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“Vanessa!” I called upward. “I know where we need to go.”

More importantly, I knew I was capable. The Brand’s expansion might be inevitable, but in the meantime, I would learn to control it too.

26 | Stagnation

Zayne

Gloom haunted my waking moments. The sun had risen, but it did little to chase the darkness away.

Judging from the sluggish weight on my mind, we neared Gloom’s boundary. The sensation was unforgettable, linked to unhappy memories.

Yanking on tunic and trousers, I recalled how Ayla had seen me the night before. I checked that my tunic was tightly buttoned, my chest covered. No more distractions. Even if Ayla…

Even if Ayla was the most attractive female I’d ever seen. To think we almost… I shifted my pants, hushing the impact those memories still had on me.

When we finished our quest, I would remove Ayla’s Brand. What would she do with her freedom? There would be nothing tying her to me. She could run from her former life and adventure as she pleased. Now that she had reached the Isles of Fae, she had countless options.

Meanwhile, I had my duty. The thought of losing her company made my heart ache.

I focused on Gloom instead. The goddess loomed over my mental horizons, her lethargy covering me like a sobering wet blanket.

Whatever was happening between us, Ayla and I would have to address it later. We had work to do.

Only, when I stepped from the cabin, there she was… Ayla looked to the horizon, poised and magnificent. Absolutely distracting.

She sat at the makeshift table, a handful of dates served on a plate. Windswept hair framed her face, her antlers crowning her as the emboldened heroine. Her lips were pursed, and following her gaze, I understood her brooding.

The distant fog was unnerving. The densest of mists still paled compared to the weighty Gloom. Clouds bleak as a thunderstorm, Gloom had shades of dark and darkest gray. Her mists were heavy and static, a smog in need of breeze.

“Is it always like this?” Ayla asked. “So… suffocating.” She shivered.

She already wore her cloak, but I retreated into the cabin and pulled a spare one forward. Not daring to touch her, I set it beside her.

“Thank you,” she whispered, slipping it on.

Ninti prowled nearby, once again the size of a dog. She sniffed at the crates, inspecting our goods and giving us a wide berth.

From her crow’s nest, Vanessa’s blue glow shone brightly, her magic flowing strong. The water sprite seemed in high spirits, rejuvenated by unity with her element.

Ayla finished adjusting the cape, wrapping it tight around her. “About Gloom… She’s not just mist, is it? There’s something more. Even my mind is foggy.”

“Yes, she’s…” Despite my studies, Gloom remained an enigma, a prehistoric goddess. While Ninti implied Gloom was on the same tier as Teyr, no historian suggested that. There were no reports of Gloom interacting with fae the way Teyr could. “The challenges of traveling through Gloom are more than visibility,” I agreed.

“The mist feels…stale.”

The statement, such a simple one, still made me hesitate. I recalled my childhood lessons. “Inarus was the first one to teach me about Gloom,” I realized.

“Inarus…” She repeated his name and shook her head. “I don’t think I said this yesterday, but I’m sorry. About the Collapse. That it happened to you. I can’t imagine what you and Eleanor have gone through. I guess I need you to know that despite this”—she touched her Brand—“I do care about what happens.”

The thoughtfulness caught me off guard. “I know you care.”

She seemed relieved. “We haven’t had much time to talk. Not that I reallywantto talk.” She laughed. “I guess with harder things, emotional ones… I like to deal with them differently, like with dancing.”

“When we’re done, I’ll dance with you.” My offer sounded smooth, but I nearly choked, realizing what I’d just assumed. “I mean, if you want to.”

She grinned. “I’m already looking forward to it.”

Her smile only lasted a moment though. Too soon, her gaze drifted toward the ominous horizon.