Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
LYRIANA
“Lyriana? Meka? Open your eyes.” Auriel loomed over me, his eyebrows furrowed, his face anxious.
I sat up and moaned, my stomach twisting into knots.
Fuck. Everything hurt. I shuddered, remembering the weight of the dead chimera on my legs, and the vision I’d had in the Queen’s playground.
Gods. That chimera could have killed me.
If I hadn’t had that vision, hadn’t remembered that past life, it would have.
I looked past Auriel. We were on a bed, in a large rounded room, surrounded by floor to ceiling windows, all without glass. Seraphim were chirping, and ashvan flew by, running across blue rainbows.
White columns painted with the phases of the moon filled the space. It looked exactly like the eyes of the wolf-skull. Like the bone-chilling half of the chimera, just before he attacked.
I looked down at my body. I was dressed in armor, my tunic, cloak, and boots, though my weapons and chest plate were missing as I gingerly tested out the movement of my right arm, wincing in preparation for pain. But it moved with ease.
In fact, it felt fine.
“You’re healed,” Auriel said quietly. “You’re completely healed.”
I frowned. “How?” Then I grabbed the front of his armor, terror washing over me. “How long was I out this time?”
“No time at all,” he said, taking my hand and squeezing it. “Not really—considering. About an hour in our time.”
I shook my head. “Our time is Moon Court time. What is that? Like a day in Lumeria?”
Auriel shook his head. “Don’t think about it. What matters is you’re okay. And the chimera is dead.”
“And the Queen?” I asked.
“She’s the one who healed you, cleaned you up.”
“The shard?” I asked.
“The exchange will happen in private. She doesn’t want the court to see her handing over such a powerful weapon.”
“Won’t they know anyway? They’re Afeya.”
Auriel shook his head. “They can know, like they can know anything. But they won’t know immediately.
Remember— they have to be asked. If they don’t see it, they won’t know it happened.
And unless they come across a Lumerian who asks for this key piece of information, or something related to it, they might as well remain in the dark. ”
“You’re sure?” I asked. “She’ll keep her word this time?”
“She has to. The same way a blood oath will find a way to punish you if broken, a bargain broken by an Afeya will also have disastrous consequences.”
“She could delay. Find a loophole. It feels like she’s tried every other trick or method of extortion she could find.”
“I know,” he agreed. “But she won’t. Thanks to Ramia. And much as I hate to fucking say it—thanks to Mercurial.”
“Bastard,” I spat.
“Agreed.” His eyes searched mine. “But he wants you to have the shard, and in a way, because of her goals, so does she, even though she doesn’t want to relinquish the power.
” He sighed. “Meka.” His eyes searched mine.
“I was so fucking worried for you with the chimera. I know you’d never seen one before—not as Lyriana. You never learned what to do.”
“I remembered,” I said.
He squeezed my hand. “Asherah?”
“No,” I said. “It–they?” I shook my head.
It didn’t matter. “The beast said a name down there that I didn’t recognize, but it pulled me into memories of another life.
I was on the other side of the Lumerian Ocean I think.
And Rhyan,” I met his eyes, “You. You were there. A prince. You didn’t know how to fight in this life.
I killed the chimera in the vision. To save you. ” To save Rhyan.
“The other side of the ocean?” he frowned, then his eyes lit up with a mix of nostalgia and joy, a slow smile spreading across his face. “I remember.” His voice lowered. “I remember you in that life.”
“What was it?” I asked, a sudden vision of Rhyan, of Auriel, as the prince flashing through my mind. My heart pounded. For all three of them now. “Who was I?”
But Auriel shook his head. “That’s for another time. What we need now is to remember what we can of your life as Asherah. She’s the one who wielded the cure. That’s the life that has the knowledge you need. That Rhyan needs.”
I swallowed. “What if I don’t remember?”
“You will. With the shard in your possession, you will. And if not, I will tell you.” He winked, and pointed to the Valya that he now wore in its case on his belt like a librarian would.
“I’ll tell you everything. We’ll get it right.
” Then he frowned. “She’ll be here in a minute. The Queen. She senses you’re awake.”
“I need to stand,” I said, releasing Auriel’s hand. “I’m not meeting her again, laying down. Not after what she just fucking did to me.”
Auriel stepped back, and retrieved Asherah’s chest plate. “I feel the same way. Here, let me help you with this.” He swept my hair to the side and then laid the chest plate over me, before hooking it into place behind my neck.
Together, we sheathed my weapons, sliding my dagger and swords back onto my belt. My hand swept over the stave, still tucked safely in the leather case Rhyan had gotten me.
“I didn’t even think to use this,” I said. “With the chimera.”
He made an amused sound, low in his throat.
“You’re more warrior than you realize.” His hand swept across my back, and then we both straightened.
An ashvan of pure silver with a white mane, and a rider with burgundy hair flew toward us.
The blue bridge soared ahead and landed in the room.
The Queen pulled on ashvan reins made of pearls before dismounting.
“Well done, Lady Lyriana,” she said.
“Your Majesty,” I gritted through my teeth. “Do you have my shard?”
“Right to the point, I see,” she said, her eyes darkening.
“I’m ready to leave. Your dealings with Auriel are over.”
She laughed, tossing her head back.
“What’s so funny?” I demanded.
She straightened, and grinned slowly. “My dealings with Auriel are not over. Not even close, Goddess. Nor have they ended with you. For you were there. Auriel may have spoken the words, he may have authored the curse. But whose magic supported him? Hmmm? Who was by his side? Who was the reason why the light could never be whole? Why it was stolen in the first place?” She stepped toward me, moving into my personal space.
“It’s you.” She pointed at my chest, at my heart.
“You. His soulmate. His mekarim. It was always you who caused all of this. You were the fire. The fire who sealed the curse into place. But the same fire that shall undo it. When you’re ready.
“My ashvan will take you to the vaults in the Yara Vale, found between the peaks of Anessi, and Vrenya. The mountains which you’ll find in the center of the Shevagni Mountain Range.
That is where I’ve kept the shard. I’ve given instructions for you to be permitted inside.
For my guard to disperse upon your arrival, and to allow you to take what is yours.
Then you’ll be granted leave from my country via the Yara Vale north into Korteria. ”
Korteria. Ka Kormac’s land. The home of Vrukshire. Of Brockton. My throat went dry.
“Ramia will meet you at the vaults, and show you in. We’ll need Auriel of course.
After all, he is the key. And then, you must find Lord Rhyan.
His akadim form must be killed, either in a way that removes him from this world completely, or calls his soul back to his body.
But it must happen. You cannot falter. For in his current state, he is working hard for the enemy.
And growing closer and closer to bringing about our doom.
” Her eyes blazed. “Asherah, you must stop the prophecy.”
If Lord Rhyan Hart’s soul cannot be restored, he will prove to be one of the most dangerous, and destructive forces the Empire has ever seen. Worse than the rise of Moriel.
The vision held by three.
“I will,” I gritted through my teeth.
She handed the reins of her ashvan to me. “Go. Claim the shard. Claim your power. And when your obligation to Mercurial ends, you know where to find me.”
One battle. For one battle, I’d have a legion of Afeya at my command.
I nodded.
Auriel hoisted me onto the ashvan’s back, and then climbed behind.
He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against him and I coaxed the ashvan forward, commanding it to fly.
A blue bridge glowed against the floor, and our ashvan took off, running faster and faster, until we were flying out the window, wind pushing against us.
We rose toward the moon, flying higher and higher, as the bridge circled toward the top of our tower and turned north. To the vault. To the red shard.
And to Rhyan.