Catherine’s head shot up. “Where are they?”
“Last we saw her, Masika had left Blackwood with Irene to find a way to destroy the Soulless One’s ring,” Emilio explained, watching as panic flickered behind Catherine’s eyes. “We have to assume they were successful, but…no one has seen them since.”
Catherine unsheathed her spear without a beat of hesitation. But before she could charge toward the forest in search of Masika, Dina reached out and grabbed her by the elbow, tugging her back gently.
“Hold on,” she muttered. “You can’t just go barging into the forest. We all want to find Masika, but they need you here.” She gestured to the Resistance fighters gathered behind them with a tilt of her chin. Emilio knew she was right. Though it was clear that the scales had tipped in their favor, it was difficult to discern what was left of the Resistance fighters. Someone needed to pick up the pieces and find a way to put them back together.
Catherine opened her mouth to retort, but Olivier cut in.
“We’ll find her,” he said. “We’ll bring her back to you.”
Catherine conceded with a nod, but Emilio could see the apprehension in her eyes. The way it was taking everything in her not to tear herself from Dina’s grasp and run into the forest in search of Masika.
“Loughty.” August sucked in a breath. “You should stay. Maybeone of the other healers could take a look. Maybe there’s something they can do—”
“If it was one ofusout there…” Wren interjected gently, looking between August, Emilio and Olivier, “…they would come findus.”
“She’s right,” Emilio muttered. “Masika would have been out there looking for us by now. And Irene…well…weirdly enough—I think she would be too.”
“We’ll all go.” Olivier threaded his fingers through Emilio’s and gave his hand a tight squeeze. “We started this together—and we’ll finish it together.”
“Then it’s settled.” Wren’s eyes skated among the group. She inhaled a sharp breath, a pallid sheen on her face. “Let’s bring them home.”
As they set off toward the main gates, determination propelling them forward, Emilio, for once, didn’t listen to the doubt and worry building inside him. For once…Emilio let himself believe in miracles.
Even if that made him a fool.
53
WREN
They found Masika standing in the forest, only a few yards from the Blackwood gates, a pile of ash beneath her feet. But there was something growing from the ash…a seedling. At first, Wren couldn’t quite tell what it was about Masika that was different. She’d assumed it was the atmosphere. There was a strange crackle in the air. A thick undercurrent of magic. But when she finally looked at Masika—properlylooked at her—the realization struck Wren in a staggering blow.
The magic, the power Wren felt, was coming fromher.
“Masika!” Emilio stumbled toward her, throwing his arms over her shoulders. Wren couldn’t tell if he was genuinely oblivious to the power burning through Masika, or if he’d simply chosen to be. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you! The Demiens…their shadow magic isn’t working. They’ve begun to scatter.”
Masika didn’t seem surprised, only relieved.
“Good,” she whispered. “Then it’s done.”
“What happened?” August asked next to Wren. “And where’s Irene?”
Masika’s eyes flitted to the ash beneath her feet.
“Gone.”
“What do you meangone?” Olivier echoed with a hollow laugh. “Did she leave?”
Masika flexed her right hand. There was a ring on her index finger. A shimmering golden band that glistened with a faint amber glow.
Has she always worn that?Wren wondered silently.
“The corruption has been cleansed,” Masika whispered, a waver of sorrow in her voice.
Emilio watched her intently, brows cinched together.
“What are you saying?”
