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“Finish the story, and then I’ll answer.”
I let out a long breath, gathering my thoughts. She has so many reasons to distrust me, and the more I think about it, the more I’m amazed she’s giving me a chance at all. I trail my fingers over the rough stone of the pillars that edge our path, once again drawing faint comfort at the thought of that ancient friendship between our peoples.
“Raith won more fame and glory than any elf before him,” I continue, “and yet he refused to be satisfied. It wasn’t enough that the One Who Is spoke to him. He did not wish to heed the commands of anyone above himself. It wasn’t enough that he put an end to the conflicts with so many people. He wanted to take control of those people so they would never threaten him again.” My fingers tighten into fists as simmering anger wells up within me. I rarely let my thoughts turn to Raith, because the pain of his betrayal never seems to diminish. “Over the years, I watched my brother be consumed by his quest for power and control. He sought to conquer or destroy the ancient cities, along with all the knowledge they preserved and the legacy of friendship they represented. He killed or enslaved anyone who challenged him, starting with the elven priests and tuath chieftains who were most faithful to the One Who Is.
“A few of us formed a resistance against him—Ruwa, my sisters and I, and our eldest half brother Casimir—but even our combined strength wasn’t enough to stop Raith. My entire family died in the attempt, at least as far as I know.” My voice catches again, and tears begin to escape my eyes. The truth is, I don’t even know how most of my siblings met their ends in that chaotic final battle, or whether some fate other than death separated them from me. They were simply gone, and I was left alone and friendless. Those memories are too dark for me to dwell on right now, with so many heavy words already passing between Evya and me. I brush the tears away and find my voice to finish the tale.
“In the end, Raith destroyed his entire city by laying hold of a forbidden magic he couldn’t control. The elven houses, once united under his leadership, scattered across the globe. Thousands upon thousands of us died. The rest of us lost our homes, our allies, and much of our heritage in a single day.
“We were forced to flee wherever we could, but the memory of Raith’s terrors still lay heavy on the tuath and the mortals, and we found little welcome. Some of us were content to live simple lives as foreigners and try to win back the trust of those who had once been our friends. But the lords and kings of the once powerful houses live in so much fear and memory of loss that they see everything as a threat. They’ve come to see conquest as the only way to survive, and they don’t care who they hurt in the process, any more than Raith did.”
Evya is silent, pondering the tale. In lieu of our voices, the sound of crashing waves echoes all the louder around us. We must be nearing the other side of the island. When Evya speaks again, she has to raise her voice above the roar.
“I remember the day Falamar and his people came,” she says after a moment. “It was the first time the elves had visited Kara Davonashi in nearly a century. I don’t know how long they’d wandered as exiles, but they looked terrified and exhausted, with threadbare clothing and faces so gaunt I had wondered how they were alive. Three times I went to greet them on behalf of the Atathari and offer them provisions, but the king and his lords refused to speak to me. They barred the gates of Kara Davonashi against me as if I were a foe. They chose to raid our islands and villages rather than trusting our offers of help. When we fought back, they began burning our villages on the shores, forcing us deep into the sea so they could claim the land for themselves.” She pauses. “I used to wonder, if I had tried harder to befriend them, maybe they wouldn’t have made themselves our enemies. But I think Falamar had made up his mind about the merroc before he even set foot in Kara Davonashi.”
Her words fall heavy on me. I squeeze her hand—then wonder if she even wishes to walk hand in hand with me after what I’ve just told her. My stomach churns with dread as I realize the question I must ask her next. “Are you sure you don’t want to change your mind about me? I’d understand if you did.”
Evya lets out a hiss. “You’ve met my mother. I would be a hypocrite to judge you by your kin and yet ask you not to judge me by mine. Falamar might have struck the first blow, but the blood covers all our hands now.” She gives a wry smile. “We’re part of the same legacy in more ways than you realize. There is another piece of that story which the elves do not seem to understand.”
“What do you mean?”
“You spoke of Raith using Ruwa for her magic, but he wasn’t only usingher. The tuath are the living soul of Tandith—all of us together—and our lives are all bound as one. As he stole Ruwa’s power, he stole it from all of us. Raith meant to drain all the life from this world, and Ruwa stopped him in the only way she could: by relinquishing her authority over this world. Her sacrifice saved us.”
I let out a slow breath, a new sense of reverence for my sister-in-law washing over me. “I knew she sacrificed much, but I never realizedhowmuch.”
Evya brushes away a fresh stream of tears. “We live with the legacy of her choice every day. When she gave up her power, she broke it into four parts and passed it to the most powerful tuath aligned with each of the four elements. My mother was already a great chieftain among the merroc, and she received the authority Ruwa once wielded over the waters. She was kinder then, and not so caught up in bitterness and bloodshed, but long years of war have changed her, and she no longer wields that power as Ruwa might have wished.” She halts and turns to face me. “To answer your question: no, I don’t fear you will try to trap me. You are not like your brother, any more than I wish to be like my mother. But you are part of Raith’s story, just as I am part of Ruwa’s. Those stories aren’t finished, and I can only hope they will be made right in the end—whatever that requires.”
Her last words resound through me like a death knell. My mind swirls with shadows of the past and the possible future. We walk on, and the ominous feeling swells within me as the roar of the ocean grows louder and louder.
If we’re to carry on their legacy, how much will Evya and I suffer before the end? Will my purpose be accomplished in death rather than in life, as happened for so many of my Dalzana predecessors? The thoughts spin in my head.
We round a bend in the path, and stop short. The ground ends about a dozen paces from where we stand, giving way to a steep drop into the sea. Another island sits across a narrow channel, and its shore is edged with steep, rocky cliffs as well.
I stare in horror at the stretch of sea between the two islands. The waves move in vast circular patterns, drawing tighter as they spiral into a great whirlpool in the center of the strait. Breakers rise taller than towers and crash against the cliffs as if trying to escape from a cage. The water looks like it could swallow up all life in a gulp and the cliffs are the only thing in its way.
Evya raises her voice over the thunderous crash of the waves. “My mother tried to sweep this island into the sea. She wanted to drown the ruins of the ancient city so that even the memory of our ancient friendship with the elves would be forgotten. She couldn’t destroy it completely, but she did turn this strait into a maelstrom.” She folds her arms and glares out at the water with the same look of defiance I saw her give the Seamother last night. “This is where the challenge will be held.”
The terror of the place sends a shiver down my spine. So this nightmare is what stands between me and Evya, what separates our kisses on the beach from our wedding night. I glance down at the runes on my skin, wondering how the magic in the marks can possibly stand up to such a murderous sea.
I speak above the noise of the water. “How is anyone expected to survive this?”
“They’re not. That’s the point.” Evya shakes her head. “Challenges are only held to find mates for the rulers among my people, and they’re meant to be tasks so impossible that only the strongest can succeed. In my mother’s mate challenge, only two of the eight contenders left the water alive, and one of them was injured so badly he could not walk.” She snarls as she speaks. I can only imagine how she feels about such a competition—blood being shed in her name, when all she wants is to put an end to the needless death around her.
I stare out at the raging sea, wanting to promise her I will find a way to live. But this is a promise I cannot make, no matter how much I prepare. This challenge must be the reason for all of the grace I’ve been given as a Dalzana, but even that might not be enough to save me. When the time comes, I can only plunge into the water’s depths and fight with all the strength the Eternal chooses to give me, entrusting the outcome to destiny.
The alternative—turning my back on Evya—is unthinkable. I watch her as she steps to the edge of the cliff, her head high and her hair whipping around her in the wind. I’ve never met a woman so fierce, so lovely. The thought of a life without her turns me cold.
I move to her side and reach for her hand, but her fingers are clenched in a tight fist. When she glances at me, her blue eyes are filled with uncertainty. “It’s not too late for you to escape the challenge.” There’s a numbness to her voice. Maybe she steels herself for my impending death, or maybe she expects me to decide the challenge isn’t worth the risk.
“Only if you can escape with me.”
“If I flee, I will be considered dead to my tribe.” She bares her sharp teeth. “I won’t forsake them, not even for you.”
“I know.” I pull her to me, wrapping my arms around her. “I will not lie and say I’m eager to jump intothat.” I nod toward the water. “But if I were to abandon you now, I would be worse than dead. I would be turning my back on everything I know to be true and right, and... and I would have to live without you. You are worth all of this. Not just our peoples. Not just my visions of destiny.You. I love you, and a chance to be with you is worth a lifetime of living in safety.”
Evya buries her face in my shoulder and melts into my embrace. For a moment, she clings to me as if she is already expecting the maelstrom to tear me from her grasp.
Then she lifts her head and murmurs into my ear, “I love you too.”
