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“How do you do it?” Nova asked. “Get past it, I mean. Sorry if that’s too personal.”
A small smile touched Clarke’s lips. “It’s okay. I don’t mind. At first, it was insanely hard. This isn’t the first child Rush was separated from during their youth. I was absolutely furious on his behalf. I wanted to protect him from that pain. But when we tried to rescue Willow against the advice of Varen”—she glanced over her shoulder at Colt and Dawn, still talking amongst themselves, then at Nova with serious eyes—“I learned something about Willow’s fate that I wasn’t willing to accept. Her being in the human city is only the beginning of it. You can’t imagine how hard it is to make these decisions for your child, to know that she’ll be hurt no matter our choice. We just want her to grow up and to be happy.”
“That’s all any good parent wants.” Nova’s hand fluttered to her throat. “Are you saying she won’t?”
Clarke’s gaze turned inward, and she frowned. “She will now. I might not have liked leaving her in Crystal City, but I know she’s alive because of it.”
“Parden me for saying so, but didn’t you envision her covered in blood?”
“I did. But she was alive. It’s likely someone else’s blood. At the very least, Rory has trained her in self-defense and perhaps more. Come on, we can walk and talk if you have more questions.”
Nova slipped on her sandals and followed Clarke to the edge of the temple.
“Actually, wait here. I’ll be a moment,” Nova said to Clarke and then went to the two women quietly talking amongst themselves. “I just wanted to express my gratitude that you took the time out of your busy day to help me.”
Colt blinked at Nova. Dawn fiddled with a butterfly pin holding the hair between her curved horns.
Colt smiled and touched Nova on the arm. “We look forward to spending more time with you, dear. Please know that it’s not always this tense around here.”
Nova gave the women a nod and then started toward Clarke.
Dawn grabbed her wrist. “Was she happy?”
“Pardon?” Nova frowned, confused.
“Aleksandra,” Dawn explained, her voice hoarse from grief. “You were the last to see her. Was she happy?”
Nova thought about it. “I didn’t get to spend much time alone with her. She helped me when I was sick. That was very kind of her. And I’m sure I saw her shed a tear and smile when the dancers performed scenes from her old life. But there were moments when she looked empty and flat… or maybe accepting of her fate. I’m not sure I can help much more than that.”
Dawn let go. “You have. We always knew this was coming. I’m sure D’arn Leaf has told you what was in her letter to him by now, but—”
“He hasn’t read it.”
Dawn’s eyes widened. “Why not?”
Nova shrugged. She hadn’t spoken much to Leaf since his outburst. It still infuriated her.
“I haven’t read the letter,” Dawn mumbled, almost to herself. “It was sealed. But I’ve been safeguarding it since Leaf first emerged from the lake. I had no idea he was Crimson. Maybe losing his memories saved him from being targeted. The soul is what drives the ripples in the Well. Please get him to read it.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Nova assured. At least that was something she could help with. She hoped.
“It will be okay, Dawn,” Clarke said with confidence.
“How can you know?” Dawn’s voice broke. “Nothing we predict turns out the way we think. It’s all a mess.”
“I just know,” Clarke replied. “It’s not my gift. It’s not a truth-telling or anything like that. But having Nova gifted to us in these final hours of hopelessness has to mean the Well isn’t done looking after us. Trust that she’s the miracle we’ve been waiting for.”
Nova’s eyes teared up. She tried to blink them away but couldn’t. Clarke caught her and said, “I don’t mean for you to feel any pressure. And don’t go getting a big head. We have enough of those around here—oh look, speaking of big heads…”
Leaf crested the vast temple steps with a basket in his hand. His cheeks were red from the walk up, and his blond hair was windblown, but he was still somehow so sexy with that leather battle uniform hugging his muscular physique. Blue eyes clashed with Nova’s, and she scowled at him.
“I’d like time alone with my mate,” he decreed gruffly to the others.
“No can do, compadre,” Clarke said, taking Nova’s hand. “We have work to do—work, need I remind you, thatyouordered? She must learn the basics of her gift, we have to establish a baseline of health, and then we need to test her limits as Mages draw on mana while touching her.”
Colt and Dawn sent Leaf an irritated look, but then smiled at Nova before they left. Clarke folded her arms and stood her ground as Leaf’s expression became a mix of exhaustion, anger, and bewilderment.
“I’m serious,” Clarke said, her eyebrows raising. “We all want alone time with our mates, believe me, but we need to suck it up and work out how to survive this battle. Egos can check themselves at the door.”
