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“If it affected Weldir and me, then I don’t think a Mavka will survive its blast, as they are part spirit, part human. It is likely the same thing that happened to me will happen to them. I don’t think it’s the light that affected me like it would Demons, but the sound, the frequency of it, separates a Phantom soul from their physical form. For a Mavka... that could mean death. They have nowhere to resurrect to, as they have no anchor to return to like their brides.”

“Are... are you saying we have to leave Ingram behind?”

“Yes. I also don’t think the stone wielder will survive, no matter who or what they are. It produces a lot of heat and radiation. It is like you are holding a droplet of the sun in your hand, and shattering it will release an immense amount of power. We will still need the others’ help, but that is only so they can clear a path for us to reach the Demon King.”

Emerie tightened her hand around the stone until it was secure in her fist. Her eyes welled with tears that were both sad and fearful as she glared at the nothingness before her.

She knew what this meant.

“You know...” she weakly started, her voice trembling as salty liquid obscured her vision. “I was kind of hoping there was a way I would somehow live through this.”

“I am... sorry,” Lindiwe softly stated. “If I could do this, I would, and I cannot bear to hurt my mated children. I cannot rip their brides from them, not when they are finally experiencing happiness.”

“So, basically, what will happen is” – Emerie licked at her lips as tears began to slip across the seam of them – “you will protect me until I make it to Jabez, knowing the others will eventually be killed and returned to their Duskwalkers, but you hope they will help us reach him.”

“Yes.”

“Then...” Emerie let out a sob as she covered her eyes with her other hand. She persevered through her emotions to explain what Lindiwe’s plan was, to show she completely understood it. “Then once they are gone, you will leave me by myself with Jabez, so I can kill us both with this stone.”

“I know I am asking a lot from you. That you have no real reason to make this sacrifice.”

“But you need a human.” Emerie quietly cried as she voiced her realisation. “You need someone who is not a bride, otherwise it will emotionally destroy their bonded Duskwalker if one of them dies permanently.”

“That is my fear, yes. I’m also worried that the soul rippling and breaking apart may, by proxy, kill one of my children in the process. Both Mavka and Phantom become intertwined on a spiritual level, their souls eternally linked. If one permanently dies...”

“The other could follow. I get it.” Emerie lowered her hand so she could wipe at her tear-stained cheeks. “Wh-what would you have done if I had given Ingram my soul?”

“Waited until another human came along. I would have searched for someone willing to do this for us.”

She slapped her face into her hands again and shook her head. “You and I both know no human would have done this. We consider them monsters. No one would make this sacrifice for them.”

The silence that followed Emerie’s words was choking.

“I know,” Lindiwe eventually admitted. “When you offered to travel with Ingram, I wasn’t sure what I was hoping for. I want him to find a bride, but... I also want to save my children. Orpheus, Magnar, and especially Faunus now – they are all at risk. Every time they travel between each other’s homes, they risk the potential of being overrun. Weldir can obtain a new mate, unlike our children. If I did not have these two little ones to protect, I would have made the sacrifice.”

“Is this why you didn’t come here straight away?” Emerie asked with her voice cracking. “You let me stay here, let me fall in love with everyone, so I would be more sympathetic to your cause.”

When she glanced at Lindiwe, she averted her gaze.

She didn’t deny it.

“I know this is cruel. I know it is unfair. I know I should not be asking this of anyone, but I cannot find another solution. For over three hundred years, I have been searching for a way to destroy Jabez. That man has killed me, over and over andoveragain, for the past three centuries. This stone...” She gestured to it in Emerie’s closed fist. “This is the only time I have had an answer, and if I were not backed into a corner, I would not be asking this of you. Aleron’s death... I cannot bear it again. I cannot see another one of them die. My heart will not survive it.”

When Emerie finally looked at Lindiwe again, a single tear had managed to escape from her left eye. It was obvious by her shaking she was fighting to hold them back.

The woman was just as distraught as Emerie, but was better at controlling it, hiding it.

“You do not have to do this,” she offered.

“I do,” Emerie croaked. “I know I do. No one else is going to.”

God. Fuck. Shit.She didn’t know what curse word would make her feel better, what would stop her from trembling.Bitch?

A deep, yet feminine voice behind them had them both startling. “Then you better fucking hope we can figure out how to do this without Ingram tagging along.”

There stood Mayumi, her hands on her small hips, looking down at them with a disapproving glare. Emerie immediately rose to her feet and backed up.

“How long have you been standing there?” Emerie squeaked, placing her fist over her chest to calm her unsteady pulse.