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“‘Many say the fates have forsaken this land,’ he said.
“‘I cannot believe that to be true,’ Elena returned. ‘For the sun arrives every morning to chase away the darkness, and as long as that is true, the fates must be watching over us.’
“Raven was intrigued by Elena’s answer, though—in truth—he was simply intrigued by her. And it had been a long time since he had been intrigued by anything. ‘There is a mountain peak in the north,’ he told her. ‘It is the highest place in all of Ryden. From there, the fates will surely hear your cry.’
“Elena thanked him gratefully, then asked, ‘Will you journey with me?’
“Raven drew back. ‘I cannot,’ he said. ‘I travel alone.’
“'Why?’ she asked.
“‘Because I always have,’ was his simple answer.
“His words brought an ache to Elena’s kind heart. ‘Change is not to be feared’ she told him, ‘but embraced.’ Then she took his hand, and the moment she touched him, something unexpected happened to Raven. Warmth spread throughout his body, and for the first time in a very long time, he smiled. In an instant—with only one touch—Raven knew he could not bear to be parted from her.”
Grayson was wholly absorbed by the story, but something about Raven and Elena’s meeting reminded him of when he’d met Mia. They’d been mere children, but he’d been instantly intrigued by her. Fates, it had done something to his very soul to see such innocent beauty, when his life had only been ugliness and pain. The first time he’d touched Mia, he’d known his life would never be the same.
His heart clenched, and he wasn’t entirely sure why. A strange dread curled in his gut, a whisper of warning that he may not want to see himself and Mia in this story.
“And so,” Lyda continued, “Raven and Elena traveled together for many days, talking and laughing and growing ever closer. Raven had never known such joy, but as their journey continued, he noticed that Elena often grew tired. When he asked if she was well, she insisted she was. But he worried for her.
“Finally, they reached the base of the tallest mountain and began their climb. Elena moved slowly, as if each step cost her greatly. Raven urged her to stop and rest, and she waved aside his concerns. ‘We’re nearly there,’ she said. ‘We must save Ryden.’
“And so they continued their arduous hike, until finally they reached the summit.
“The view was beautiful, but Raven had eyes only for Elena. Her skin was ashen, and her footsteps slow. When she stumbled, he caught her.
“Raven cried out her name, but Elena did not answer. Her eyes were closed as if in sleep, and her breaths were shallow—fragile.
“Panic clutched Raven’s heart as he held her in his arms. 'Elena?’ he cried out. ‘Elena!'
“But again, she did not answer.”
Grayson’s lungs were frozen. He didn’t think anyone in the room was breathing.
Lyda’s voice went softer. “Raven clutched Elena to his chest so tightly, he felt the moment she exhaled her last breath. And when she stilled in death, Raven’s heart broke, and thunder rumbled for the first time in years.
“Raven screamed at the sky, calling on the fates to come to him. And they did come. For you see, Raven was one of the fates. One of his better known names wasDeath.”
Gasps sucked the air from the common room. Several exclamations of shock rang out.
Grayson’s mouth was utterly dry.
Lyda nodded at the room, looking more like a sage than a mere storyteller. “Death's brothers and sisters stood around him in his grief. His older brother, Life, came closer and touched his shoulder. ‘I did not think you would ever befriend a mortal,’ he said, ‘or I would have warned you. Any who walk with Death will surely die.’
“Death could not stand this. His anger was lightning in the sky, a violence unchecked. ‘Bring her back,’ he ordered his brother.
“‘I cannot,’ Life said.
“Death could not accept that. ‘Bring her back and I will let her go,’ he tried to bargain. ‘I will never visit her again, just let her live.’
“But Life shook his head. ‘She is already gone. She is no longer in this realm that you and I have dominion over.’
“Tears rolled down Death's face, and rain began to fall all over Ryden. For Death knew his brother’s words were true. He was Death, but he had no power beyond the mortal realm. He could not follow her. His Elena was lost to him forever.
“He held her body and he wept, and a fierce storm raged across Ryden. Rain watered the fields and filled the rivers.
“The fates were all moved by their brother’s mourning, but it was Death’s sister Balance who knelt beside him. ‘I cannot bring her back to you,’ Balance said. ‘But I can make her death a sacrifice for her mortal kin.’
