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The sun was beginning to rise upon their arrival, yet another indication that time passed differently between Tia Auras and Medora, since while the feast in the world beyond the stars had lasted long into the night, it hadn’t beenthatlate when they’d finally been able to leave. Now that the night was fading intoday, Alex felt an increased desperation to get to her friends, to get to her family.

Hurrying through the slowly dawning settlement, she subconsciously noted that it had changed little in the seven weeks she’d been gone, other than to have begun thawing from winter into spring, just like the academy campus. And yet, there were still no wildflowers, still none of the untamed beauty it had once possessed. Alex only hoped that after Xira and the draekons returned, so too would the vitality of the floating islands.

Ignoring the startled murmurs of the few early-rising Meyarins, Alex swiftly led Kaiden and Hunter through the sleeping settlement to the Myrox tent in the centre of the camp, not hesitating to open it and step inside.

Through the curtain separating the room, she could see the outline of Roka’s still comatose form, a weight settling upon her at the sight. But her attention was quickly snared by Kyia and Zain, both of whom were already awake and had stilled upon her entry, their faces filled with shock—as well as relief so acute that it was painful to see.

“Stars, Alex,” Kyia said, blurring over to her with immortal speed and pulling her into a tight hug. “We thought—We thought—”

Before Kyia could finish, Alex was out of her arms and swept up by Zain, his grip verging on bone-crushing as he whispered in a hoarse voice full of emotion, “Little human.”

It took everything in Alex not to burst into tears at the nickname she’d once loathed.

“I’m okay,” she whispered to them both. “I promise—I’m okay.”

“Where have youbeen?” Kyia demanded once Zain finally released Alex. The female Meyarin’s eyes flicked to Kaiden and Hunter who were waiting silently in the background, before she returned her focus to Alex and continued, “All our memoriescame back—everything you told us about, everything from the past with you there as Aeylia. And then we heard that Aes Daega had been killed in the battle at Graevale, and we knew what had happened.”

“We also heard that Aven came straight for you afterwards, knowing exactly who you were—who youare—and that Niyx stepped in front of a kill stroke to save you,” Zain said, remaining close to Alex, as if he feared she’d disappear the moment he took his eyes from her.

His protective behaviour aside, she was just relieved that he no longer sounded bitter at the mention of Niyx, whom he had once considered the worst kind of traitor. She wasn’t sure if his new attitude was because of the last time she’d seen him and how she’d declared that Niyx was innocent, or because she was only alive today since Niyx gave his life for hers, but either way, it eased a burden in her heart, knowing that her beloved friend was no longer scorned after his years of sacrifice.

“But after that—after what happened with Niyx,” Kyia said, her words careful, having come to realise—and remember— just how much he had meant to Alex, “no one could tell us anything. You just… vanished. We truly feared you were dead.”

“I’ve been in Tia Auras, trying and failing to get help,” she said. When their eyes widened comically and their mouths opened with what she knew would be a thousand questions, she held up a hand to stop them. “I wish I could explain right now, but there’s no time. I just learned that my parents were abducted two weeks ago, and tonight Aven’s followers took Jordan, D.C. and Bear as well. We”—she gestured towards Kaiden and Hunter—“are the only ones who can get into Meya without his mind readers noticing, so we’re on our way to rescue them.”

If anything, Kyia and Zain only looked more incredulous. But thankfully they understood the urgency of what Alex was facing, and they managed to repress their questions.

However, both of them were strategically minded enough to understand the difficulty of sneaking into Meya, so it was Zain who asked, “How exactly do you plan on doing that?”

With her pulse beginning to pound at what she knew was coming, Alex said, “I plan on using theValispath.”

Both Kyia and Zain’s brows furrowed, and the latter said, “You want one of us to take you down there? You know they’ll sense us—you’ll be discovered instantly.”

Alex shook her head. “No—Iplan on using theValispath.”

Her emphasis was unmistakable, causing their confusion to grow, along with that of both Hunter and Kaiden who stepped up beside her.

“You’re not in the past anymore, Alex,” Kyia said slowly. “You no longer have access to the Eternal Path.”

Alex willed her knees to stop shaking. “That’s because Aven’s blood is still invalidated,” she said. “As long as Roka is alive, he’s considered the rightful heir to the throne.”

“Which means theValispathisn’t an option,” Zain pointed out. “Not for you.”

Alex drew in a trembling breath. “It can be.”

No one in the room was able to comprehend what she was implying.

“Alex,” Kyia said, her impatience growing, “how—”

“We need to kill him,” Alex whispered. She forced herself to meet their eyes and repeated, “For my plan to work, Roka has to die.”

Thirty

The reactions to her statement were justas she had imagined they would be: furious outcries followed by fierce opposition. Even Kaiden and Hunter balked at her idea, neither of them understanding how murdering the rightful king of Meya and handing Aven the throne on a silver platter would help anyone.

“In a hypothetical world where your suggestion was considered as anything other than madness,” Zain said, his body lined with tension, “it wouldn’t just be you who could use theValispathagain—Aven would regain access as well. We don’t need to be giving him another weapon in his arsenal.”

“Would he know straight away, though?” Alex argued. “How would he realise Roka had died and his disinheritance had lifted unless he saw his brother’s death for himself or someone else told him it had happened?” She glanced over to the curtain and back. “Would Aven somehow feel it?”