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Night enveloped the crew as the welkin sailed over trees tall enough to reach the stars. Their trunks rivaled the largest buildings Tenah had ever seen. Between pale blue leaves, arched temples carved from marbled wood tediously balanced on their branches.
Like birdhouses, she thought. Nalites—Hathrowyn’s warriors—dashed in and out of them, efficient like green hummingbirds, only deadly.
Tenah dropped her head onto her folded arms propped on the middle bar of the welkin’s iron platform. It was the only thing keeping her exhausted bones upright when all it wanted to do was shut down. Her legs dangled off the platform edge, heavy and useless.
From her little experience casting Chaos, she’d quickly learned the cost. It was a thrilling rush in the moment but incredibly painful in the hours after.
It’s not the power or the high that most shadows become addicted to. It’s the relief from the pain Chaos leaves in its wake, Ames had explained to her once.
“Hey. How’s it going?” Gireth plopped down next to her, oblivious to the “fuck off” vibes she’d radiated the entire flight.
Tenah sighed and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Have you ever been to Hathrowyn?” he asked, his tone conversational.
She didn’t want to be rude, but she was a bit averse to anything born from the Boglands right now, especially hunters that enjoyed wearing tiny skulls and bones.
Gireth chuckled, and her eyes flicked to him. “Not much of a talker, huh? That’s okay.”
Lit up by moonlight, he appeared close in age to her. His brown hair was so shiny she had the urge to run her fingers through its strands to see if it was actually made of silk. The only flaw in his handsome face was a slight crook to his nose. Broken in a previous fight, she guessed. She didn’t miss the way he flexed his biceps as he pulled his hair up into a bun.
“If you don’t mind the company, I’m a great distraction. Used to annoy Renton to sleep when we were kids.” He wrinkled his nose. “He struggled with that, the sleep thing.”
Tenah snorted. “Do demons even sleep?”
“You wouldn’t think so, but having relied upon the sleep schedule of demons to survive on Dreaddix, I can confidently say they do.” His accompanying smile had the power to convince a shadow to drink poison and enjoy it. His charm was a weapon in itself.
She frowned. “Dreaddix?”
Gireth slung his tan arms over the railing, his expression turning pensive. “I spent three years there.”
“Renton too?” Tenah asked, stomach twisting. She denied herself a glance back at the hunter she knew had been watching her with those devastating, electric eyes.
“Nah. Boedworth exiled him from the village when we were kids. Until today, I believed him dead.” He smoothed his fingers along the back of his neck as the lump in his throat bobbed.
Tenah’s brows furrowed as she rubbed at the dull pain in her chest. The hunter cared deeply for her betrayer. She understood that tight-knit bond. Before the night of terrors in her home, her loyalty to Ames had been fierce. Closer than blood. She blinked away furious tears and dared a glance back at the others, meeting those shocking green-and-yellow eyes, cautious and full of regret. Her gaze dipped to the silvery white line carved into his neck. She knew there were more scars tucked away. Scars on the inside too.
Tenah clenched her teeth.No, he hunted me. He plotted to imprison me. He stabbed my father. He hates Corrupt.
She would strangle the part of her brain that wanted to let go of her anger. It was all she had now. There was no space in her wounded heart to build anything with anyone. As soon as the welkin arrived at their destination, she planned on bailing.
Gireth stretched his arms up with a loud groan. Then he rolled flat on his back, tucking his arms behind his head. “I’ve missed the open world. Time away reminds us what life is truly about, doesn’t it?”
“And what’s that?” Tenah couldn’t help but ask.
He closed his eyes. “Freedom, baby. Sweet, sweet freedom.”
With a heavy sigh, she gave in to Gireth. She laid on her back, casting her gaze up at the stars. Not long into his easy chatter about the weather in Mire, she fell asleep.
* * *
A spectral figure woke her with a hesitant mental prodding.
I’m not afraid of you, she said, peeling herself off the platform. Her muscles had loosened with rest. How long had she slept? Rubbing crust from her eyes, she bit back a growl of frustration as the film coating her bad eye remained. She didn’t want to think about the damage being permanent. Her father had gone years before any signs of Corruption had made themselves apparent.
Aeyis knelt beside her. Pearly white magic hovered over his skin, giving him a dreamlike, monochromatic aura. His presence didn’t bother her, even with his lack of expression. Telltale signs of Ashen emotion would come in time as she learned the shift in his magic.
He tugged at a curl of snow white hair.If only the rest of shadowkind would accept that we’re actually quite peaceful. We just enjoy a bit of meddling.
