Page 82 of The Song of the Void

I lifted my wrist and stared at the veins there. The words they used were terribly specific, so maybe he didn’t actually have to kill me.

But Reiven put that idea to rest with a shake of his head. He leaned down to press his lips against the left side of my chest, where my heart pulsed steadily. “I’ve had since the moment I knew I couldn’t kill you to prepare for this.”

“Well, I’m not prepared,” I snapped.

“Me neither.” Ash’s voice floated back out to the balcony as he limped towards us, brows knitted together in determination. “You give up too easy, Rei. And you’re too self-destructive.”

“Right,” I said. “Ash and I will think of something, and we’ll save your stupid ass before you say another sappy word about forever.”

Reiven blinked back and forth at us. “Let’s not fight. Not tonight, please.”

Has he actually resigned himself to die? He won’t even try to appease Ash…

Ashkade made a face and threw something small that glinted silver in the distant light of the volcano and city before Rei caught it.

“Is this one of your rings?”

The platinum jewelry Reiven held in the palm of his hand had been carved with symbols a thousand times more complicated than the one he had given me.

“Calinia helped me make it, so it’s stronger than the others,” Ash grumbled. “It should stop time for several hours. Use it if you…need more time.”

Reiven stared, unmoving, down at the ring, so I took it from him and slipped it on his finger before he could protest. A genuine smile broke his downcast expression. He released one arm around me to usher Ashkade to join in our embrace, and I did the same, burying my cheek into Ash’s thin shoulder as I held them both close.

“I love you, kid.”

Ash wrinkled his nose and blushed before asking, “We’re a strange little family, aren’t we?”

“A beautiful Siren, a disgraced Mourner prince, and a time-breaking Human teenager. It's like the beginning of some bad joke,” Rei said.

We chuckled halfheartedly. The darkness and silence of the city beyond the balcony was oppressive, the volcano a mocking giant of death and fire. But I wouldn’t allow myself to be afraid, because we had work to do the next day.

I kept my voice calm to not betray the worry that threatened to overwhelm me. “Tomorrow we’re going to track down the Voidtome, find a way to get rid of Reiven’s curse, and leave, all of us in one piece. Whatever is down there, we can handle, as long as we stay together.”

No curse, hellish trick, or evil pirate would rip either of them away from me tomorrow. No matter the cost, I would pay it to keep them safe.

I walked behind the others, lost in thought, staring at the back of Vaetrik’s head. Even if he had pretended not to notice me all morning, I rested my hand on the hilt of the Siren-made rapier Reiven acquired for me. Akina and Jin led our pack of foreigners down the winding path of uneven black stones, out of the city and towards the volcano that overlooked Ghrysim Isle. Aside from Vaetrik, everyone else grouped together in a cloud of nervous, chatty energy. With each crunching step closer to the smoldering volcano, my stomach tightened with more anxiety.

Reiven tugged my hand away from my weapon, interlacing his fingers with mine. “You look like a proper Siren warrior. I’m only sorry your own armor and weaponry must be long stolen…” He nodded at the corset I wore over skin-tight gray leathers. Matching fingerless gloves covered my hands and arms up to my elbows, and lightweight boots protected my feet from the heat that emanated from the ground.

Reiven told me earlier that morning he had “reclaimed” the armor and rapier for the Sirens by stealing it from the Mourners’ treasure trove of items confiscated from my people during the war.

He tapped at the leather cut low to accentuate my breasts with a wolfish grin. “It’s rather…stylish. Sirens must aim to distract their opponents with their bodies, don’t they?”

“Just say you think it’s sexy and get over it.”

“I think it’s sexy. Definitely. Consider me distracted.” He laughed, but it was my turn to give him another look over. He was clad in black armor riddled with veins of glowing red, like the knife stashed in my belt. His hands were bare save for the ring Ashkade gave him, and the only weapon he carried was a wicked Obsidian sword. Even though he lacked a crown, he really did give off the aura of a warrior prince.

He whispered, “My first order of business in there is going to be taking care of the pirate, so I may need to split off from you two for a while.”

“We’ll face him together.”

“No. I’m not going to lose either of you.” He squeezed my hand. Something up ahead, where the road widened and smoothed into a gravel path, caught his attention and made him smile.

On either side, maple trees burst from the ground in defiance of the heat and the rocky soil, their seven-pronged leaves as red as blood. The branches wept low over the path, and as we walked beneath, flashes of gold amongst the leaves caught my eye. Small metal tubes hung from the branches, clinking softly together like bells in the breeze. Nostalgia filled Reiven’s eyes as we stopped, and Akina and Jin presented us with strips of paper and thin charcoal sticks to write with.

“Now is the opportunity for you to leave a message for the world if you do not return from the Flames Below,” Akina said. Her voice shook, and her eyes sparkled with tears. It hit me then that she might be walking her own brother to his death, and my heart squeezed.

“It isn’t required,” Jin said carefully. “But please feel free. Some people leave letters to their loved ones, some prayers, some wishes for the future. We always ensure that the last messages are recorded and passed on to those they are meant for before tying them back to the maples.” He bowed at the waist and held out the writing utensils for us to take if we desired. The somber demeanor of Reiven’s siblings didn’t help ease my nerves. It was as if we were part of a funeral march.