Her voice trailed off as her fingers trailed over my skin, inching their way toward my chest. Mesmerized by the Spirit magic emanating from her heart center, I reached out to touch it. Our fingers connected with each other’s heart spaces at the same time, and that was the moment everything shifted.
The world flipped upside down as the solid ground disappeared from beneath us. The sounds of rain pounding through the canopy disappeared, and the scent of smoke rising from the nearby campfire vanished.
I landed somewhere outside of time and space, inside some sort of vision. The scent of raspberries filled my nose, reminding me of Ava, though I could no longer feel her across from me. The only visual cues I received from the vision was the image of a pulsating light that glowed and dimmed with the sound of Ava’s voice.
“I didn’t want to end the world,” she hushed. “I only wanted to end people’s suffering. I was trying to create a new realm where suffering didn’t exist. I truly thought I was doing the right thing.”
She wasn’t defending herself— merely providing an explanation, and it wasn’t one I could dispute. When this Spirit spoke to me in Ava’s voice, it wasn’t mere words. It held all of her intention and infused everything she felt into my soul, until I understood her on a deeper level than I’d ever had before. Ava had tried to explain this to me before, but until I felt it the way she had, I couldn’t understand.
Now I comprehended the agony of what suffering had done to her— the desperation she clung to, the desire she felt to ensure no one ever had to face the horrors she’d been through.
Tears pricked at my eyes, for I felt wholly devastated by the pain I’d caused through my misunderstanding. “I thought you were trying to kill everyone to get back at me,” I told the glowing orb. “I ended our bond so I could save their lives.”
“I wasn’t trying to kill anyone,” the orb replied. “I wanted to end everyone’s pain, and that was the only way I could think to do it.”
I squeezed my eyes shut to let the tears fall down my face, but the glowing Spirit remained in my vision. “I didn’t plan for anyone to get hurt, either.”
When I spoke, the words came with a flood of emotions that spilled out of me. I was certain Ava could feel it the same way I felt her intention in my bones. “It’s true that I had plans to stage a coup if Cassiel was unable to rule, because I didn’t trust my father. But I didn’t plan to lock you up. I wanted you to help me take over, for us to do it together. But when Cassiel died, I got terrified of losing you. I never would’ve done that if he hadn’t perished. I thought I was protecting you. I was afraid of losing the people I cared about most. I wanted to save everyone I loved. Not destroy them.”
The Spirit orb pulsed with Ava’s voice. “We tried to save everyone, but we can’t save them until we save ourselves. Are you with me?”
“I’m with you. Always,” I promised.
The world turned on itself again, sending me tumbling out of the vision. I slammed back to the earth, and the sound of rain returned. Ava gasped from beside me, and I reached out to find her now that the Spirit orb had vanished.
She gripped my arms to steady herself. “Charlie, tell me that was you in that vision.”
“I was there with you,” I gasped. “But it was more than just you. It was like a piece of your spirit had opened up to me. One I’m not sure you even have access.”
Ava swallowed audibly. “I don’t know how that was possible. You destroyed my half of our soul when you severed our bond.”
“I know. But it still came through all the same.”
“I heard everything you said. It was like your words didn’t matter as much as your intention. It was so… profound.”
“I could finally see your heart for its truth,” I agreed. “It was like I was pulled out of my own mind and put into yours, unclouded by my own perceptions.”
“Yes.” Ava’s voice cleared, like she could understand things for the first time. “I understand. I… I accept you.”
I managed to speak the words, breaking upon me like the fall of night. “I accept you.”
Everything changed. Wind swept through the trees as my elemental powers flooded back into me. The rain let up, and the sounds of nighttime insects filled the air.
Ava shifted to crawl toward the opening of our shelter to peer outside. “The storm ended. The skies are clearing to reveal the stars.”
“I can feel it.” I lifted my palm and sent tiny whirlwinds of Air swirling over her skin. She laughed like it tickled, and I smiled. “My powers are back.”
“I guess that means Oberi approves, which means so do my parents. Our work is done here. You can use your Air powers to fly us off this island.”
“Then let’s get you back into a warm bed.”
“And someplace with indoor plumbing,” she added.
I cradled Ava in my arms and helped her out of the shelter. She clung to me so tightly that I couldn’t bear to let her go. I didn’t think she wanted me to, either, because she leaned her head on my shoulder and drew a deep, relaxing breath.
I didn’t place her back in her chair. Instead, I commanded my Air power to swirl beneath my feet and flew back toward the palace with her in my arms, her chair soaring behind us.
Ava snuggled against me as we flew back under the cover of night. We landed on our private balcony, and I carried her inside. I set her on the bed. I fluffed a pillow and placed it behind her back for support, then sat beside her.
