nodding, I closed my eyes again. The Empty had been lifeless, cold. Seth was warm, alive. My hand curled into his tunic, pulling me nearer to him, as though closeness could infuse me with the life beating beneath his breast.
Seth wrapped his hand around mine, trapping it against his chest. “Don’t tell anyone about this.”
“What?” I gasped, eyes flying open.
“Do you remember what I said? They’ll turn you into a martyr.”
“But I can save everyone! What if I can travel through the Acheron and destroy the Empty entirely?”
“I see two futures for you.” Seth’s gaze hardened. “The clergy and a mob of angry people force you to the Empty, and you tear yourself apart trying to appease them. Or. . .” He trailed off.
“Or what?”
Seth inhaled and closed his eyes. “Promise me you won’t use this magic where anyone can see. Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”
The energy he usually radiated washed away. Lines of sorrow riddled his face, and his teeth dug into his bottom lip. Memories danced behind his eyes, and I could but wonder what he saw.
“Seth?” I reached out and gently cupped his face.
I wanted him to open up, to tell me the truth. But he exhaled and looked away instead.
“Can you stand?” He asked, brushing my hand away. “We should look for the others.”
“Give me a moment,” I breathed. The pain I’d felt while casting slowly faded away, until only a bearable ache remained.
Finding my footing, I slipped from his grasp and stood, wandering back toward the Empty to examine the hole I’d cleaved in the abyss.
A thin strip of life bloomed between the endless nothing, verdant grass flecked by pale blue flowers.
Kneeling, I plucked a flower from its stem and lifted it to my eyes, turning the petals over, half-expecting them to simply vanish.
“Incredible,” Seth marveled. He nudged me. “I bet you can’t wait to tell Eleos all about it.”
Eleos. Hope dared to bloom in my chest. Maybe. . . maybe they were okay. Maybe they were waiting for us, somewhere.
“You—” I whirled around, jabbing my finger into his chest. “I thought you said to keep this secret?”
“Not from the others.” He shook his head. “I’m worried you’ll tell Seraphim’s lordly brother and his border hounds.”
Retracting my hand, I pursed my lips. A hundred years had passed since anyone had been granted the authority to travel to Duath Nun. In an effort to persuade them, I probably would have embellished my talents and insisted I could save them from doom.
“Mhm.” Seth’s eyebrow shot up. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“I have an excellent poker face. How did you read me?”
“You’ve lost every training bout, princess. I’m gathering your secrets like gold.”
“Yeah? And what have you learned?”
Tilting his head, he brushed a leaf from my hair, fingers lingering on my curls. “If something threatens our goals, if someone hurts us? You’d trade your life to save ours in a heartbeat.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I tried to swallow it. Had he really seen through me from a few silly secrets I’d shared at camp?
Seth stared at me in silence, shoulders tautening. He leaned closer, and I gravitated toward him.
Though our trip through the Empty had been hazy, I remembered one thing clearly—his gentle voice, promising me he would protect me.
A strange magnetism drew me toward him. His fingers slid through my locks to my cheek. Our noses brushed.
The soft expression on his face vanished, and he pulled back. Dropping his hand, he stepped away.
Tension fled from my body, and my muscles relaxed. The air felt thick when he drew near, and breath flooded my lungs when he left.
“Let’s get going,” I said, clearing my throat. “We should backtrack to the outpost and then follow the road.”
Nodding in agreement, Seth found a hill and clambered up, using the vantage point to discern our location and find our destination. Hanging back, I tucked the flower behind my ear, hoping it would live long enough to show Eleos.
As I removed my hand from my hair, I gasped and stumbled backward. The skin on my arm had become translucent, allowing me to see through my own body—the shapes and colors of the grass and dirt were barely visible through my skin.
Panicked, I raised my other hand to see the same thing. My dress turned translucent, my legs but ghosts beneath it.
I was fading away.
My affliction passed. As though an imagined illusion, I was whole again. Gasping, I ran my fingers over my arms, catching my breath as my heart pounded against my ribs.
No magic came free. It required intent, a medium, a price.
Was mine to fade away?