Page 75 of Tides of Shadows

“Rest,” he whispered, and he was gone.

I remained in the half-shadows, heart hammering, emptiness returning with full force. Father sat by the fireplace in a deep chair. He had been speaking with Roderick, who broke off at once when he saw me.

“Leave us,” Victor said quietly.

Roderick bowed and withdrew, leaving us alone.

I knew this conversation was inevitable. Only the crackle of the fire broke the silence.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I finally asked, my voice trembling. “Why did you make the sacrifice?”

Father loosed a heavy breath.

“Your mother insisted.” His gaze softened. “She sees the world’s ending in her dreams, and I love her and I trust her. We thought Alaric would bear the gift, that he would have to stand against the dark. But it fell upon you.”

My hands tightened.

“Does Alaric know? Does he hate me?”

“No.” He shook his head. “We told him the truth. He knows it is not your fault. He loves you, Nerissa. As for us…” he faltered, “he may never forgive. But that is our price, our burden.”

“So there is no cure? Nothing can help him?”

My father shook his head.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I asked again, soft.

“I wanted you to have hope. Besides, you were too young,” he said. “The knowledge of your power alone was hard on you. I didn’t want to burden you with a prophecy of the world’s end.”

I sat opposite him on a low stool.

Resigned. Spent. I longed for the father from Thalrock, our evenings by the fire when he told his tales for the hundredth time. I knew every word, yet I always waited for him to speak them. They were our bedtime stories, a ritual of safety that was gone now.

And now... we sat across from each other, in the palace of White City, in a silence heavier than stone. With every breath I felt something ending. There was no place left to flee. Even his presence, the one I craved, brought more pain than solace.

And the ships, the contracts? Was it true? Do we truly need them, or was this only a pretext to send me here?”

Father smiled, sorrowful.

“I wanted you to distance yourself from home. To grow up before the storm came. Had I told you the truth, you would never have sailed from Thalrock. And yet... you are here. Looking at you, I know I did the right thing.”

He thought for a moment, then added with a hint of amusement:

“Besides, you did well. I just don’t know how you convinced Cassandra Cavareth to pay for our transportation.”

I raised a brow and managed a pale smile.

“It is a long story. And I’d rather she didn’t know it was our ships carrying the palladium. Let’s keep it that way.”

Father chuckled under his breath.

“Very well.”

We watched the fire for a little while. The heat of the flames reflected in his eyes. For the first time in long months I saw not only strength there, but weariness.

“What now?” I asked.

“You will help me seek,” he said, steady and calm.