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“Save it.” He strode for the hall then paused. “You know what? No. I have a right to be mad. What was this, a taste of my own medicine after Brinedale?”
Tenah’s chin dipped lower. “It was partially fueled by what I felt when I saw you in that condition.”
Renton sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. “We’re made of the same stuff, aren’t we? Since we’re being honest today, I should tell you. Your father paid a visit to Denoden while you were off destroying Ruzgorn.”
Her wide eyes snapped up to search his face. “You saw him?”
“Every move he’s made has been to stop Cirel. Judging by the way he was drinking, I’d wager he still cares a great deal about you and is fully aware of the damage he’s caused.”
Betrayal stung deep in her chest. “It doesn’t matter. He accessed dark magic knowing full-well what it would do to him.”
“Did you ever ask him why? You of all shadows should know not all Corrupt choose that life. I’ve come to learn that much, Tenah.”
Shame burned her face. When was the last time she’d had an actual conversation with her father?
Renton traced a knuckle along her cheekbone. “You are so determined to stop him on your own that you’re becoming Corrupt in the process, and it scares the hell out of me.”
Then he was gone, taking a piece of her crumbling heart with him.
Her awareness shifted to Aeyis. He’d been so silent.
Tenah, he said.If it is okay with you, after you rest, I’d like to take a crack at unraveling what has been done to your mind. Something shifted during that fight. I may have an unorthodox solution.
Fear constricted her throat at the awful things he might find inside her mind. Rejection sat on her lips. But facing this life without other souls to share in her burdens felt like being tied to a rock and tossed into a lake.
She was tired of drowning.
Chapter29
Tenah
Soon after Aeyis disappeared from the terrace, Fen bounded out with a coffee. He handed over the decadent creation of whipped cream and chocolate chips. “Ma says you haven’t moved in hours. We’re worried about you.”
Tenah didn’t have time to respond as Zia swept in to drop a plate of steaming food in her lap—strips of glazed meat and a pile of fresh, seasoned vegetables.
Fen dipped sideways until his upper body was level with her gaze. “You smell like that bad magic, Tenah.”
Her smile was a feeble thing as she sipped at the blended hazelnut and chocolate concoction. “You should sell these, Fen.”
“I’m onto bigger and better things. Renton helped me fix one of my inventions. I’m pitching it for additional funding in three days.”
“Seriously? That’s amazing.”
Fen beamed. “Whenever I’m feeling down, Ma takes me to the healing pools. A few minutes in the waters and you’ll feel back to normal again.”
“This coffee is already recharging my bones.” She straightened up and bit into a speared piece of meat. Lifting up her ruined hands, she added, “I don’t think it will help with this though.”
Fen threw his arms out. “It’s still fun to swim.”
“You’re right. Thanks, Fen.” She pinched one of his soft cheeks. “You’re a great friend.”
Beet red in the face, he waved her off as if he’d been licked by a dog. The chilling yell of his mother from the kitchens below had him scooting away with a yelp.
It wouldn’t hurt to soak in healing waters. Tenah had work to do in the Void anyway if she was going to figure out how to seal the desert rift.
After polishing off her drink and scarfing down a few more bites of steak and tender carrots, she headed out into the city with sore limbs. She discovered three large, circular healing pools nestled under a pocket of trees and lustrous stars. Steam beckoned from their surfaces, summoning a wisp of joy in her chest.
She welcomed the silence as she entered the mosaic shop and placed a kroten in the palm of a young attendant. He helped her select a rejuvenating tonic to blend with the curative waters of the first pool, then he cranked a wheel at the rocky edge to hoist a rope of lanterns he’d ignited with a spark of fire magic.
