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“We know nothing of these people,” Driskell replied in a frustrated but weary exhale.

“There was a symbol on the necklace she wore,” I added, remembering Rayal’s fingers gliding along the smooth metal at her throat. “It was a curved line with two circles resembling suns.”

Nepta stiffened, her face turning to Driskell. “That symbol, it is the mark of the desert elves. If the woman you met bore that symbol, her people may be hidden but watching.”

“The desert elves,” Driskell whispered as if it were a sacred fable not to be mentioned above a murmur. “No one has seen or heard from them in decades. They have made themselves impossible to find.”

Alvar nodded. “They could be invaluable allies if found.”

“She told me a way to find them,” I replied, searching for the words she had spoken right before she left my cell. “ If you should survive this and ever find yourself where sun casts upon sun and your shadow greets mine, know that you are amongst friends.”

“That’s about as helpful as a luminorb in the broad light of day,” Alvar muttered, looking around the table as if chuffed with his observation.

“It is something,” Takoda disagreed, as he appeared to wrack his brain with where such a convergence could lay.

“Sun casts upon sun,” I mused aloud. “A reflection?”

“Perhaps,” Nepta said thoughtfully.

“Another world?” Rowen offered.

“Also possible.”

“A prophecy of another son?” Alvar chimed in.

“We know not where to even start with such a puzzle,” Driskell said, throwing his arms up in exasperation, his long sleeves billowing around him. “I decipher stars, not riddles. But in the meantime, I will send correspondence to nearby villages and citydoms to aid us in battle.”

“Until we can seek help from others, there is much to do,” Nepta said as she began delegating rules and responsibilities with precision. “We face a great challenge, but our strength lies in our unity.”

The Vale buzzed with renewed purpose as strategies, roles, and tactics for the upcoming battle were discussed. A glimmer of hope swept over us all, yet doubt lingered in my mind: would it all be enough against the sea of demons headed our way?

While others strategized and planned, I remained where I sat, repeating Rayal’s words over and over again, hoping to unlock some hidden meaning.

With any luck, we wouldn’t have to face the Voro-Kai army alone. We would find a way to tip the scales back in our favor.

I followed the village healer out of the Sacred Vale, my pace quickening to catch him. As the stars and forest canopy hovered above me, I jogged across the floating stone steps.

“Takoda,” I called, touching his bare shoulder. “I need to go to the Hymma.” My tone left no room for question. I wasn’t asking. “I have to find the desert elves. We can’t do this without them.”

“I know.” He nodded, his long hair billowing in the moonlight like tinsel. “This war is much bigger than us. I shall prepare it for you tomorrow night.”

I blinked in surprise. I hadn’t expected him to agree so quickly.

“Thank you,” I said with deep appreciation.

A few elves from the war council passed by, their eyes flickering with curiosity.

“I’m stronger now. More in control,” I continued, recalling the insight I’d gained in the crevice.

But doubt gnawed at me. Was my mind in a solid enough place to enter the Hymma?

Takoda placed a reassuring hand on my arm, and I almost cried because I could feel the care in his healing hands. “I’m saying that while you have grown, you must tread carefully. The Hymma is not just a place; it embodies your very essence. As within, so without.”

The moment had finally come; what I had been avoiding all this time—talking to someone about my feelings.

My heart raced, and my palms turned clammy.

“And I know you, star-touched. You don’t give up easily.

If you can’t find the answer, I know you will go deeper, crossing through doors that are hard to return from.

You need to know when to stop. I’ve seen it many times: elves who have gone too far and never recovered from what they saw inside the Hymma.

Some are not ready to face their own mind or how deep it can go. ”

“I’ll be careful,” I said, trying to sound confident. He might change his mind if he sensed even the slightest quiver in my voice.

“The decision is up to you. It always has been. But if you would like to talk beforehand, I am willing to listen,” he offered gently. “Regardless of what you decide, the Hymma will be ready for you."

When I’d talked in the past, I was deemed a liar and forced to say things I didn’t want to. Anxiety crept up my throat, and I swallowed hard, trying to push it down.

“Just say you’ll think about it,” he said, his umber eyes locking onto mine with such understanding that I almost unraveled right in front of him. He gave me a gentle squeeze on my arm before continuing down the watery pathway.

“I will,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure he heard me or if I would think about it. I’d been against it for so long.

I made my way back to the Vale, searching for Rowen and Madds. The floating stone steps felt both solid and precarious beneath me, like an omen of my journey ahead.

The moonlight danced across the surface of the returned water, and I found Rowen and Maddock standing where the steps morphed into land. Both of their eyes lit up when they saw me—forest green and solid earth. “What did Takoda say?” Rowen asked, his smile warm and encouraging.

“He agreed to prepare the Hymma for me tomorrow.”

Maddock slid his hands in his pockets. His head was down, but his gaze tilted to mine through his brows. “Ven told me you nearly lost your mind in that thing. Are you sure you want to go in there again?”

“Seriously?” I asked, throwing my arms up in the air. “Is there anything Ven didn’t tell you?”

He gave me a wicked smirk. “Tell me another secret, and I’ll let you know.”

I side-eyed him. “Not happening.”

“Just ignore him,” Rowen said, jerking his chin at Maddock. “I do.”

“Oh, you mean ignore the man who gives unsolicited advice while wearing a prison uniform?” I quipped. “He’s kind of hard to ignore.”

“Hey, I like my outfit. It’s nice quality. And I look good.”

I rolled my eyes. The off-white linen pants and shirt he wore were indeed nice quality. The Wyn crafted everything with meticulous care, making each piece one-of-a-kind. The earthy, frayed fabric draped off his lean body effortlessly.

He did look good now that I thought about it, and damn him for making me think about it. “You’re right. The prison look does suit you.”

Rowen smirked. “Don’t encourage him. His ego is already big enough to eclipse us all.”

I laughed, shaking my head. I would have Pia and Xala, the ladies who put my wardrobe together, lend Maddock a helping hand.

Looking good or not, he was still wearing a prison uniform.

And if I truly thought about it, I didn’t want someone who shared a piece of my bond stuck in a cell.

“I’ll see if I can find you some proper clothes and maybe a better place to sleep if you don’t push it. ”

Maddock smiled as if I had just given him the world. “Finally, some appreciation.”

Rowen chuckled, then turned his attention back to me, running his knuckles along the back of my arm. “Do you want to try a Hymma joining?”

I shook my head. “Takoda said our emotions affect the Hymma. You might sway the results of where I go. It’s something I need to do alone. I can feel it.”

“The last time you said that, you ended up hitching this guy to our wagon,” he replied, jabbing his thumb at Madds.

“I’ll be careful,” I said for the second time today. My panic attacks no longer resulted in lightning storms, death, and shocking people, which was a relief, but the impending war still weighed heavily on my shoulders.

Did the fate of Luneth truly rest on the state of my mental health? I prayed to the spirits that it didn’t because if it did, my mind might drag us all down with it.