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“For our part,” Zain jumped in, “unless Roka was a miracle worker in the past, you’ll still need more training. Kyia and I will work out a schedule for when and where we can meet.”

Knowing that Niyx intended to continue working with Alex once he figured out how to sneak away from Meya, she was about to decline the offer, especially since neither Kyia nor Zain should be leaving Roka unattended for long periods of time. But she snapped her mouth shut at the last second, remembering they couldn’t know about her spying friend.

“That, um, sounds good,” Alex said, hoping her hesitation came off as apprehension rather than reluctance.

Zain grinned at her. “Don’t worry, little human. We won’t go easy on you, but we won’t kill you, either.”

Alex pulled a face. “What a relief.”

Even Kyia managed a quiet laugh, a heartening sound given how devastated Alex knew she was.

“How’s your leg?” Kyia asked. “Do you think you can put weight on it and return through your Library doorway?”

“Thelaendrahelped a lot,” Alex said, rising to her feet with only a slight wince as the throbbing in her wound reawakened. “I won’t be running any marathons today, but I’ll survive until I get back to see Fletcher.”

“I only wish I had enough to help you heal completely,” Kyia said, standing as well.

Alex almost said, ‘Next time’, but she didn’t want Kyia to start demanding more promises from her, so she remained silent.

“I’ll escort her,” Kyia said to Zain. “Just to make sure none of the others try anything like Gaiel did.”

Eugh. The last thing Alex wanted or needed was to get in another fight on her way back to the academy. As it was, Fletcher wasnotgoing to be pleased that she’d been stabbed.

…Again.

After bidding Zain farewell, Alex limped out of the tent. She expected to hobble to the doorway, but she’d forgotten that she was amongst Meyarins again, and Kyia saved her the additional hurt by sweeping her up in theValispath, quietly asking for directions to where the doorway was located.

As they moved rather slowly through the settlement—but much faster and less painfully than walking would have been—Alex noted the curious and sometimes furious eyes watching her. Seeing them, she asked Kyia how the Meyarins were adapting to their new conditions, but the answer wasn’t positive. Not at all.

When theValispathfinally came to a stop at Alex’s earlier entry point, she didn’t hesitate to recall the doorway. Just as she was about to step through, Kyia reached for her arm.

“I don’t know how you’re managing to keep it together, Alex,” the Meyarin said, her voice hushed enough that no other immortal ears would be able to hear. “The burden on your shoulders—I can’t imagine what that must feel like. And I know it must seem as if we expect a lot from you, as if we expect that you alone will have to face Aven. But that’s not true.”

Kyia’s brilliant emerald eyes flared with an inner light as she continued, “You’renotalone in this, Alex. Whatever the future brings, whatever you have to face to see this through, we will be with you every step of the way. I swear by the stars that we will not leave you to fight this war on your own.”

Alex had to blink back tears at Kyia’s steadfast declaration. To keep from curling into a ball and sobbing from the unyielding burden that she did indeed feel weighing heavily on her, Alex instead leaned in and wrapped her arms around her Meyarin friend.

“Thank you, Kyia,” she whispered. “That means more than you can know.”

Kyia held her tightly for a moment before pulling back, quickly swiping under her own eyes as she did so. “You’d better go, especially if you’re still supposed to learn something about your gift.”

“I don’t even know how that’s going to happen,” Alex said carefully, her tone revealing her frustration. “I feel as unbalanced as when I’m dealing with Lady Mystique who pops up out of the blue, leaving me to navigate her riddles and ‘sage advice’—none of which I understand until after the fact.” Scratching her chin, she went on to ask, “Speaking of, have you seen her much this week? Has she come by to check on Roka?”

Kyia shook her head. “Aven has his best trackers hunting her, so Aes Daega has been forced into hiding. It’s unlikely we’ll see her again until she is confident she can avoid capture. And there is nothing she can do for Roka right now, anyway.”

The thought of Lady Mystique being on the run from Aven distressed Alex, but she knew the ancient Tia Auran was capable of looking after herself—and in doing so, keeping Aven from exploiting her ability to open theabrassathrough time. Alex felt certain she would resurface again—but only when she was ready.

“Next time you visit, we’ll have that training plan for you,” Kyia said. “And hopefully a better idea of what more we can do from up here to help with everything happening on the ground.”

“Take care of Roka,” Alex said in return, and when Kyia offered a smile and a nod of agreement, Alex limped through the open doorway and back to the Library’s corridor of doors.

Only… that’s not where she ended up. Because with a dizzying swirl of colour mid-journey, Alex was transported somewhere else entirely.

Seven

Exhaling with a groan, all Alex coulddo was mutter an irritated, “Not again.”

At least this time she wasn’t stranded in the middle of a forest, so that was something. She also wasn’t near any kind of camouflaging bushes, so that meant no hidden Hyroas lying in wait to tear her apart. Also a bonus. But that didn’t mean her new location wasn’t without its own challenges. Because as far as her eyes could see, she was completely surrounded by water.