“I felt Rosie’s briars travel here and followed those.”
Wave after wave of grief sweeps through our bonds as I fill Caspian and Kel in. I can only imagine what they’ve experienced since we all separated, but that will have to wait. Dayton wanders toward us, but he doesn’t talk, only paces and paws at his chest.
Dom has made his way beside Farron, and the two brothers hold each other, still curled over Billy. Rosalina and George embrace, then they walk over.
“The rose is in my bag,” Rosalina says. “I’ve got it.”
“It won’t be long before someone notices and Cryptgarden is swarmed,” Kel says. “We need to move now?—”
George lets loose a cry. He clutches at his chest and falls to his knees. “Anya!”
“Papa!” Rosalina grabs his shoulders, steadying him. “What’s going on?”
George blinks rapidly. “Pain… She’s in pain. I saw her…moved from her cell. Sira’s taking her somewhere. Anya…”
“Where, Papa, where?”
“Two crystals…black as pitch but flashing with green. She’s strung between them…”
Rosalina gives a stricken expression. “I know where that is. Sira’s doing it now—taking all Mom’s power.”
Kel grits his teeth. “We have the rose, and we’re all together. We can’t stay here?—”
“And we can’t go.” Farron’s voice cuts the air. He rises and walks toward us, face a blank mask. I can feel the pain he’s hiding beneath it. “We need to finish what we started. Need to make this all mean something.”
I take a step back, looking at my family. Each one of us, broken, jagged shards that will cut one another if we’re not careful. But as George once told me, we still have a choice.
Now, to make the right one.
I turn to Rosalina. “You know where to find your mother?”
“Yes. And Papa can lead us there too. He feels her wherever she is.”
The weight of the words settles over me. We’ve all known about George’s connection with Anya, how he led Kel through the labyrinth…
But the pain he just felt in this moment—it was like how I can feel Rosalina’s pain.
They’re mates.The queen and a human.The magic of the world never ceases to amaze me.
And Sira will drain it all unless we do something.
Rosalina’s stern voice interrupts my thoughts. “We’ll send the rose to the surface and then end this once and for all.”
I take Rosalina’s bag from her and open it up. Within, there’s a domed glass jar and inside, a glassy rose, petals slick and reflective like oil.
I pick up the jar and carry it over to Dominic, squatting down beside him. He doesn’t look up.
“Dom?” I touch his shoulder. “There is no way we will ever take away the pain of losing Billagin or fill the hole in our liveswhere he once stood. But we need to finish what we started. The mission he believed in.”
Dom turns to me. His eyes are red and swollen, gaze faraway. How young he appears. A bird with only one wing, the other torn off, never again able to fly.
I place my palm on his cheek. “Billy needs us to finish this. So there’s something important you must do.” I hold out the glass jar. “Rosalina will send you to Castletree. You’re going to bring this to Marigold and tell her to keep it safe. Can you do it?”
He doesn’t say anything but shakes his head no.
I lower my helm to his forehead, breathing deeply so he can match his breaths to mine. “You can do this. This pain you bear means you’re fighting. You’re a fighter, Dom. And so was your brother. And what Billy was fighting for is worthwhile, I promise.”
Dom draws a raspy breath and takes the jar, clutching it tight to his chest. He nods once.
