34. Chapter 34
Malik stood before me, observing the spot where Myaella had just been standing, watching as roots now made their way around my arms, embracing me.
"Are you okay, Lyra?" Malik asked.
I nodded, taking in the roots and how they now fluttered around me, in awe of just how fast everything had changed.
I did my best to hold steady, working to keep the real reason for traveling to Rida at the forefront of my mind, and not let myself succumb to the relief of the roots finally lending themselves to me once again.
I could feel everything again, every part of the roots, all without pain.
For a moment, I was transported back to when my powers first came to light, the feeling of the strength of the roots rushing through me, the high that came from it.
"Now what do we do?" Malik asked.
I took a deep breath, picking my hands up from the ground and clutching them to my chest to ground myself.
"We go to Rida like we planned. See what awaits us, and then…"
I looked to Malik then and found him observing me with more adoration than I had ever seen in my life.
I had always felt steady under his gaze, and now when I looked at him, I felt invincible, like I could conquer whatever it was that awaited us at Rida.
For the first time, it felt like the possible end of the Mother Blessed wasn't awaiting me, like we weren't risking everything with this journey. That we had a fighting chance.
"And then, we face it together," I finished.
"We face it together," he repeated. "But something tells me you could handle it all on your own, if you needed to."
Malik held me close that night. Not out of desperation, not out of fear, but rather, out of love and relief. Relief that we had done it, that we had made it across Wellea, that we were almost to Rida, and that soon all of this would be behind us. As long as we succeeded.
We still had much ahead of us, but something in that moment gave me great peace, like Yllsora was letting me know that no matter what we faced, we would make it through.
We rose with the sun the next morning, moving slowly, the dew kissing the grass beneath our feet as we watered the horses.
I basked in those last moments of normalcy, taking in the feel of the sun on my skin, how it warmed and thawed the cold, reminding me, again, of the balance Yllsora so desperately needed.
The balance I knew the Mother Blessed and the roots could give it.
I drank in the sight of Malik without sleeves as he too enjoyed the warmth, watching as his arms flexed as he worked, the muscles ripping in the sunlight, admiring both his power and tenderness as he led me to my horse.
Together we rode those last few hours to Hythe, not knowing what awaited us when we made it to Rida, but knowing that everything would change once we arrived.
We were close enough to her now that the creaks of her branches filled the air as she swayed, her silhouette following us as we rode, the land under her shadow damp with the lack of sunlight, moss covering everything.
Winter did not find a home here, the entire land in shades of green I could never imagine.
It was so different from Sorrel, yet felt like a place I knew intimately.
We continued to ride throughout the day, the sun peaking and then falling, following us throughout our journey. It wasn't long before Malik slowed to a trot next to me as we made our way through the mountain pass, the world opening wide before us.
"Look," Malik said, nodding to the break in the trees just ahead.
I turned and looked up.
We had arrived at Rida at last.