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“Don’t worry about that,” one of the dragons said, stepping forward. I glanced up, then jolted at the sight of Kiryan's golden-green eyes staring at me out of the dragon's face. “Quye will bring her back. The rest of you need to head to the Plains of Geelan now, before it’s too late.”
“The Plains of Geelan?” Einar asked. “Why?”
“Did you not think it strange that Nox wasn’t there to preside over Mavlyn’s execution, and that there were so few griffin riders and guards to respond to the dragon threat?” Kiryan countered. “There’s a reason for that. Lady Axlya and Lord Oren have formed a military alliance against House Ithir, and Nox, Lady Mossi, and General Slaugh have marched their forces out to meet them.”
An icy chill rippled through me as the impact of Kiryan’s words hit me. “The final battle,” I said, my voice hollow. “It’s about to begin.”
“Yes,” he said. “Nox is about to rip a hole between worlds. If you don’t stop her now, you will lose everything.”
39
Mavlyn
Mavlyn sat on the flat rock by the pond in the center of the grove, tracing patterns across the surface of the cool water with her toes. She knew today was her execution day, and that the guards had already brought her to the square along with the other prisoners, but she’d decided not to participate in the last day of her life. She would stay within the sacred grove in her mind and enjoy her final moments in peace.
Mavlyn wondered if she would even notice when she died—if she would feel the pain of the executioner's axe at all, or if the landscape of her mind would change. What was the afterlife like? Would she join the Radiants and become one of them, or would she become an earth spirit instead, merging with the land so her magic could continue to fuel the flora and fauna who lived there? She hoped Adara had made it back, that she and Quye were safe, and that they would prevail. She had done everything she could to stall and distract Nox—the rest was up to her friends.
A flicker of movement distracted Mavlyn from her musings, and her head snapped up. Fear pulsed through her for the first time in days as she saw a figure approaching, and she jumped to her feet, fists balling at her sides. Had Nox’s shadow taint grown strong enough to breach the protection of the Grove? Or was this a spirit, come to claim her soul now that she was finally dead?
The figure stepped between two of the trees and into the sunlight, and Mavlyn’s breath left her in a whoosh. It was Quye, dressed in a long, ivory gown that highlighted every curve of her tall, willowy form. Her riotous white curls formed a halo around her heart-shaped face, and the star-shaped birthmark on her cheekbone seemed to wink as she smiled.
“Hello, Mavlyn,” she said, her silver-blue eyes twinkling.
The two raced toward each other, colliding in a tangle of limbs and emotions. Mavlyn kissed her fiercely, burying one hand in Quye’s curls as she snagged the other around the Oracle’s waist and pulled her in. Their hearts pounded against one another, beats perfectly in sync, joy and relief singing in their blood.
“I can’t believe it,” Mavlyn said, pulling back to look into Quye’s eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks, but she couldn’t bring herself to remove her hands from Quye’s body long enough to wipe them away. “Is this another dream? Or are you back in Ediria?”
“A bit of both.” Quye smiled. She leaned in and kissed the tears from Mavlyn’s cheeks, her lips featherlight. Desire rushed through Mavlyn like wildfire, and she had to resist the urge to crush her mouth against Quye’s again. “Adara and I made it back through the portal, and we came to Talamh to stage a daring rescue. Snatched you right from beneath the executioner’s nose and everything.”
“So I’m not dead?”
“No.” Quye tweaked Mavlyn’s nose. “You’re just in hiding, which is understandable. Adara healed you, but she had to run off with the others to the battle, so I stayed behind so I could wake you up.” Quye gave her a wry smile. “It took me a while to break through all your mental defenses. I’m proud at how well you’ve protected yourself.”
“The battle?” Mavlyn asked. Her heart dropped as the implications of those words sank in. “Does that mean I’ve failed, and that the civil war is happening?”
“You haven’t failed,” Quye said firmly. “You did everything you could, and you held Nox off until we returned.” Her tone gentled as she added, “I know the grove is a safe and comfortable place. But it’s time to return to the real world.”
Mavlyn sighed, stepping back from Quye. “I know,” she said. “But I’m going to miss this place.”
Quye smiled. “The Traveler’s Grove will always be here, now that you’ve found it. You can come back any time.” She offered Mavlyn her hand. “Come with me.”
Mavlyn cast one last glance around the Grove, taking in the sanctuary that had protected her from Nox’s influence. She took Quye’s hand, and their surroundings dissolved around them, evaporating into darkness. Taking in a deep breath, she opened her eyes to find herself in another forest, this one much more mundane. Quye knelt on the ground next to her, and a few feet away, leaning against the tree, was a male with ruby red irises she didn’t recognize.
“Oh good,” he said, pushing off the tree. He stretched his arms over his head. “I was beginning to think she’d never wake up.”
“Who are you?” Mavlyn asked, puzzled. She scanned him from head to toe, taking in his strange clothing. Her gaze snagged on the tips of his rounded ears, and her mouth dropped open. “Wait a minute. You’re a dragon?”
“Yes.” He gave a long-suffering sigh. “I should be on the battlefield with my friends, but Adara ordered me to stay behind and guard you two.”
“Adara and I brought a few friends back from the new realm,” Quye explained. “They’ve agreed to help us fight Nox in exchange for being allowed to reclaim Hearthfyre when the battle is over.”
“Do you think the other fae Houses will allow that?” Mavlyn asked.
Quye shrugged. “It’ll be hard for them to argue against it, should we actually win.”
“Should?” the dragon demanded. “Are you saying there’s a chance we won’t?”
“Of course there’s a chance we won’t,” Quye huffed. “Either Adara will succeed, or Nox will spill enough fae blood to bring in her fellow Shadow generals and combine their magics to rip a hole between the spirit realm and the fae realm. I’ve seen both outcomes in my visions.”
