Bláth ran to her side and offered a hand. "The storm hasn't stopped."
"Astute observation." Brighid's voice dripped with sarcasm. She turned her palm over, studying the fiery veins.
She'd nearly reached her limit, holding up that shield.
Violet veins had covered Killian's corpse. I closed my eyes, trying not to think about the piles of blood and body parts that had surrounded him.
"I couldn't do it," I said. "Cierthine stopped obeying me—just as it did with Killian."
Reese helped me to my feet. "Maybe no one can heal the skies here."
"Nonsense.” Brighid brushed her hair behind her ears. "We reached the city itself—no one has gotten that far. And we can bring to the king a report of the storm's cause."
She launched into a description of the tear. Exhaling, I turned back toward the tree's all-encompassing canopy—a shadow behind shadows.
Claiming I'd found the cause of the storms would not be the victory I'd hoped for.
With a start, I realized my brother had said nothing of my safe return. Preparing a sharp jab, I spun, searching for him.
It died on my lips.
Liam held his elk's reins, knuckles white. His back was turned to us. I followed his gaze—south, toward the Ceorthan Shadowlands.
"Liam?" I called.
He did not so much as twitch.
Pulling out of Reese's grip, I trudged to his side. "You could at least pretend to be relieved, you know?"
Touching his arm, I stepped around to his front. Fog concealed his pale-green irises, and though I stood an inch from his face, he did not look at me.
"Liam?" I asked, voice a whisper.
This time, he heard me. Blinking rapidly, he shook his head. It took several moments for him to focus on me—like he'd been somewhere else entirely, but a moment ago.
"Mare." He sounded confused. "Good." He straightened out. "You're still alive."
"I'm fine," I said quietly. "Are you?"
Liam looked past me. A warm hand fell upon my shoulder, and I looked up to see Reese behind me.
"We should get further away." His golden eyes darted up. "Starlight is fading. And this seems like a hellish place to make camp."
He squeezed my shoulder gently, but his eyes lingered on Liam.
Reese had noticed my brother's odd behavior.
Saints, I had so many secrets to keep, and not only for myself.
I'd never be able to hide them all.
Be it by Paragon or Inquisitor, death would claim one of us soon.
Chapter 40
Mare
Icould scarcely see the tree of my people anymore. By the time we escaped the storm’s bounds, its silhouette had melded with the night.
