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“You keep taking everything away from me,”he whined, and once more, his orbs drowned in the colour of sadness.

“I just need you to stay calm so we can talk.”

Ingram tossed his head to the side to show her he didn’t want to talk to her. Emerie’s dress twisted beneath his beak, cushioning him against the hardness of the ground.

Looking to the side, he spotted a small and pale woman with blonde hair making her way to them, followed by the wolf-skulled, impala-horned Mavka.

“We saw his body grow back, so we thought we could come over,” Reia said as she placed her hand on Lindiwe’s shoulder, forcing the woman to be her leaning pole while she sat. “How’s he doing?”

“Did you know?”Ingram asked as he turned his head to Orpheus.

“No,” Orpheus stated, his tone unnerving as he crouched behind Reia. “And I still am not pleased.”

Reia tenderly covered the back of Orpheus’ hand with her own when he grasped her side, and gave his wolf skull a small, apologetic cringe.

“You understand how I feel, yes? You have lost many humans.”When Orpheus confirmed, he asked,“Break my skull. Let me leave here. I cannot take it.”

“Ingram,” both Reia and Lindiwe cried out.

Orpheus leaned around Reia as though he’d planned to do as he pleaded, and Ingram lifted his beak up to reach out.

Reia grabbed his wrist and yanked him back. “No, Orpheus!”

“Why not? It is what he wants.” He brushed his claws into Reia’s long blonde hair. “It... is what I would have wanted if you disappeared. If I hadn’t tried to mindlessly search for you that night, this is what I would have done.”

With her eyes wide, baulking at the thought, Reia rasped, “Just... no.”

“You will cease this talk of ending,” the Witch Owl demanded, her eyes narrowing on Ingram. “Don’t make what Emerie did pointless. She did this for you, to make sure you were safe.”

“She should not have done this at all!”he shouted, causing the two females to flinch.

Ingram attempted to push his arms out from his body, wrestling the dark chalky tentacles of magic that had wrapped around him. He was tired of lying here trapped and helpless. He was tired of this conversation.

He was just... tired of everything.

“Wait,” Lindiwe demanded when his orbs flared red as he fought.

“Release me! Let me go!”He bucked and flailed.

“I’m trying to tell–” He snapped his beak at her to shut her up. “Do you want to revive Emerie or not?!”

He paused, and his heartbeat thundered within his massive chest cavity.Is... is she saying there is a way for me to bring her back?

“Revive her?” Reia asked with her lips flattening in a confused pout. Her eyes then widened, and she rose to her feet so she could stand over the Witch Owl. “If there was a chance to revive her this entire time, why didn’t you say anything?!” Reia’s shout was loud, and her pale face reddened in irritation. “Emerie went to Jabez’s castle knowing she was going to die, and you said nothing even though we could all see how much she didn’t want to! Why didn’t you–”

“Because I was not going to give a promise I couldn’t keep,” Lindiwe snapped back while facing up at her. “I had no idea if her soul would survive the blast, and even if it did, Ingram had to make this decision just as much as her.” She lowered her gaze to Ingram. “But I did not need to ask him; I can see how much her absence is paining him. However, there are questions I must ask first, things I must explain, and he needs to becalmfor them.”

Hope swirled in his chest like a gust of wind.

He nudged his head at her across the ground.“Calm. I can be calm.”He would be if it meant he could go find Emerie.

“Now... do you mind?” Lindiwe asked, gesturing her hand towards Ingram. “I would prefer some privacy.”

The laughter that burst out of Reia was hollow and mocking. “Fuck yeah, I mind. To be honest, I don’t particularly trust you. I’d like to be here for him, and I know Orpheus does too.”

Orpheus nodded in agreement, making his bells to jingle.

“He is myson,” Lindiwe bit out defensively.