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Scrubbing away the sweat and grime of her strenuous day, Alex didn’t allow her mind to wander. She’d been down that path before and already knew where it led. Right after Niyx’s death, she had been numb, uncaring about anything and everything. She couldn’t go there again—and she wouldn’t. Because Niyx himself had told her not to.

As if reading her mind, Zaylin pulled something from the folds of her black robe and held it out. Alex recognised it instantly as Niyx’s letter, which had been missing since she’d arrived in Vardaesia and awoken stripped of her own clothes.

Still in the tub full of bubbles, Alex was careful to dry her hands so as to not get the offering wet, given how precious it was. Only then did she reach for it.

With shaking fingers, Alex opened the letter and re-read it word for word, basking in the comfort it brought her, much like the first time she’d read it. One line in particular stood out, and she ran her fingers over the ink, mouthing the words.

… you need to get up and you need to keep fighting.

That was what she would do. What she wasalreadydoing. There were still five tests to go—she had no idea what she would face next, but face it she would. She’d made a promise standing over Niyx’s grave—that she wouldn’t let his sacrifice be in vain. And she had every intention of keeping that promise.

Looking up at Zaylin, Alex croaked out, “Thank you for saving this. Thank you for bringing it to me.”

The Tia Auran said nothing, unable to understand Alex’s words. But it didn’t matter—even if Zaylin had comprehended, she still wouldn’t have understood the depth of Alex’s gratitude.

Carefully laying the letter to the side, Alex pushed herself up from the warm, soapy water.

The hours she’d spent climbing the mountain had eaten most of the day—by the time she and her friends had arrived back at the stadium, sunset had been breaching the horizon. It wasn’t yet late enough for Alex to go to bed for the night, despite her exhausted body, mind and spirit, but she offered no arguments when Zaylin tersely gestured for her to dress in the silky pyjama set laid out before her. The pants flowed down to her ankles and the top had sleeves long enough to cover her wrists, the ensemble soft against her aching body. But even better was the crystalline chalice that Zaylin shoved towardsher once she was dressed—a chalice with a familiar silver liquid inside it.

“You havelaendrahere?” Alex couldn’t help asking, causing Zaylin to raise an eyebrow—perhaps because the name of the flower was Tia Auran in origin so she understood, or perhaps because that was the Meyarin word for it, and therefore she still had no idea what Alex was saying.

Realising that it didn’t matter how or why the flower grew in Tia Auras—but guessing the Meyarins must have taken some samples with them when they were banished to Medora—Alex didn’t hesitate to drink the liquid. It had been warmed already, just as Niyx had brought it to their training sessions. The nostalgia was like a kick to her already bruised stomach, but she continued swallowing the vanilla-caramelly offering, feeling all her aches and pains begin to disappear—the physical ones, at least. Oddly, her fatigue remained, but given the day she’d had, she was hardly surprised.

“Thank you,” she said again, handing the empty chalice back to Zaylin.

“Rorsae,” the helper said in response, a terse order to ‘rest’. And after pointing to the bed so that her command was understood—and giving what looked very much like a glare of warning that her instruction had better be followed—the Tia Auran disappeared.

If Alex hadn’t known any better, she might have thought Zaylin had just revealed a hint of concern—in her own, abrupt way.

Sighing wearily, Alex moved across the room and carefully slid Niyx’s letter into the drawer of the small bedside table, where it would be kept safe but also close. She then curled up on top of the covers, fully intending to follow Zaylin’s orders.

She knew she couldn’t hide from her friends forever. She knew she would have to answer their questions eventually. Butshe also knew she needed more time to fortify her emotions enough to make it through her explanation.

As her room darkened from sunset to twilight, Alex allowed her thoughts time to settle; allowed her heart time to heal all over again.

It was fully dark before her rumbling stomach made her consider leaving her room to get something to eat. But she wasn’t sure if she was ready to face anyone just yet.

As she was deliberating, Alex felt the bed depress as a weight settled in behind her. But she didn’t fear the intruder, well aware of who had joined her.

“How did you get in here?” she whispered.

“Turns out I felt like climbing some more today.”

Alex rolled until she faced Kaiden who was lying on his side, his chin resting in his palm as he looked at her. Light from the three moons washed over him, shining in from between the wispy curtains leading to the balcony. The glow flickered shadows over his face, but still allowed her to see his lingering concern.

“Youclimbedin here?” she asked.

“It wasn’t far,” he said. “I’m only in the next room over.”

Alex didn’t care how close his room was. Their location in the palace had to be hundreds of feet up in the air. If he’d fallen…

“You’re crazy,” she told him.

“I was worried,” he said, reaching out to touch her cheek.

She closed her eyes at the soft brush of his fingers, soothed by the gesture.

“I’m a lot better now,” she said quietly. “I just—I needed some alone time. After watching that all over again, I couldn’t…”