Tobias #2
“Marin?” Pari peeked through the open doorway, panting like she ran here. She too wore lighter clothes suited to warmer weather, her short, silvery hair pulled back in a bun. “I’m sorry to barge in. Queen Sariyah gave me the information you asked for, and I heard you were here.”
Rivan bristled, squaring his shoulders like he was preparing for battle. “I thought we weren’t there yet.”
Feeling slightly betrayed Quinn hadn’t mentioned whatever this was to me sooner, I looked first at her then at Pari, before demanding, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Pari raised a brow, her smirk crinkling her dark brown eyes. “Nice to see you too, Your Majesty.”
I didn’t let myself react to the sarcasm in her voice or the title that made me shift on my feet as I waited for the answer.
“It’s the process on how to induce a magical coma,” Marin admitted, a hint of defeat in her tone. “I thought it might give us more time to find a cure.”
Bash whirled on her, his voice harsh as he asked, “And you just thought to mention this?”
“It’s not easily done,” Marin continued tiredly. “And it’s meant as a last resort. Eva will need some form of magical anchor to stay stable while comatose, and with animas that usually means—”
“What do I need to do?”
Bash’s voice was steady, his jaw set. Despite my less than spectacular first impression of my sister’s anima, this was exactly why he had won me over in the end.
His love for her was all-encompassing. Even if it would cost him his life, he wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever was necessary to save hers.
“You’ll both be incapacitated.”
Bash waved his hand dismissively. “My brilliant anima set up a system of representatives, all of whom I have full faith in.”
“It’s more complicated than that,” Marin argued. “If this doesn’t work—”
Bash was already shaking his head. “Nothing else matters. Nothing matters more than her, not to me.”
We may have had our differences, but I had to respect Bash’s devotion to my twin.
She deserved someone who would risk everything for her, whose heart would always find its way back to hers, no matter the cost. My eyes found Quinn almost instinctively, and I watched as she restlessly tucked a stray curl behind her ear.
Eva wasn’t the only one who deserved that level of devotion.
“I still need to review the process,” Marin grumbled.
“But from what Esme explained, we’d need to put both of you into a joint sort of stasis.
Your bond will keep you there together while Bash’s magic will keep it powered and stable.
If done right, it should protect her brain from the effects of the virus and pause its progress by keeping you both in a state where the virus can’t multiply. ”
Quinn looked hopeful as she murmured, “Like a sort of magical life-support.”
“With the mental fog as it stands, I can’t tell what’s reversible,” Marin continued. She looked over at Quinn and me. “If you’re able to find a cure and force the fog to recede, then we can see what the damage is to those pathways and focus on healing them.”
The pity in Marin’s eyes hit me like a slap. My jaw clenched, biting back my retort.
“When,” Quinn corrected her. “When I find a cure, not if.”
Quinn lifted her chin, as if daring fate to contradict her. The fierce light in her eyes, the stubborn tilt of her lips—she looked every bit the force of nature she was, and it nearly brought me to my knees in awe.
Marin nodded solemnly. “When you find a way to clear the fog, then we can figure out what she remembers.”
The muscles of my neck seemed to freeze in place as I tried to mimic Quinn’s nod, like even that passive agreement might jinx us.
“What matters is keeping her alive until she’s cured, by any means necessary. When she’s better, I don’t care how many times I have to make her fall in love with me,” Bash said with a hint of his usual charm. “But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Yael reached across the bed to lay a comforting hand on Bash’s shoulder. I found myself meeting Quinn’s gaze, though I quickly looked away.
Bash’s thumb brushed across Eva’s cheek. “If we’re in statis together, will I be able to dreamwalk to her?”
“There’s no guarantee of anything,” Marin said carefully. “But from what I understand, it’s likely.”
Bash straightened. “I could talk to her? Find her on the other side of the barrier?”
“I’m not making any promises.” Marin sighed. “If it goes as expected though, the hope is that you’d be able to…reach through the fog.”
“Do it,” he ordered.
“Bash…” Marin started.
He cut her off. “If it’s the only way for me to reach her—”
“It’s also highly probable that a virus that magically targets the mind could be transmitted in that state,” Marin snapped. “Not to mention what would happen if she took a turn while you’re linked like that. It’s why I waited to bring it up—it’s a last resort. We can’t risk losing both of you.”
Bash’s smile held a shadow of pain. “You say that like losing her isn’t tantamount to losing me anyways.” He extended his hand to his sister in a silent appeal. “Please, Marin. We both know if it was Yael in this bed, you wouldn’t give it a second thought.”
Marin stared back at him, her gaze glassy. Bash’s lips pressed together, waiting.
I bit my tongue, knowing Marin was only coming from a place of keeping her brother safe.
If our situations were reversed, I would’ve said the same.
If there was anything I could do to ensure Eva’s safety—if I could trade places with her right now—I would do so in a heartbeat.
Between the two of us, I knew who I needed to live.
But Bash could be trusted to put Eva first. Whatever silent conversation passed between the siblings ended with Marin letting out a weary groan.
“Fine,” she sighed. “Give me an hour to finish reviewing this.” She shot a look at Yael, who looked ready to argue. “Time is of the essence here. I’ll sleep once it’s done.”
Quinn gave her a grateful look. “This is exactly what we need. More time to give me—give us—a chance to find a cure.” Quinn glanced at me like said cure wouldn’t be entirely her doing.
Maybe it was more than sharing credit where credit wasn’t due though. Maybe she needed someone to share the burden.
I met her gaze and managed a slow nod—a silent promise. Wherever this road led, I would be at her side. I wouldn’t let her walk it alone.
Bash looked between us, his eyes an endless, swirling gray. The plea in them was unmistakable.
My voice was low but steady. “Keep her alive, and we’ll find a way to save her.”
Marin rubbed the bridge of her nose. “If it doesn’t work, I’ll bring you out of it. I’ll be monitoring you both closely, so it’ll be easy to tell if she deteriorates.”
Shadows curled around Bash’s arms as if bracing him. “It won’t hurt her, right?”
“No,” Marin confirmed as she used her free hand to cover a yawn. Her magic had to be drained from keeping the virus at bay. I felt a twinge of guilt that I had yet to thank her for keeping my sister alive. “But this sort of magic doesn’t come without risk. If she dies—”
“Then I don’t care what happens to me,” Bash interjected, his tone leaving no room for argument. “If it gives her a fighting chance…if it gives us time…” He lifted Eva’s limp hand, intertwining their fingers together. “Then it’s worth it.”
Looking uneasy, Marin gave a small nod. “I’ll make the preparations. We’ll do this tonight.”
I turned back towards Quinn in time to see the light in her eyes dim as she watched the slow, fragile rise and fall of Eva’s chest. When her lower lip trembled, I made myself a vow—
This time, I wouldn’t fail them.