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The home was lovely. Small but every detail had been chosen meticulously to bring warmth to the soul. The oversized wicker couches in the living room were arranged around a mosaic fireplace reminiscent of western isle design. There was a circular, rustic dining table centered under a gold lantern in one corner, overlooking the sea. And the kitchen was painted an elegant green with gold handles. The absence of upper cabinets allowed for unobstructed views of the glittering, turquoise sea.
She would burst at the seams if this was where she got to stay, especially with Renton.
A thud from outside drew her to a door split in two—the top section had been opened to the elements. Her heart soared as she stepped out onto a lush patch of grass tucked behind a low, stone wall. Beyond, stairs wove down the mountain into the heart of vibrant Elcana.
Tenah had to cling to Renton’s arm to stay upright.
Aeyis sat at a delicate, white table, sipping at a steaming cup of tea, despite the warm weather. While she could identify his gangly form anywhere, he hadn’t fully recovered from Adra. Two sets of horns curled forward from his skull. Markings darkened the line of his jaw, stark against his long, thin neck.
You are not dreaming, and you are not dead, Aeyis said without glancing up from his untitled book. The press of his magic was frigid and more forceful than she remembered.
Her eyes shot wide at the sliver of white crystal dangling from a thin chain around his neck.
Where did you get that?She’d been pretty sure the shards in the cavern had all been destroyed in the slaying of Cirel’s war beasts.
The bone fields of Adra. They’re reforming.
Her brows rose, hope cascading through her.Can they hold more than darkness?
He gave a slight nod, and her feet carried her over to the table. She reached out to lift the shard between her index finger and thumb, instantly sensing a tug on her internal magic.
Tenah poured Rama into the ravenous thing.
Aeyis’s horns retracted. The markings along his jaw slithered back behind his locks of hair.
By the time her work was completed, she was unable to control her grin. She wrapped an arm around his head and tugged him against her. When she released him, his cheeks were flushed, and a low chuckle came from Renton.
Her heart beat for these brothers.
Aeyis removed the chain from his neck and slid it over her head.
Then her gaze drifted to a dark figure perched on the stone wall overlooking the sea. Her father looked frail enough that one strong gust of wind through the mountains at their back might turn him into dust.
Fighting back wave after wave of anxiety, Tenah crossed the yard and climbed up on the wall beside him. She sensed his fervent gaze upon her, but she didn’t dare meet it for fear of the tears that would shatter the calm she was clinging to.
“Little one,” he started, sending horror slithering through her veins.
“Chaos called me that,” she said. Knowing now how many pieces of her past sentient magic had leveraged against her—it was a sickening thought. One that almost pushed her to demand Aeyis wipe all the things she cherished from her mind so dark magic couldn’t weaponize them.
But she would never run from it again.
“I can’t put into words all the things I need to say,” her father said.
“You’re not the one that needs to apologize.”
He let out a quiet laugh. “Chaos should apologize then?”
“Absolutely.”
Tenah fingered the crystal and then went to remove it from her neck.
His hand caught her. “I don’t want it. Let me serve my sentence a bit longer.”
Her brows furrowed as she took in his features, etched with an undercurrent of pain. If she’d been out for two months, that meant he’d gone that length of time without Chaos in his channels. Tenah knew all too well how bad that addiction could be. The ache it left in the body. And he’d been casting that foul magic much longer than she had.
She let go of the crystal and kicked out her bare feet, her blood pressure rising. “I’m not sure how many rifts I tore for Cirel. He could have more armies and war beasts than we know.”
Weeks ago, uttering Cirel’s name would have sent her father spiraling down into a foul mood. Now, he just reflected quietly upon her admissions.
