Page 36

COLLAPSE

C as took her through to their bed, setting her on her feet for just long enough to divest her of her shredded, bloodied gown. “Don’t go, Cas.” She pleaded, eyes brimming with tears.

“I won’t go,” he told her, moving to pick her back up and tuck her in. The wings were in the way, massive star-bright things that lit the air around them.

And her back was still sluggishly bleeding where the wings had torn their way out.

He got a warm cloth and dabbed the streaks of blood away, watching the skin seal right around the base of the wings.

She was healing as he watched, and he had no idea how he was going to explain to his mother that his wife had grown wings.

Asan would have something to say about it, no doubt. But she’d asked him not to leave, and so he would stay with her until she fell asleep.

Which didn’t take long at all. She went slack and faded down into sleep, wrapping herself around one of the long pillows. Emryn whimpered a little, shifting in her sleep, but calmed quickly.

There was no way he was going to be able to sleep, not with so many questions drumming his head. So he left her to rest and went back to the last place he’d seen his tutor.

Asan was still there, kneeling in front of the mirror where there were a few of those starlight feathers littering the floor.

Cas stopped a few feet from his tutor and cleared his throat. Asan turned to face him, holding one of Emryn’s feathers in his hands. “Gather these,” he said sternly. “Let no one have one unless they are firmly trusted.”

“Can you explain all this?” Cas took the feather that Asan offered him. “Why has my wife gone half bird?”

“They are manifestations,” Asan said, as though that made it better. “Between us, we ought to be able to ensure she can hide them unless she wishes them visible.”

“Manifestations of what?” Cas asked, feeling a little desperate.

“Emryn is one of the Moon Mother’s guardian birds,” Asan said, as though that explained everything. “Or, to be more precise, she has the soul of one.”

“What does that mean?” Cas looked down at the feather. It really did look like it was made of stars. “And why was she trying to tear the wing out?”

“To answer that question, we must look at the magic of the world.”

“I might go to bed then,” Cas said, shaking his head. “It has been a very long day, Asan, and I don’t know if I have the brainpower to dissect the continent’s magic.”

“That is fair,” Asan said with a smile. “It would be best if Emryn were here as well before we drill down into it.”

And as if he’d summoned her, Emryn appeared in the doorway. Starlight feathers mantled around her shoulders, looking around desperately with fear bright in her eyes.

“Emryn,” Cas got up and went to her. “Emryn, you were resting, what happened?”

She looked up at him, but there was no awareness in her eyes and Cas breathed out. She was sleepwalking, but afraid and he needed to get her back to bed.

“Danger.” She said, sounding choked. “My Phoenix is in danger.”

“Who?” He looked back over his shoulder at Asan who looked just as puzzled as he felt.

“You-” she said, collapsing to the floor as though she’d had all her bones removed.

He lunged to catch her, only barely making sure that she didn’t hit her head on the table next to the door. Standing with her in his arms and taking her straight back to bed.

He’d stay this time.

In the morning, the wings were still there. He saw them as Emryn fled their bed for the bathroom. Cas sat up, dread pooling in his gut. She’d said nothing, and from what he’d seen last night, he was worried she would try to pull the wings out again.

He got up, walking to the still open door of the bathroom only to find her standing in front of the large mirror with those wings outstretched as far as they would go.

“Emryn?”

She turned, and it was only then that he noticed she wasn’t wearing anything. “Cas.” She tried to cover herself with her hands.

“Sorry,” he sputtered, turning and walking out of the bathroom quickly. His wife was lovely, and she hadn’t been trying to tear herself apart, so he would wait for her to emerge.

“Was there something that you needed?” She walked out with her shift hanging off her. It was half destroyed by the emergence of the wings, but it covered what needed covered so he could have a brain in his head.

“I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” he said, walking to her and wrapping her in his arms, careful not to touch the wings. “I know yesterday was hard.”

“Understatement,” she said dryly. “My memories- they’re fuzzy, but whatever had them blocked is gone, and now I have to figure out what they mean.”

“They change nothing about how I feel for you, Emryn.” He wanted to address that straight off. “Neither do the wings. They’re lovely and Asan says that between the three of us we can figure out how to make them invisible so you don’t have to walk around with them out.”

“They’re very heavy.” She fluffed them so they hung better at her back and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his shoulder. “I feel so strange, Cas. Isn’t it strange that through everything that’s happened, I could still be hungry?”

“I have to imagine you are.” Cas smiled, kissing the top of her head. “And we have to figure out how you are to wear clothes with them.”

“I hadn’t even thought of that.” She rubbed her face on his shirt. “None of my gowns can handle them. Lady Holbrook is going to have to do a complete redesign on my wardrobe if we can’t figure out how to conceal them.”

“I think we can.” Cas nodded. “Let’s get some breakfast and then we can figure the rest out.”