I’d met the panther, the bonded spirit of my human and nightcrawler guardians, in the Sanctuary of the Soundless. Then I remembered the serpent in the maze; it was the bonded spirit of my soulless and fae guardians. Now my eyes watered to watch the bonded spirit of my soulless and celestial guardians aid me now.
The raven struck again and again, and with Dawn distracted, I plunged into my magick. It surged through my veins, coursed over my arms, and spilled into my palms—now flesh once more.
I was skin and bone and breakable in this realm, but I didn’t want to be anywhere else.
Gathering the light within me, I breathed deeply, tempting Lightsdeath but not letting it fully unleash. With a bright gale swirling between my palms, I thrust forward, sending it hurtling toward Dawn, but not with enough force to kill. Katerina still lived, and I had to believe there was a way to save her even when I killed Dawn.
I stood there panting as the snow and wind settled.
Dawn wasn’t here.
Rushing forward, I scanned desperately, but Katerina’s body wasn’t lying injured as I’d expected.
Instead, the raven cawed, landing on a tree branch.
“There is one too great of an enemy to waste focus on others who have been misled by human flaws,” the raven said, words that passed through my mind like a song instead of aloud.
“What does that mean?” I asked, taking a step closer, desperate for any guidance to navigate the many adversaries I faced.
“You know exactly what I mean, Maiden. Your heart is as human as every mortal on this land. It makes selfish choices and can be blind to those it hurts. You can forgive and never forget, but if you forget you will never forgive.”
“Wait—!”
The raven took off too fast, and I clutched a hand to my chest with an ache that beat with every push of the bird’s wings as it soared away.
I had to remember they weren’t my guardians anymore; they belonged to the realm now and held no sentiment for me. Though it made me yearn to go back to Alisus and see them in their mortal forms again now that I had my memories.
A tear slipped down my cheek and I swiped it away, turning back to the task I had to fulfill.
The dragon, even in its still, silent form, strengthened my shaken resolve. There was no greater ally to secure, but also no deadlier enemy to face.
Every dragon we released: there was no telling to which side of fate their allegiance would bond.
31Nyte
“What if the only way out is for one of us to kill the other?” Drystan pondered, breaking the eerie silence as we descended in darkness.
“Then it was nice knowing you. I can’t be killed,” I answered flatly.
“I might have Astraea’s blood with me.”
“You don’t.”
“You wouldn’t scent it in a tightly sealed bottle.”
“I would.”
Drystan made a disgruntled sound. “Is that all you’d have to say to me?”
“I’d rather not waste time on theoretical last words.”
“I suppose we’ve already been there.”
I didn’t need to be reminded of that horror. I’d fallen into the curse not long after I heard about Drystan’s plan that he’d sworn Astraea to keep in secrecy. When she’d plunged her stormstone dagger though his heart… I’d believed it was true. That she’d killed him. And the reminder surged my anger about the ruse, which I hadn’t gotten to unleash on either of them.
“Next time I won’t waste my breath,” I muttered.
“You have to admit, the plan to get Death to transform Astraea was genius.”
