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But I am surprised to see him no less.
Rathyn follows my gaze and lets out a heavy sigh as he approaches, pulls me in close, and presses his forehead to mine. “You are safe,” he murmurs. “And unharmed.”
Unharmed is subjective, I suppose, but this is not the time to explore that. “And you? Were you compromised?”
“No. But I will be under even further scrutiny if I do not bring you in.”
My eyes widen. “Are you asking me to—”
“No,” Rathyn says very quickly. “I will accept whatever punishment Jyrion wishes to lay upon me.” He says it like he means it, but I know there are limits. He would never let Jyrion touch Everest. “You and Luca will make your escape through the portal tonight. From here.”
Luca peers up at me, obviously having read Rathyn’s lips. ‘Wait. What about Gerald?’
I think about the bond the kradun and Luca have formed, and my heart aches. ‘I do not know if there is time to retrieve him.’
His bottom lip wobbles, and I feel my hearts near tear in two.
“I will try to send someone for him,” Rathyn says and signs, and I’m startled to see him use the language, but he must have learned thanks to Everest.
Luca lets out a small breath of relief and turns to me. ‘He will survive on Earth?’
‘I believe so,’ I tell him, then I turn to Dhoryn, who has lifted a hand for my attention.
“I will remain on Erethar,” Dhoryn says and then signs, ‘I will make sure the kradun is delivered to you.’
Lucie looks furious. “Wait! What? Staying on Erethar? That is objectively the worst fucking decision you could possibly make!”
The entire room seems startled. Though most of us have not known Lucie long, he has always been docile and willing to accept whatever Dhoryn says. Even Dhoryn seems taken aback.
“I will not have this discussion with you,” Dhoryn snaps. “The decision is not yours to make. You are nothing more than a human—”
“Whoa, what the fuck?” Everest demands. Rathyn wraps his tail around him tightly.
Lucie’s eyes darken. “I have half a fucking mind to go back to Earth now and leave your ass here to rot!”
“Then that is what you should do,” Dhoryn says.
He cannot mean that. They are VySytheh, even if they’re not willing to admit it. They cannot be separated by an entire universe.
Lucie’s jaw tightens, and he folds his arms over his chest. “Fine. Fuck you. See if I care what happens to you.”
Dhoryn’s eyes flash, but instead of saying anything, he storms back out the way he came.
“Should someone go after him?” Everest asks. “Is he going to sell us all out, or—”
“He would not,” Rathyn says softly. “He is…difficult and disagreeable, but he will not cause harm to our cause.”
I let out a breath, then look over at Vyrian, who hasn’t said a word since all of this began. “My prince—”
“No,” Vyrian says. “Please don’t…I don’t…I don’t like that name. Not here. Please.”
I hold up a hand in surrender. “Of course. But I am curious as to why you’re here.”
Vyrian bows his head. “Quilliyn sent for me. He is…afraid for me if I stay.”
“I sent him a message,” Everest says. “After everything I heard, I don’t think he’s safe here with Jyrion. It’s bad enough I’m staying.”
My eyes go wide, but before I can speak, Xamydos does so for me. “Please understand the risks, human. If Jyrion is able to shut down the portals, it could take dozens upon dozens of third-moon cycles to restore them. Time passes more quickly on Earth. The risk that you will return decades later—”
