58. Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Kya
“ W hat does that mean?” Malina asked.
Theron had taken us to Hakoa’s barrack at first light, and we were now in his sitting area.
Ryker and I were sitting next to Mavris, sipping on hot tea with Malina and Hakoa across from us, both of which were still dressed in what they had been sleeping in.
Malina was wearing loose pants and one of Hakoa’s shirts, and Hakoa wore only pants, leaving his tattoos on display.
While they rubbed the sleep from their eyes, we told them what we had discovered about my magic and how everything was coming together to stop Daegel once and for all.
“What does what mean?” I leaned back against the couch and Ryker put his arm over my shoulders, pulling me against his side.
“The star river and the Rip. What does that mean?” she asked again.
“We think it’s leading us to Daegel’s location.” It was the only reason we could think of, at least. And I hope we aren’t wrong.
Malina’s eyes widened, darting between Ryker and I.
“You are seriously not thinking of going after him, are you? Fuck, Kya. Look at what he did. He captured Nik. He destroyed Voara and tore down the palace for Nox’s sake.
” She glared at Ryker. “You’re really going to allow her to confront him again?
He killed her Spirit. He’s after her. What makes you think he won’t kill her?
He already tried to with her Kiss laced arrow. ”
“Which I doubt he knew was poisoned. No fae would die from just a simple arrow,” I added.
“That’s not the point. He tried to kill you, and your mate is going to just take you right back to him.”
Ryker’s arm tightened around me. “This is her decision. I won’t stop her. And if she is going, you can damn well expect that I’m going to help her in any way I can. Regardless if I’m happy with it or not.”
“You disagree that I should go? I’m the only one who can stop him.”
“No, little gem, I don’t disagree. But that doesn’t mean I like it.” He kissed my temple.
Malina just stared at me for several moments. I could see her mind working. Running through scenarios and variables. Until finally coming to the conclusion that it was better that I have as much help as I could get rather than no help at all.
“Well…shit. Then I’m going too,” Malina said.
“So am I.” Hakoa crossed his arms.
“Ayen’s ass…” Mavris pinched his nose. “Yeah, me too.”
“No,” I stated. I would not put any more lives in danger than was necessary. I knew that no matter what I couldn’t keep Ryker from coming, he’d just find me anyway.
“Excuse me?” Malina barked. “Why the fuck not?”
“Because you don’t need to be there. I’m not putting you at unnecessary risk.” And I didn’t want to worry about her. She could handle herself just fine, but against Daegel? I wasn’t sure she’d be any help.
“Don’t,” she said through gritted teeth, and everyone stiffened at her tone. “You think that just because Nik is gone you have to be like him?”
I met her stare before announcing to the room. “Can you give us a minute?”
Everyone quickly stood and went outside, closing the door behind them and leaving Malina and I alone.
“I’m not being like Nik. This is completely different,” I said trying not to get worked up.
“Oh? And how is that? You’re trying to stop me from my decision for the sake of what you think is best for me. It’s no different from how he is.” I could feel the bite in her words.
“It is different.” My voice grew louder.
“How? How is this any different?”
“Because if something happens and I don’t make it back with Nik, you’ll be the only one left…” I squeezed my eyes closed and exhaled. “I don’t think you’d be able to do anything anyway. No element seems to have an effect on this male. I’m not going to lose the last family I have left.”
“Oh boohoo.” My eyes snapped open just in time to see her rolling her eyes.
“You know, for someone who’s so godsdamn smart, you’re pretty fucking stupid sometimes.
It doesn’t matter if any of us are left.
If you’re gone, then there’s no chance that anyone else can come back.
That’s your task, isn’t it? Restore the balance and bring them back?
How are you going to do that if you’re dead?
” she whispered. “This is bigger than any one of us. This is for them.”
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t say anything against that.
“What exactly do you have planned anyway? You’re just going to go find this male and hit him with some green light, all by yourself, and hope that he brought Nik along with him?”
“No.” Malina narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “I…I don’t know. I don’t have all the answers. I’m going off of very little, and mo st of that is just based on guesses.” I hated not being certain. Not having a plan. There was so much that was unknown, and that left too many possibilities.
Her eyes softened. “Kya, it’s alright to not have all the answers. But let us help you. Let us decide for ourselves what to risk, and let me help you sort through this. Come on. “ She got up and came to sit next to me. “Let’s work it out!”
The side of my mouth lifted. Maybe she was right. Maybe this time, I needed to work with others rather than alone.
“Alright.” I nodded.
“Well, tell pigeon boy to get back in here!”
“I heard that,” Ryker grumbled and I could practically hear his eyes rolling.
They all came back in and sat back down. Ryker sat on the other side of me, and I reached for his hand, pulling it into my lap. Hakoa and Mavris sat across from us. Mavris leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees.
“Right then. So Daegel is somewhere near the Rip according to stars, correct?” Malina started.
“Yes.” I nodded.
“And Kya’s energy magic harms him to some effect,” Hakoa said.
“All we really need to do then is distract Daegel enough so that Kya can get in a good shot. That seems simple enough,” Mavris said with a shrug.
“Easier said than done,” Hakoa muttered.
“Except we can’t kill him if Nik isn’t there. We need him alive to find out where he’s keeping him,” I said, and everyone’s heads turned to me.
“She’s right,” Ryker agreed. “But if he is there, then yes. We just need to make sure that we get Nikan away from Daegel first. Then Kya can hit him with her energy. ”
“Let’s say that we are actually successful. What do we do after? Just go back to living our lives like nothing happened?” Malina slumped back with a sigh.
I tapped my chin and contemplated. I had thought of what my energy could truly do. “Well, first I need to see if what I think can happen will happen.”
Ryker looked at me questioningly.
I chuckled. “Come on. Let’s go find out.”
We all stood and left Hakoa’s barrack and made the trek to the edge of the city, where the Glaev surrounded what was left. I shivered, partly because of the cold and partly because of the sight before me. It was the first time I had seen the extent of the destruction.
I broke away from Ryker’s arm around my shoulder and walked over to the Glaev, standing before it and staring at the decimated terra. I hated the sight of it, the empty black hole that I could feel, the reminder of the mindless destruction it brought by simply being.
Without a second thought, I called my magic to me and swirling tendrils filled my outstretched palms, tingling across my skin.
I concentrated on what I wanted it to do, and pushed it to the Glaev-infected land in front of me.
Ryker approached and stood behind, watching and not disturbing me as my magic spread across the blackened area.
But then people had started to gather and were whispering amongst themselves.
My magic started to dwindle, my concentration diminishing.
What if this didn’t work? What if I was wrong or worse, what if this did more damage than good?
I started to pull back my magic, but then shadows enveloped all around me and I felt the heat of Ryker’s body at my back. His breath brushed against my ear as he spoke.
“Shh. Clear your mind. Don’t think about anything else. It’s just you and me here.”
I nodded and took a deep breath. “Okay.”
I pushed my magic out again, with more force this time. It took several moments and sweat started to bead above my brow from the effort, but then, the darkness, the Glaev, began to dissipate and what looked like white smoke rose into the air.
The back of my eyes pricked with tears and I gasped quietly, continuing to push out more and more of my magic, causing the land to glow. I was healing the land, ridding it of the plague that had assaulted the world. Once a small area was filled with lush green grass, I stopped.
All this time, Odarum had had the ability to fix all of this. But because of their interference restrictions, he couldn’t. But I could.
“It worked,” I whispered under my breath.
“My powerful mate.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
He pulled his shadows back to him and gasps sounded from the surrounding people as they took in the sight of the healed Glaev with a slight glow around the edges, like it was still slowly growing and working on its own.
I wasn’t waiting another moment to fix more. I pushed forward and out, spreading the tendrils of energy as far and wide as I could.
Hours passed. And I pushed and pushed more and more of my energy to restore the land around the city. The buildings didn’t miraculously reappear, but they could be rebuilt. I had made it halfway around the city before I nearly collapsed from the exertion.
Shouts and clapping and hooting erupted from all around from the people. The Glaev was gone. Not all of it, but where I had touched it with my energy.
My head felt hazy, and my body was weak. It didn’t help that I had just suffered poisoning only days earlier. Ryker noticed my fatigued state. He came up next to me and placed a supportive arm around my waist.
“Let’s all part ways here and get some rest so that we can leave at dusk,” Ryker said. “Kya and I will go to the cave and try to get some sleep. I have a feeling that we have a very long night ahead of us, and we’ll need our strength to go against Daegel.”
“Why do we have to leave at dusk? Why don’t we just leave now?” Hakoa asked, and I couldn’t help but notice that he leaned slightly closer to Malina.
“Because we need to be able to follow the River constellation for a more accurate location. The Rip is huge, and it does make sense that he would be near there, but it’s just unclear as to where exactly. The constellation will give us a better guide.”
“Because of your Trial riddle?” he asked skeptically.
“Yes,” Ryker and I said in unison.
“You must have a lot of faith in the Gods,” Hakoa huffed.
I shrugged with a small smile. “I have to.”
We all went our separate ways then. Ryker flew us back to the cave, I was too exhausted to even summon my wings, let alone fly. Once we were in the cave, he took my hand and led me to the kitchen alcove.
“Let me get you something to eat,” Ryker said, guiding me to sit at the small table near the corner.
As if on cue, my stomach gurgled. “I am pretty hungry.”
He chuckled as he took out a few things from the cabinets and lit a fire with a pot of water over it. “Do you like stew?”
“Who doesn’t?”
“Stew it is, then,” he said with a wink, then turned back around to the ingredients on the counter in front of him.
I watched him prepping the food, cutting up vegetables and dumping them into the pot of boiling water. All the while, I could hear his thoughts and I’m not sure he even realized it.
He can’t have her.
I can’t stop her, I won’t.
Maybe I should just leave while she’s asleep and take care of him myself.
No. I couldn’t do that to her. She would resent me for it. I care about her brother and I want to stop the dark wielder, but I care so much more for her.
I don’t want to risk her.
How can I keep her safe?
His mind was spiraling. He was worried and anxious, and I hated that he felt that way, but I didn’t know how to make it better. I came up behind and wrapped my arms around his waist and held him tightly. It was all the comfort I knew how to give in that moment.
I caressed down the bond. “No one will take me from you.”