Page 9 of Ever Dark Academy, Vol. 7

Mid-air shifting is the stuff of superhero dreams, Ryder.

You can learn that, little bird! Ryder chuckled. You don’t have to do everything at this moment.

I know. But I want to keep trying now if that’s okay. I know we have things we should be doing–

Until Fiona has figured out a way to use the gates to take us forward in time, we don’t have anything to do at all, Ryder argued. The less we do in this time the better, I would guess.

True. Time paradoxes or something might occur, I suppose. Although, I would imagine that they wouldn’t be paradoxes at all, because we had always been here, Grayson said.

It was perplexing to think of it that way.

Eyros must take Elgar’s memory of us or Elgar is the best actor ever, Ryder said as he banked coming around the tower.

Considering what Elgar has in front of him, you would think that Eyros would want him to know that there’s hope, Grayson said with a small sigh.

Yes, I think you are right on that. So it makes it doubly strange that Eyros wouldn’t let him retain his memories, Ryder said.

I know Eyros looked further into our minds that he should have–

As if that is new?

Actually, Balthazar is quite respectful, Grayson reminded him.

He is. This time Ryder sighed. But I think that’s because of Christian’s influence and nothing to do with his new life.

Grayson laughed. You’re right about that. Christian really does rule him, doesn’t he?

There’s something about that young man that’s quite impressive. He’s not one to be trifled with, Ryder agreed.

Can you imagine what Christian will be like when he’s older if he’s like this now?

He’ll be giving Caemorn a run for his money.

I think he already does. Those two are quite close, Grayson said and thought of his father and Sam.

He wondered if they were with him now. He had Kaly’s powers so he might be able to see them if they were. But he sensed nothing. Perhaps they could not go back in time like he had. That was an interesting thought.

I told Eyros that I wasn’t worried before because everything was going to work out. Seeyr foresaw it all and wove a future for us, Grayson said. And maybe it is a little arrogant, but I do not believe that Daemon would be as happy without us in it.

No, you are quite right. The only consideration is that we could live through all of this and emerge in the future once our past selves leave, Ryder said as he soared past again.

I think that would be torture, Ryder. When I think of Elgar being in the dirt or Balthazar and Caemorn being tortured by Roan and Artemis or Fiona feeling so alone or Charlie losing himself and knowing that we were there all along, but said nothing? Did nothing? Grayson shook his head. I can’t imagine that.

Neither can I, which makes me pretty certain that we’ll be going back home right quick, Ryder said.

I cannot believe that Fiona can time travel!

Are you wishing you’d gone Wyvern instead? Ryder laughed.

You already know the answer to that, my beloved.

Grayson flew over to the balcony railing and settled down again to give himself a little rest. They had been flying and hunting for over an hour and a half. Once he caught his breath, so to speak, he’d try again. Khos lifted his head to glance over at him. Probably hoping he was something to eat. But seeing it was him, the giant Dire Wolf laid his head down onto the comforter on the bed once more and was fast asleep in no time.

Grayson looked out at the forest and ocean. The Ever Dark had always transfixed him with its beauty, but never had he experienced it in this way, as a true part of it. The Weryn blood flowing through his veins wasn’t just allowing him to be a bird, but also to feel his connection to every living thing in the Ever Dark. It didn’t take much for his hearing to locate the many heartbeats of living things stalking through the tall grass of the fields or striding between the massive tree trunks in the forest. He could sense the schools of fish that were swimming silver-quick through the vastness of the ocean. So many living things…

And dead.

He could feel those things, too. The half-decayed corpse of a night hag that lay twenty-feet in from the forest’s edge. The bones of a vortex wing that were moldering underneath a layer of dried grass in the field. The washed-up corpse of a grieve leviathan on the beach whose fetid stink could just be caught on every wind.