Page 181 of By the Flames of Her Fury

“Did you really turn into a shadow wraith?” Devora asked Everett, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I did.” Everett smiled at me, and I leaned into his side, hiding my own pink cheeks. “But she brought me back.”

Arowyn made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat. “Great, first we have to deal with these two all over each other”—she motioned to Nox and Devora—“and now we have you.” She pointed to Everett and me, but then she smiled, her light blue eyes sparkling. “I’m glad you’re back, Vera.”

I grinned. “Me, too.”

Devora shifted to face Kieran and Odessa, who sat at the table in the center of the workshop. “Now, you have to tell me about this.” She wagged her finger between the two of them.

We all chuckled as Kieran grudgingly launched into their story. Odessa and I also told them how the two of us met and worked together, and our life back in the Triad Realm. The night flew by in the blink of an eye.

I had never felt so at peace. This was different from when I came home last year. My past was still my past, but it no longer weighed me down. I was Vera, the girl who knew she was loved, instead of Vera, the girl who needed vengeance. It was as if I was seeing this life my friends had built through different eyes, and I desperately wanted it.

While Tessa, Devora, and Arowyn snuck into the kitchen to grab some midnight snacks, I made my way over to the couch, where Nox and Mama were sipping their drinks. I wedged myself in between the two of them and leaned my head on Mama’s shoulder. Nox put his arm around us on the back of the couch.

“Hey, Mama,” I whispered. “I have a question.”

“Yes, sweet girl?”

“Can you sing to me? The song you used to sing to us at night?”

“Of course.” She put a hand on my knee. “What brought this on?”

I cleared my throat. “I just…I wanted to hear it again.”

Nox pulled his arm back slightly to rub the back of my neck, giving silent comfort as if he could tell there was more to my request. But he didn’t say anything. We were both quiet as Mama started to hum, and then her voice joined in.

Close your eyes, little one,

The stars keep watch tonight.

The moon has pulled the tide in low,

The sea has hushed its song.

You’re safe here in the quiet dark,

With light inside your soul,

So rest now, little one,

And let the dreaming go.

The song stirred something achingly familiar in my chest. A tear trickled from the corner of my eye and fell to Mama’s shoulder. She didn’t stop singing. She merely clasped my hand, holding tight. When the final note faded, we sat in silence for a moment. The others in the workshop chatted across the room in whispers, and from somewhere down the hall came Devora’s muffled laughter.

“I lost some memories,” I said quietly. “They were taken from me by magic. Things from when I was younger, with the three of us.” I looked up at Nox with a sad smile. “This song was one of them.”

“Oh, sweet girl. I’m so sorry,” Mama said in a hushed tone, kissing my temple. “I’ll sing it to you whenever you want. Until it’s yours again.”

We sat like that until my eyes grew heavy, and I fell asleep nestled between them.

It took a few days to get settled, but soon, everyone was back in the swing of things. I forgot how fast-paced the Keep was. Children ran through the halls, jumping back and forth between the classes Everett and Devora had set up for them, and the staff was constantly working to keep everyone fed and the place clean. I dipped my toes in a little bit of everything, at first—an hour here and there with Everett and the children; experimenting with spells in the workshop with Milo; and days at the other camps Tessa managed, where Mama and I got to see her mother.

Tessa was the spitting image of Evellyn Briar. They shared the same rich, dark skin, the same brown eyes, the same full lips. Tessa flitted around her mother’s room, chattering nonstop about nothing and everything as she folded sheets and rearranged knicknacks. I could tell she was trying to keep her hands busy.

My mama sat by Evellyn’s bed, gently holding her hand. “I never knew if I’d see her again,” Mama said. Tessa went quiet, and her eyes fell to her mother with a shadowed expression. “She was more than my lady’s maid. She was my best friend. After their father died, she helped take care of my babies when I didn’t have the strength.” Mama looked up at me. “When Scarven banished me from Drakorum, I lost track of Evellyn. I never knew she was…” She trailed off, brushing a thumb on the back of her friend’s hand.

Tessa padded over and tenderly lifted a wiry curl away from her mother’s face. “She talked about your family a lot. I think she missed having little kids around.” Tessa sat down on the other side of the bed. “I always wonder how much she can still hear and understand. If she knows everything turned out okay, in the end. For all of us.”