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He swallowed and slowly shook his head.

"Then please," I whispered. "Don't do this. Wait for Liam and I to come back tomorrow. We will sneak in and break you out, if we need to. But you don't need to die. Do you hear me? Wewillfind another way to stop her."

"I —" his gaze fell to my lips, then rose back to my eyes. "I am a —"

"You are a person, Rien!" I hissed. "And we are your friends! Me, Liam, and Serali. We are your friends. Don't leave us. Please —"

His eyes went wide, and something vulnerable and soft twisted in my chest.

"You will hurt … if this body and mind go?"

I nodded, throat tight. "I will." He'd come to mean more to me than I wanted to admit.

Those white eyes met mine, and my heart stuttered at the feelings contained in them. "Alright, Kaiya. I will notgo yet. But if she tries to take me to the mountain, I will need to let go of this form."

I let out a crying laugh and hugged the man.

"Thank you, Rien," I sobbed. "We will come back soon. Hold on, okay?"

"NOOOO!" The room shook as the Giant screamed. "DO NOT RISK THIS! SHE SEEKS THE ABYSS OVER THE POISON, BUT WE MUST FIND ANOTHER WAY. DO NOT LET HER HAVE YOU!"

Rien shook his head. "Go. The guards are coming. I will wait for you … my friend."

I nodded, relief filling me.

I would not lose him today …

Chapter 57

Kaiya

Istood at the center of the clearing, guarding the cage holding the volunteers, as Frexin's team worked to finish setting up the trap. The ballista sat hidden at the edge of the forest in rocky crags, soldiers and mechs finishing dragging a cover into place to mask their presence.

There was little chance anything could escape this trap …

"I heard you'd met the monster?" one volunteer asked — a girl just a few years younger than me. She'd gotten corrupted while collecting plants along the mountain, stumbling on a corrupted relic buried in the ground.

I nodded. "It was feeding when I found it … and then it went after me." My mind strayed to that day. To the way it had felt, reaching into my korra. At first it was unpleasant, but then … I'd almost welcomed the freedom it offered.

"I survived." I offered the young woman a small smile. "And you will too. Lady Frexin has a solid plan for capturing it, and I'll be nearby to help."

The girl nodded, pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders. She chewed on her bottom lip, dark eyes tight as she stared into the forest.

"Kaiya!" Frexin strode to me, and all the volunteers scooted back, round eyes full of fear.

I gritted my teeth and turned to face the woman. "Yes, my lady."

"Your people still haven't shown up. They're almost out of time!"

I nodded, checking the horizon. It was dusk already. They should have been here hours ago …

The worry that had taken root in me when I'd arrived and not seen them had grown with every passing minute.

Could they have decided to return home? If so, could I really blame them?

No. The relief on their faces knowing they could save their family had been genuine. They wouldn't have run …

My gaze slid to the road out of the forest. "They're older and were enjoying what might be their last walk together. I'm sure they're just taking their time."