Page 65 of Tears of Gold

“There’s someone else that had to be protected. What if I did something with him while I was there?”

Curling some of her hair around my fingers, I consider this possibility. There’s certainly a lot of mystery surrounding the being she met in captivity.

“Who says your . . . hidden lover was a g-guy?” I muse.

Ava turns to gape at me and I chuckle. “Sorry, sorry! Yours is a plausible t-theory, but I think there is a stronger one. I think he, or she, is an . . . anomaly that needs to stay hidden. A being powerful enough to . . . open two portals without a . . . gateway? And all that after . . . destroying the campsite.” I shake my head at the idea.

The gateways act as a conduit, the runes amplifying and channeling one’s qi. The instinctive understanding of qi physics, not to mention raw power, required to open a portal without a gateway is mind-boggling.

“It’s unheard of. Y-you said you reached through a wall. That d-doesn’t sound like you had a lot of contact. If you did, it was probably after your mind was wiped. If you were . . . special . . . to each other, wouldn’t he have stayed with you? No one who has had you would ever send you back where you would re . . . unite with your boyfriends.” I tug on her hair. “Even Harper is proof of that.”

She blushes and ducks her head, considering.

“No, I think this being is the one who . . . wiped your mind and conveniently removed traces of them . . . self. However, if something else happened, maybe it was the p-price of . . . freedom.”

I turn her chin my way so I can see her eyes. “For me, getting you back safe is all t-that matters. I know Skye . . . would say the same thing. But, you may remember soon since you’re having headaches. Don’t try and rush, or you’ll . . . hurt yourself. And if something did happen, I’ll accept . . . whatever it took for you to come b-back to us.”

I honestly mean it. Losing Ava and not knowing if she was okay felt worse than the qi lashing. Perhaps not in the physical sense but in the gaping emptiness inside me. Ice crusts my lashes as all the possibilities of what she went through flood my mind with horrifying detail.

Ava leans her head back against my knee and stares at the roof for a long minute. “I think I need to consider this for a while. Do you mind if I go?”

“Of course not. But before you do, I have something for you.”

Her brows lift, and I point to a plain box on the side bench. She retrieves it and brings it back to the couch, where I make room for her to perch beside me.

“What is it?”

“A small gift to say I’m sorry your New Year’s was ruined. We couldn’t enjoy the Mihan Lights together, so I brought a bit of light to you. ”

Her eyes gleam as she opens the lid and pulls out the terrarium shaped like a giant wine goblet. Inside the glass, nestled amid ferns, under a miniature orchid tree brilliant with vivid blue and purple flowers, sits a tiny lantern glowing with golden qi light.

“It’s for your desk,” I murmur as she sets it on the low table and gently cradles the curved glass in her hands. “So you have light all the time. If you tap the lantern, it will glow brighter or dimmer.”

She lifts the domed lid and taps the little wrought-iron lantern which responds instantly with brighter light, flushing the orchid flowers with even more vivid hues.

Ava stares at the miniature garden for so long, I wonder if I chose wrong. My mouth dries up and I chatter nervously to fill the quiet. “The qi should last a dozen years or so, and I can always top it up. I know you don’t have much, and I haven’t been a very attentive partner, and I want to do better. You deserve everything, Ava”

When she finally turns to face me, tears swim in her eyes, and I gasp. “Ava—”

A beautiful smile breaks across her face. “It’s so beautiful and thoughtful, Erritt. I love it!” She sniffles and wipes her tears on her sleeve.

The iron bands of worry around my chest loosen, and my heart seems to dance in my chest as she throws her arms around me.

I squeeze her tight against me. “You’re welcome.”

She stays there with her ear pressed to my throbbing heart for a long time, until she gets a cramp in her leg, pulling away with a chuckle to stretch it. Reverently she packs the glass back in the box, still smiling. “I better get this set up.”

“Alright, but have Vanrey escort you—”

She stiffens. “Absolutely not! No!” Her ears turn red.

I bite my lip, holding in a laugh. I wonder when she’ll be able to look Vanrey in the eye again. “Then call Rita.”

“Fine.” She taps into her pager before standing to pack up her study materials. I see her eye the paper I’ve half written for a moment before she swipes that into her bag. She leans down and kisses me sweetly. “Please rest.”

I smile at her but don’t say anything. No one would like the fact I’m about to go for a walk.

Chapter Twenty-Two