“Jun…”Myvoice came out a hoarse rasp. “Jun, wake up.”
Hiseyes opened, but they were unfocused.Theydarted around wildly as he tried to focus on my face.
“Pallas?”Thatsubstantial weight gripped my chest, andIstruggled to breathe like someone had clamped a pillow over my face.
“I’mhere,Jun.”Shepushed herself in front of me. “Weare together.”PerhapstheToriof yesterday would have struck her, shoved her away from my brother.Buthe had asked for her, not me.Shewas his comfort, and that great wallowing pit inside me only seemed to grow wider.
Shehelped him sit up, andIdid allIcould to keep my tears containedwhenJunlooked at me.
“Tori?Isthat really you?”Hesat up, his eyes shining, and allIcould see was the little boyIalways needed to protect. “Howdid you—?”Hestarted coughing so roughly that he doubled over again.Iran to the pool and cupped my hands together.Waterfilled them, andIcarefully carried it back to him.
Thewater still contained that ethereal blue glow asIheld it to his lips, and he gulped it down.
“Heneeds more,”Pallasslung the command while her gaze pierced me.Atthat, a bit of the oldTorisurfaced.Icould feel my skin prickling with indignation, but she was right, soIfetched more.
AfterJundrank it all, his coughing subsided, and his eyes seemed more focused. “Whathappened?” he asked.PallasandIexchanged another set of slightly less hostile glances.Butbefore we could answer, his hand came up to his neck and rested where the collar had been.
“Isit over?”Helooked atPallas, not me.Hiseyes were still unfocused.
“Yes.”Sheheld his face in both her hands, and then he collapsed into her, sobbing.Sheheld him tight, her arms stroking his back as he continued to cry. “It’salright, you’re alright.”
Ihadn’t known it was possible to feel emptier, butIdid.AsJuncontinued to sob,Iwalked to the edge of the pool and just stared at the glowing light of it, willing my mind to be as mercifully blank.
“Caughtsome dinner.”Ijumped nearly a foot in the air asAvlynappeared beside me.Ihadn’t even noticed them leave.Theyheld up three small rodents by their tails.Iraised an eyebrow at them.
“Oh, too good for squirrels now,Princess?Don’tworry,I’lleat your share.”Asif on cue, my stomach let out a loud growl.Iwould not be passing up my share.
“Quitethe hodgepodge of creatures living in this place.Ithought it might be best to give you and your brother some space.”Theyglanced over to wherePallasandJunwere whispering to each other and frowned. “Notquite the reunion you expected?”
Isaid nothing, butIknewAvlyncould read everything on my face and in my swollen eyes.
Theylocked their arm around my shoulders gently. “Comeon, help me make a fire.”
Igathered sticks and kindling from nearby, but everything was damp and wouldn’t light. “Wecould use some help over here,”Avlynshouted over their shoulder to where the dragon slept.Nothing.Theyshrugged and went back to trying to light the fire with their flint.
IsawPallasleadJunover to the edge of the pool.Heknelt and cupped more water in his hands to drink.Pallasdid the same.
Myeyes stung again, andIturned away.Ipushed my fingers into the grass and earth below me.Imight have been useless toJunfor too long, butIcould do something.
Iallowed my breathing to settle, even though errant sobs still attempted to sneak through.However, the wild magic of this place was itching to be unleashed, soIdidn't require any additional focus.Ireached just below the surface of the earth and felt the warm sensation of energy.Iclosed my eyes and remembered the feeling of my skin sizzling underAbraxas’ flames, the heat and ash that burned away all that stood before it.Ireached along that invisible golden thread that tied me toAbraxas, and in my mind,Isaw it turn emerald green.Iquickly opened my eyes and focused on the kindling, and one tiny green flame erupted.
“Oi!Warningnext time,”Avlynyelled, then bent over and blew on the rising smoke, trying to get the spark to catch.Afterafew more breaths, the green shifted to orange, and a tinder caught in the kindling.Ihelped set more branches on top when they signaled, and soon, we had a stable fire going.Avlynset to work skinning the squirrels with their dagger.
"So, it seems you aren't completely useless."Pallascrouched down near the fire, but she kept her eyes fixed on mine.Fuckher.
“Idoubt you mentioned this, butIwas the one who got that collar off ofJun.”Myvoice shook, andIdug my nails deeper into the dirt to stop myself from lashing out at her. “Andyou didn’t get him out of there.Wedid.”
“OnlybecauseItook you to him.Whatwould you have done ifIhadn’t?Justleave him behind again?”
Ijumped up, and she did the same.
“Youdon’t know me,Pallas.Iwould have never leftJun!Never!”
“Oh, really?BeforeHadeoncollared him, he kept saying you would come for him.Keptsaying you wouldn’t let anything separate you.Iwanted to believe you would; that he had someone out there who loved him enough to do that.Butyou never came.”Ifroze.Shehad me cornered. “ThenIfind you had been too busy fucking yourself into a queenship to rescue the brother who needed you.”
“Fuckyou.Likeyou’re one to talk.Howlong have you been withHadeonnow, centuries?Whatwas it again? ‘Tiedto him for all eternity?’Giveme a fucking break.”
“YouthinkIhad a choice?”Pallaswhispered it like a curse.
