Page 174

Ronders was a good man, though. He had always been patient as we trained and appreciative of my help. He did not fill the void of having Cypherion or Tolek, but he was a friend.

“Great to know they did not like me,” I deadpanned. But I allowed Jezebel’s words to sink in and tried not to shy away from the warmth in my chest.

“You’ve really returned to yourself here, Malakai. But you’ve become someone different, too. Someone content.” For the first time, her grin turned sheepish. “It’s good to have you back.”

A slow smile spread over my face as I watched her toe a sand bag. “I missed you, too, Jezzie.”

She breathed a laugh, and for a moment, as stars winked over the mountains, we were both quiet.

Until a horn sliced through the air.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Ophelia

“You’re certain this is everything, then?” I asked again as Santorina and Barrett poked through vials and jars for the umpteenth time since we’d stopped traveling.

We’d rode hard and fast through the first night, getting clear of the camp as quickly as possible and scouring our way across the mountains. Then, we took our pace more moderately. Malakai had written that they were expecting a siege a few days from now. Our best bet was to stall our plan until then when enough of the Engrossian-Mindshaper army would be occupied and the queen was hopefully more vulnerable.

We’d set up our own small fortress in a cave, the horses resting in here with us. Rebel curled up against Barrett’s side, snoring peacefully, his little snout twitching as he dreamed. For the few remaining hours of daylight, we sheltered at the western border of the mountains, looking down on the Fraughten River running through the icy terrain. We’d stay here for a few hours, needing a reprieve after three days of travel.

Then, we’d descend into Mindshaper Territory, and we needed to be alert.

“It’s a variation of each item we could recall,” Barrett confirmed.

“And the ones Gatrielle had been gathering for me,” Rina said, gesturing to the items the Bodymelders believed could count as elements of sacred lands.

Now, they formed our greatest hope. A way to potentially target, or reverse, living magic.

Breath of lungs and threads of heart.

With a grimace, Rina nudged the one jar she refused to open. One sealed with wax and wrapped in thick burlap, though I swore the tar-like magic within pulsed.

A last resort, Rina had made me swear when I asked her to bring it.

Even now, I remembered the way it had crawled through my blood, and agreed. I’d only use it if necessary.

I pursed my lips, thinking through our plan as I watched Tolek and Dax stand guard at the cave’s mouth. The setting sun filtered around their forms and pooled across the rough rock of the cave, igniting snow banks blown in from recent storms. The golden highlights in Tol’s hair shone as he tossed his head back with a laugh. Clouds fanned out on either side of the warriors, and something swam to mind.

“I’ve been thinking…”

“That’s always a wonderful start to a sentence,” Tolek called over his shoulder.

“You love my ideas,” I responded.

“Adore them.” He smirked, then turned back to the watch.

“Anyway,” I said, facing Barrett and Rina again, “when we tested the Angellight to try to summon Damien, what did the light from Bant’s ring look like?”

“It looked…well it looked similar to the light from Damien’s emblem.” Santorina tilted her head curiously, but that was exactly the answer I wanted.

“Yet Gaveny’s was different. As was the light from Thorn’s emblem in the pit. And I bet if I sliced my hand open and tested Ptholenix’s right now, that would be unique in some way, too.”

“No self-sacrificing,” Tolek called.

“My point stands,” I retorted louder. “The minor clan emblems emit a varied sort of power, whereas Damien’s and Bant’s remain similar. Perhaps because of the nature of their magic, I don’t know, but I know the sensation of that power, and though your mother’s looks different, both the one that squirmed through my body and the one poured forth from the ring felt the same.

“No two sources of magic are completely identical. But you said Damien and Bant were known to feud; maybe it was like-challenging-like. Power disputes among the reverent, once-mortal beings before they ascended.” I twisted Barrett’s ring around my finger. Considered the three minor clan emblems hidden in my pack. “The magic Kakias possesses is not natural born. We know it was gifted when she sacrificed her soul to the dark pools and in turn learned the immortality ritual.”