“All this time,” he murmured. And he knew he would not combust now, would not explode in a swirl of white-gold flame. Not when that wisp of Elyria’s shadow was already inside him—soothing him, tempering his storm.
A tiny touch of ash embedded in the starfyre—no, sunfyre—that burned within him.
And then it was her voice burning through Cedric’s mind, the echo of their playful exchange in the training yard, before she showed him her sparrows for the first time.
“A blade to turn enemies to ash, wielded by the knight who rose from it.”
The hand not clutched between Elyria’s was still wrapped around Ashrender’s hilt. His father’s sword. His mother’s power?
Elyria’s emerald eyes were lined with silver when Cedric looked at her. He felt the swell of light in his chest at the sight, the shimmering cord of their thread pulling against his ribs.
“You are Daephinia’s heir.” Elyria’s words were a reverent whisper, and Cedric almost released an entirely inappropriate laugh at just how ridiculous it felt for her to be talking about him with that sort of awe. She was the one who deserved veneration, not him.
He was no one.
He was just Cedric.
Wasn’t he?
“It’s not—I’m not—” He sucked in a sharp breath, needing to say the words even if he already doubted them. “I don’t think this is possible. I cannot be?—”
“What, mixedborn? The son of the lost princess? The Dawnbringer?” Elder Larkess sounded amused.
Cedric was not.
“The what?”
The elder smiled. “Zephyr? Would you?”
Cedric had almost forgotten about the other sylvan entirely. She stood from the table with a nod, coughing into her fist, her voice small as she began reciting the celestial prophecy. In all honesty, Cedric did not particularly care to hear it, and it seemed neither did Elyria, given the way she rolled her eyes with each sanctimonious verse.
They were the only ones, however. Every other ear in the glade was rapturously listening to Zephyr’s recitation, as if they hoped to glean new information from it.
“From bitterest rivals to heartbreaking ends, two bloods shall find their way,” Zephyr said, and Elyria tensed at Cedric’s side. “Through sacrifice, darkness, and friendship betrayed, as dawn brings a new day.”
Cedric chose to ignore the not-so-subtle curse that Elyria muttered under her breath.
Zephyr cleared her throat once more, her shoulders hunching like she was trying to fold in on herself as she finished. “So will they reclaim the One True Crown, wielding its terrible might. A choice will be offered, an offer then made: Heal the realm or cast it into night.”
“Do you see, my boy?” Larkess said, stepping forward and cuppingCedric’s face gently—just for a moment. “Youarethe prophecy. Dawnbringer. Realm healer.”
“No pressure, boyo.”
Cedric’s eyes narrowed on Thraigg, who had fat tears rolling down his ruddy cheeks. “Did you know?”
The dwarf sniffled. “Gaia’s tits, Ric. Does this look like the bloomin’ face of someone who knew ye were the stars-damned son of prophecy?”
Cedric shook his head. “I’m not. I can’t be. I am not the one who claimed the crown.” Like an instinct, he pulled Elyria closer.
“Prophecy is not always exact,” Elder Larkess mused. “One of you claimed half of the crown. In doing so, so did the other.” She peered at Cedric and Elyria, her milky gaze assessing. It flicked from their linked hands to their dually protective postures to the sides of their necks. Then, dropping her voice as if only speaking to herself, the elder said, “I sense it. Sense the tie between you. Two halves, making a whole.”
Cedric blinked rapidly, the inner corners of his eyes pricking sharply.
“Yes, the prophecy does seem to have a rather funny obsession with twos, doesn’t it?” Elyria grumbled. “Two bloods finding their way, two pieces of the crown.” She paused, looking up at Cedric, her mouth pursing to one side. “Leaves space for interpretation wider than the fucking Chasm, doesn’t it? Aurelia herself said the crown had not fully been claimed. That it wouldn’t, until the halves were reunited. So we may not even have gotten to that part of the prophecy yet.”
“And the ‘two bloods’ could refer to the two of you, together, or it could just mean you alone, Cedric,” Zephyr added quietly.
Elyria grimaced, as though agreeing with Zephyr caused her physical pain, but she nodded.“Human and Arcanian blood flows through your veins, solimaeus.”
