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“We’re still here. None of us looked at you with derision or contempt. No one told you to leave. We’re all still here.”

Cyrus slowly lifted his gaze to meet Cass’s eyes, that patch still gone as it had been for days now.

“We’ll help you remember which memories were real. The ones we can anyway, and we’ll create new ones to help you remember that you deserve this. To help you breathe when you feel like you’re suffocating.”

Cyrus said nothing. He just leaned forward, erasing the space between their lips, and kissed him deeply.

Chapter26

Scarlett

“Are you ready to go train, Love? We have the next two days to spend in here.”

Scarlett looked up from the text she was reading through. Or trying to read through. The language was Avonleyan, but it also wasn’t. It seemed to be a mishmash of a couple different languages, and she’d spent the better part of the last week frustrated. Which worked out, she supposed. Because while they spent the mornings in these damn catacombs in the Elshira castle, they spent the afternoons training, and she could work out all of that frustration.

Rayner’s power was nearly back to where it needed to be. He hadn’t completely depleted his reserves when he’d come to the Runic Lands, so it hadn’t taken nearly as long as it had after the battle on the ships. In two days they were going to the Southern Islands to find this lock. Tonight she would draw from Sorin, and for the next two days, no one was touching their magic. This would give everyone time to replenish any lost power and tunnel down to whatever place they needed to be to carry out this mission.

Hell.

For her, that place was hell.

It was tunneling down to the place where Death’s Maiden dwelled. For what she was going to do in two days, Death’s Maiden was who she needed to be.

She brushed the stray hair back from her face, blowing out a harsh breath. There was so much here, and Saylah refused to say anything else until she retrieved this godsdamn lock. Any almost-bonding they’d done on that beach had been negated by the goddess’s complete lack of help right now. But some of the things shehadsaid that night…

“Love?”

Scarlett shoved back from the table, stretching her arms above her head. “That depends. Are you going to actually use that mighty power today?”

Sorin sent her a dry look as she arched her back to stretch her spine. “That power does not need to be unleashed unless necessary.”

She rolled her eyes, unclasping her cloak. It was cold down here, and Saylah refused to let fire near the ancient texts. The little light they had down here was small flames in enchanted globes, but she’d be plenty warm soon enough. “I want to play with that power, Sorin. We need to train with all of it. I cannot believe I’m having to explain this to you.”

“Scarlett, there is no need to endanger everyone.”

“You do remember a week ago when we killed Hunters with our combined power, right? I’m still alive. Rayner’s still alive. We’re fine.”

Sorin dropped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her to the stone stairwell that would lead up and out of the catacombs. Saylah had impassable wards around the place. Once they reached the main levels of the castle, Scarlett could Travel them out.

“As I have repeatedly told you, it is impossible for me to use the full extent of my power against you. The twin flame bond simply does not allow it. Only if your life is in danger would I be able to fully access it around you.”

She sighed. “Yes, yes. I know.”

“Did you find anything interesting today?” he asked, passing her a pear she begrudgingly took from him.

This elicited another huff of irritation. “Yes and no. There are entire passages about Chaos that I cannot decipher. Saylah said that is where her power comes from. But if the power of the gods comes from Chaos, wouldn’t that meanallmagic comes from Chaos in some way or another?”

“That sounds reasonable,” Sorin agreed. “Anything about the mirror gates?”

“No. How did they come to be? Who put them in every world created? Are they even in every world created? Are there worlds without them?”

“We will figure it out, Love.”

“Maybe,” she murmured, taking a bite of the pear. “I did read something interesting about the Runic Lands, though.”

“Oh?”

Cethin had told them he and Razik had been searching for the Runic Lands for decades but they had never been able to find them. Even when Scarlett went back with them, they couldn’t see the strange marks on the ground. Even stranger, the city had again disappeared, as if some glamour kept it hidden from the rest of the world. She’d again had to spill her blood across the marks to get the city to emerge.