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Their ashes stuck to my clothes, burned pieces of flesh scratching against my skin. Theycrackledwhen I moved. And the smell…
I hurled again.
* * *
Once I’d gotten Vinion and Ayla into the barn, I recommenced the search. If I made it, maybe someone else did too. Maybe some of the other par animarum were still around.
I didn’t care which pair. They were all my friends. They were the only ones who could understand what I was feeling right now.
They were the only people with power I truly trusted.
One by one, I went down the list.
Lapsus and Elira.
Emja and Larson.
Neia and Araton.
Asher and Osonia.
Sanvi, Errol, Eike, and Volke.
Drogo and Anise.
I went to each of their homes, and I searched for life. I checked for their bodies, confirming two in each, four in Sanvi’s home.
Not one.
When I made it to Medica and Hya’s home, it was burned as well. One body lay in the center of the kitchen.
But only one.
What remained of the carcass was short in stature, brawny, but small. Hya.
I cried for a moment when I pictured him alone, fighting for his life. He’d never been much of a warrior.
But his was the only body I found there.
I jogged out the front door, and I scanned the vicinity.
And there it was.
A pulsing, throbbing soul of teal flecked with lime.
Hope. There wasn’t much of it, but I had it. Hope.
Jogging through the knee-high grass, I called for him over and over and over. No one answered, but I saw his soul, damn it. He was here. He was alive. He made it. Hefuckingmade it.
I tried to bring a flame to my hand as a light in the dark forest, but nothing happened.
I supposed when Véa wasn’t in a body, I had no control over her abilities.
Shaking off that thought, I brought swirling blue lightning to my fingers instead, calling, “Medica!”
A cough.
My heart skipped.
