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“No.” The room spun in a circle. She struggled to suck in a breath. “No, he can’t be dead! No, no, no... I need him. He’s the only one who understands my gift. No. Please, no...”
She didn’t know she was crying until a cold teardrop ran into her ear.
“Laethan knew the danger and accepted it. He made a choice. As would any warrior.”
A horrible realization made her heart turn over inside her chest.
“I killed him.”
“No, Alora. Don’t speak it.”
“My pain killed him just like a bullet from a gun. It should have been me that died. He took my pain, to spare my life and save me from Vindrake.”
She felt Kaevin’s arms tighten, but this time he didn’t argue. They both knew it was true. A minute passed and she felt him shake as they cried together.
“It was his choice, Alora. His decision wasn’t made in ignorance. He knew precisely what would happen.”
His shirt was wet with her tears now. She was afraid to ask, but she had to know. “Did anyone else die trying to rescue me? Uncle Charles? Arista? Wesley? Brian? Mera? Or Beth? What about Beth?”
Please, God, let the answer be “no.”
“What about me?”
Beth marched into the room and rounded to face them, shaking her finger like their middle school principal, Ms. Murkwater. “Kaevin BarGraely, how long were you planning to wait before you told us Alora was awake? Don’t you realize everyone is upstairs, fretting?”
Discretely wiping his eyes on the back of his hand, Kaevin returned a weak smile. “I’d wager Jireo’s not worried in the least.”
Beth winked. “No, you’re right. Wesley hauled him upstairs so he could watch Netflix with him and Arista. But Mr. Whitford is on his umpteenth cup of coffee, trying to stay awake until Alora comes to. And A.J. is using Alora as an excuse to avoid Mom’s list of honey-do’s.”
“Where are we?” asked Alora.
“You know how A.J. remodeled the house when he moved in with us? Well, this was part of it. We’re in the basement, but he totally redid it. Now it’s like a secret medical ward. He’s been stocking medical supplies, and he can handle most stuff right here. Although he can’t do general anesthesia or major operations. It’s too bad he didn’t have it ready before the last time you were in the hospital. Markaeus would’ve made the portal here, instead of in your hospital room, and the nurse wouldn’t have gotten all suspicious.”
“I wish! That would’ve been awesome. But at least if we stay out of the hospital now, we can avoid that reporter,” Alora commented.
“Oh, I’ve been doing a little research on Sergeant Justice. He’s a real slime-ball. I’d like to knock his little toupee right off his noggin.”
Alora giggled at Beth, who mimed punching him out.
“Well, as long as I’m down here,” said Beth, “I need to let your grandmother know you’re conscious. She’s sitting with Meravelle in Bardamen’s room.”
Alora sensed Beth’s anxiety when she mentioned Bardamen.
“Is Bardamen okay? I mean, I know he must’ve inhaled some smoke, but he’s going to be fine, isn’t he?”
“To be honest, A.J. doesn’t know why he’s not waking up. Laethan said he might be able to help him, but now...” Beth’s voice trailed off, and she cleared her throat a few times, while studying her feet. When she looked up, her eyes were shining with tears. “I really liked Laethan. He wasn’t ever grumpy with me, and he taught me a ton of stuff. It’s crazy, because he doesn’t even live in my realm, but I’m going to miss him. A lot.”
“I know.” Alora fought back a fresh wave of tears.
“Anyway,” Beth sniffed, backing out of the room. “I’m going to have fun being Paul Revere.”
She disappeared, feet pattering away on the concrete floor and, after a few seconds, her voice echoed back down the hallway. “Alora’s awake!”
~22~
The big funeral ceremony in Glaenshire was moving and even beautiful, in its
own way, but Alora was still kind of creeped out by the whole funeral pyre thing. And Beth agreed with her.
