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I lay back onto the deck with a heavy chest. Vrail passed me a skin of water and I finished it in a single swallow. When I wiped my mouth, a streak of amber coated my sleeve. I’d forgotten I had blood all over my face.
“This happened when you were breaking the seal, didn’t it?” Vrail asked, wetting one of Nikolai’s handkerchiefs for me.
I took it and wiped my forehead. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Vrail frowned.
“How can you possibly be worried about me right now?” I pointed at Riven.
Vrail’s eyes narrowed. “Each seal seems to take a greater toll. We still have two left, Keera.”
I shrugged. “Whatever happens, my powers grow the moment the seal opens. The pain doesn’t scare me.”
Vrail leaned back, unconvinced, but unwilling to argue.
“Your powers did more than just grow.” Nikolai was staring like he had never seen me before. “Forgive me, Keera dear, but did I not see you sprout wings?”
I huffed a laugh. My thoughts had been with Riven from the moment he fell. In all the chaos I hadn’t had time to process my new magic or the new form that came with it.
“I think I was an eagle,” I whispered in disbelief. I turned to Syrra. “I thought transformation was a Dark Fae power.”
Her dark eyes assessed me curiously before she answered. “It is one of the gifts that was shared between the Light Fae and the Dark Fae, though it was extremely rare among magic wielders.”
I swallowed. “Was my mother a shape shifter?”
Syrra shook her head. “El’ravaasir was a powerful wielder, but she only had one form. As I said, it is a rare gift.”
I finished cleaning my face. “Can any of the other Fae shift into a creature?”
Nikolai’s jaw pulsed but it was Vrail who finally answered. “No, the last of those to take a creature’s form died some time ago.” She glanced down where Riven lay at her feet.
My chest heaved as my gaze followed hers. Riven looked as if he was resting, but I could see the hints of pain still carved into his face. I knelt and the others left me to keep watch over him on my own.
Without my elixir I couldn’t sleep, but I didn’t want to. I sat beside Riven until the suns began to rise, stroking his hair and gripping his hand through every twitch.
Elaran came and wrapped a warm cloak around my shoulders and took the first watch in the eagle’s nest. I hadn’t moved by the following dusk when we reached the hook along the northern shore of Elverath.
Pirmiith and Lash were waiting for us with Fyrel and some of the other Shades. They helped carry us into the carriage while the others rowed their small boat back to the ship to sail it home.
“Lay down, Mistress.” Fyrel patted the makeshift cot she had made beside Riven’s.
I raised a brow.
“Keera, sorry.” She patted the cot once more and I relented. Fyrel gave me a serious nod before she closed the doors and took her post at the front of the cabin. I knew her watchful eyes would keep us safe as we made the journey to Aralinth.
It was only a few short hours away, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. The rocking of the carriage made my eyelids heavy enough to close. I still held Riven’s hand as the darkness claimed me too.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX
MY FLESH WAS BURNING.I opened my eyes and saw planks of burnt wood under my hands. I flexed the hand with Feron’s ring on it, grateful I had brought it with me for the journey.
I lifted my head and saw Damien sitting on a throne in the middle of the burning ship. Flames licked the deck, but no smoke filled my lungs. As soon as my mind accepted that this was a dream, the pain disappeared. I pushed myself off the deck and walked through the flames to reach him.
“I will kill ten Halflings for every soldier you drowned on that beach.” His jade eye shifted over his snarl. The statue Damien had made himself into was beginning to crack.
“And what will you do when I kill all your men?”
Damien stood and pulled the end of his sleeves so his black jacket lay perfectly flat. “You do not have the numbers and I can always buy more swords.”
