“But what if—”
He cut me off, his lips lightly pressing into mine. “I’ll be fine, Rumor,” he whispered into my mouth.
I went to try to speak again, but he didn’t let me, his lips kept moving against mine, silencing anything I wanted to say. “The only thing,” he groaned, his hands gripping my hair, “I want you to say right now is my name.”
Heatinstantly clung to my clothes as Kallon portaled us into Lux. We left the chill back at the camp, but I felt it lingering in us all. Tezya was scared. I could tell he was second-guessing coming here. He wasn’t worried about himself, but the risk of putting the rest of us in danger was weighing on him. He didn’t want me to be the distraction, and he was terrified Athler would fall for the bait instead of Arcane. He’d made me promise a million times over that if I saw him, I’d get out immediately.
I couldn’t see anyone. Dovelyn’s invisibility was already over the five of us. The only reason I knew Tezya was still next to me was because we were holding hands. He ran a finger down my scar, giving my palm a tight squeeze, before letting go.
Be careful, he said into my mind as he left with Kallon. No one dared to speak out loud. I knew Dovelyn fled the moment we arrived, wanting as much time to try and find Brock as possible. We all knew this was probably her last attempt at finding him before this war truly began.
I felt a tug on my shoulder.Come on, let’s go, Sie said telepathically. We walked in silence. I had to focus to keep Dovelyn’s invisibility going through my enhancement while maintaining my connection with Tezya. We only just started, and I was already feeling the toll. I wasn’t used to stretchingmyself thin. I was barely used to using my abilities at all. But I was happy to do it. Even if it was draining, I wanted to help.
I wanted to prove to everyone I was more than capable. It was why I had been training with Dovelyn any free chance I had back at the camp before we came here.
I was thankful for her invisibility now. I didn’t want Sie to see my body trembling or the sweat dripping down my back and soaking through my shirt. I knew I could do this, could push through the immediate drain I felt. I just had to get used to it first.
Everything okay?Tezya’s voice sounded, and it was weird to hear both him and Sie inside my mind.
Yes,I answered.Everything good with you and Kallon?
Yeah, we just got to the statue. Kal and I are scoping it out right now. We’re giving Dovelyn a few more minutes to find Brock before we start.
How long?Sie.
I think we’re almost to the ocean,I said to Sie, trying to recall the way from the map Tezya made us all memorize. I’d never been to the public Luxian beaches before, so I was forced to spend every second I wasn’t training with my abilities or practicing my bond with Tezya to study Lux.
I was told Sie had done the same, but I hadn’t seen him until this morning. We were walking away from the castle toward the southern tip of the island, trying to put as much distance between us and Tezya as possible. We just had to reach the portal spot before they started, and then we’d only have a few minutes to lure Arcane out for Dovelyn to get Brock.
That’s not what I meant. How long have you been in love with him?
Oh—OH. I was silent for a minute, unsure how and if I should answer him, but he deserved to know and somehow not being able to see his face gave me the strength to say,I’m not sure, but I think for a while now. He’s not a bad person like half the Advenians believe he is, and he’s helped me when I needed him the most.
Helped you when you needed him…Sie repeated my words softly, like he had to make sense of them. His sigh resounded through my head.It was never my intention to leave you, Scotlind. I never meant to hurt you.
I know.
Would things have been different? If we weren’t caught at the lake, if you stayed in Tennebris, would you have loved me?
Yes,I answered honestly, but it was because I didn’t know what love was then. What I felt for Sie was different than Tezya, but I still trusted him. I still cared for him, still had an attraction to him that wouldn’t fade. At the very least, I liked him, and I think it would have grown into something more. I was starting to fall for him when everything happened… A pang of guilt weaved its way through me because I knew I was hurting him, and it didn’t matter if he hurt me in the past too. I didn’t want to cause him pain. So I added,I care about you, Sie, I think some part of me always will.
But it’s not enough. You picked him.Another sigh.My fucking brother.
I’m sorry, but I think it was always meant to—
My words were cut off by an ear-splintering explosion. I whipped my head in the direction of the sound, knowing Sie was most likely doing the same. The castle was just a speck in the distance, standing lower but wider than all the high towering buildings of the city. I scanned our area but didn’t see any smoke.
Shit,Sie said into my mind at the same time Tezya asked,What happened? Are you okay?
I tried to focus on Tezya. We were at a far point, and his voice was growing quiet.I’m fine,I lied because my reserves were depleting faster than I’d thought. I tucked my hands under my arms to stop the shaking, even though I knew no one could see them.What happened?
I think something happened to Dove. We need to get out of here now.Kallon and I are going to destroy the bottom half of the statue. Don’t expose yourself, Rumor. We don’t need a distraction anymore. You and Sie get to the portal and wait for us. We’ll get you as soon as we find Dove.
No, don’t—I tried to say more, but it didn’t go through. My legs were shaking, and I could barely stand. I didn’t want Tezya to destroy the statue with Arcane still in the castle. It was too dangerous. I didn’t care if our cover was already blown. I didn’t want any attention turning to him. Worry flooded me. If he was captured… I staggered forward and crashed into something hard.
“Are you okay?” Sie whispered in my ear as he held me up. “You’re trembling.” He wasn’t speaking telepathically.
“I don’t feel—”
