“Scottie.” Her amber eyes were red-rimmed and wide as she took me in. A large fireplace was roaring to life behind her and a thick, wool blanket was pulled up to her chin.
“I hope I didn’t wake you,” I said slowly.
“You didn’t.” Her voice was soft and gentle, compared to her usual teasing and bickering. “What’s wrong?”
“I need your help,” I started to say and tried my best to choke back my tears. “I’m so sorry to ask anything of you, but we only have tonight and I can’t…”
“Scottie, what do you need?”
“I need you to help me save him. Dove and I are in the library, trying to figure out the prophecy. We’re reading every book we possibly can, but we aren’t finding anything. There’s no reference to a sacrifice of Light or what blood from the Dark means, and now we’re running out of time. I just thought, maybe with your ability, you could—”
“Sure,” she cut me off, and I was startled.
“Really?” I asked.
“Of course, Scottie. I’d do anything for you.” My heart swelled before she added, “I just can’t…” She sucked in a breath. “It doesn’t change anything though… I’m sorry.”
“I know. Thank you, Vallie.”
And even with her help, we still found nothing. Absolutely nothing on Pylemo, or prophecies, or magical rings, or going past your reserves. It wasn’t meant to be possible.
And now Tezya was going to do it, and we had no way of saving him.
We were back in our room, dressing in silence. He was giving me space on purpose, but I couldn’t stop the panic stirring inside me.
“Tez,” I started, watching him lace his armor up.
“Hmm?” He looked up, meeting my gaze.
“Promise me you won’t die.” My own eyes drifted to the necklace peeking through his shirt. I knew the ring was attached, dangling across his chest. “Promise me if you start to go past your reserves, you’ll stop.”
“Scotlind, I promise that I’ll do everything I can to stay alive,” he replied as he rose from his chair and started makinghis way toward me, pulling me into a hug. He kissed my forehead, and I tried to hide the tears threatening to spill. Because it wasn’t enough. I knew him. I knew he would kill himself in order to save everyone, in order to save me…
Everyone who wasn’tan air or Alluse user was given a clear mask to wear. It was brilliant and would protect us from whatever supplies of vapor Alluse the Lux King still possessed. Even though we had Arcane now, and he couldn’t make any more, he admitted the current stock was astronomical. The Lux King had enough to make a difference in the war.
The first wave we were portaling into Lux was being led by Dovelyn and Tezya. They were going to destroy the lab and hopefully what was left of the vapor.
Sie, Brock, and Rainer went in the second wave and their job was to overtake the underwater monorail that spanned between both kingdoms.
By the time we were portaling the third wave, I was shaking. The amount of Tennebrisians who came to help us fight was overwhelming. It was mostly because of Abherham, and I was so thankful that I was able to see my old guard. I hadn’t realized how much I missed him until I saw him again. I could barely stop crying when I hugged him.
I was growing impatient knowing that Tezya was already on Luxian soil while I was stuck portaling between the two kingdoms. I knew he wasn’t planning on going up against the King until the very end, but it still didn’t sit well with me, knowing that at any point, he could run into him.
“What are you doing?” Kallon asked, breaking my train of thought. I looked up and saw she was talking to Savannah.
“I’m fighting, obviously,” she responded. She was dressed in fighting leathers—they were less thick than the ones we wore inTennebris, but still provided full coverage—and if it wasn’t for her purple hair, she would have blended in with everyone else.
“Dravenburg said you couldn’t fight.”
“Since when do you take orders from my dad?”
“Okay, good point, I don’t, but I happen to agree with him on this. It’s too dangerous, and it’s not your battle to fight.”
“Kal, this life, all of you, it’s all I’ve ever known. I was freaking homeschooled for crying out loud. My world has been surrounded by more Advenians than humans, so it’s not fair for you to say it’s not my fight. It is. Brighta is my home. You guys are my home. I want to fight for you as much as I want to fight to make sure that humans never have to know what’s happening. If we lose, if the Lux King wins, he’s going to take over Earth, so itismy fight. It’s always been.”
Kallon sighed. “I know, I’m sorry, Sav. I just don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”
“You won’t have to find out.” Savannah winked as she pulled a black hood over her hair and positioned her mask in place. “I’m not going to die.”
