Page 107 of Evermore (The Never Sky #3)

Thorne

T he orphanage bustled with life, laughter echoing through hallways that had once stood silent and empty. Children darted past as I watched Quill kneeling before a group of younger ones, Boo sitting proudly at her side as she told them a story.

“And then the warrior princess raised her magical sword?—”

“Like Paesha’s?” a small girl interrupted.

“Exactly like Paesha’s. And she said to the evil wizard?—”

“‘I’m not afraid of you!’” the children chorused.

“That’s right. Because warrior princesses are never afraid. Well, maybe sometimes. But they’re brave anyway.”

I leaned against the doorframe, content to observe without intruding. These moments of normalcy felt precious, fragile things to be protected at all costs.

“They adore her,” Briony said, appearing beside me. The young woman’s gentle smile belied the strength that had made her Paesha’s first choice to oversee this place.

“She understands them. She knows what it’s like to feel alone.”

“Our queen has done a remarkable thing here. Most nobles fund orphanages for appearances, not out of true concern. But she’s different.

She remembers what it was to be hungry, to be forgotten.

She remembers the Hollow.” Briony turned back to the children.

“Will you be staying for supper? We’re serving beef stew and honey rolls. ”

“I think we?—”

The words died in my throat as the atmosphere suddenly shifted. The air grew heavy. The children sensed it too, their laughter faltering as they huddled closer to Quill. I moved toward the entrance hall, power already gathering at my fingertips.

The massive front doors burst open, revealing three figures silhouetted against the early evening sun. Bellatora stood at the center, her armor gleaming. Beside her, Minerva’s face was serious. Solemn. At her other side, barely standing, was Tuck, fucking bloodied and broken.

Panic raced through me, muting everything else in this damn realm. “What the hell happened?” I caught Tuck as he stumbled to a nearby bench.

“Ezra,” he managed through swollen lips.

“Where’s Paesha?”

Tuck’s eyes slid away from mine. “I can’t tell you.”

“What do you mean, you ‘can’t tell me’?”

“He can’t tell you,” Bellatora stepped forward, hand resting on her sword hilt, “because your Ever bound him to silence with a bargain.”

I stared at her, momentarily speechless. “Why are you here?”

“He could tell me. And now I’m telling you.”

“Why would you care?”

A slow, predatory smile spread across Bellatora’s face. “I’ve seen your Ever in action, Keeper. At this point, anyone on the other side of the battlefield from her made the wrong choice. Besides, this might be the most interesting thing to happen in centuries. I wouldn’t miss it.”

Briony appeared at my side. “Should I gather the children?”

“Take them upstairs. Make sure they stay there until one of us comes for them.”

I turned back to Tuck. “What exactly did you promise her?”

“That I wouldn’t tell you where she was going or what she was doing.”

“But you told Bellatora.”

Minnie stepped forward. “The bargain didn’t cover that. She went after Ezra, Thorne. Alone. He has Thea, Elowen and others from the Underground. There’s more. Quill shouldn’t hear this.”

I glanced back to where Quill still sat with the children, watching us with wary eyes. I nodded to Briony, who immediately went to Quill’s side, guiding her and the other children from the room despite their protests.

“Speak. Now.”

“We think he’s trying to lure Quill in.”

“I’ve already told you he is,” Bellatora snapped. “I was there when he said it.”

“And you’re only now fucking mentioning it?” I snarled.

She shrugged. The casual expression of an untouched goddess. “I was spying. You’re welcome.”

“ He’s at Misery’s End,” Tuck said carefully, the bargain clearly restricting his words.

“I need to go.” I moved toward the door, power gathering around me.

“Wait.” Minerva’s command stopped me. “We need to think this through.”

“There’s nothing to think through. Ezra has Paesha. He plans to use her to get to Quill. I’m going to stop him.”

“And how, precisely, do you plan to do that? Your power is as erratic as his. You rush in without a plan and fail.”

“Then give me a fucking plan, Minnie.”

Her eyes held mine. “There is only one way forward, Reverius. Only one path that leads to an end rather than another cycle of violence.”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“It’s the only way. You know it as well as I do. The balance must be restored. Completely. Permanently. And he cannot walk away.”

“There has to be another solution.” But even as I said the words, I knew there wasn’t. Bellatora looked between us, a slow smile spreading across her face. “Oh. Oh, this is going to be magnificent .”

“Even if I agreed to this madness, it can’t be done.”

“It can,” Minerva countered. “With help.”

“Whose help?”

“Vesalia’s.”

That godsdamn name lingered between us. Vesalia, Goddess of Time.

“I’ve already summoned her,” Minerva said. “And I’m sorry for it, my boy. You can say no. But there aren’t many choices left that don’t lead to an end of everything.”

“And Quill?” I asked.

“I’ll stay with her,” Tuck offered, wincing as he straightened. “I may be a bit worse for wear, but I can still protect her.”

“Ezra wants her. If he can’t get to her through Paesha?—”

Tuck growled, rising. “He won’t get to her at all. I swear it on everything I am.”

I studied him, then nodded. “If anything happens to her?—”

“It won’t. Get the fuck out of here.”

I turned to Minerva. “If Vesalia agrees, there’s no going back. You understand that? This changes everything.”

“She’ll agree. She’s greedy and things need to change. This balance has been broken for too long.”

The sound of small footsteps made us turn. Quill stood in the doorway, Boo clutched in her arms, her young face solemn.

“You’re leaving,” she said.

I knelt before her. “I need to help Paesha. She’s in trouble.”

“Is she going to be okay?”

“Yes. But I need you to stay here with Tuck. Can you do that for me? Can you be brave? Help protect the others, okay?”

She nodded, chin lifting. “I can be brave. I’ll take care of him, too. He looks like he needs it.”

“He does, doesn’t he? Keep him out of trouble for me?”

“I will.” She threw her arm around my neck, Boo squished between us. “Bring her home. Promise.”

“I bind my words to you, Quill. She will come home. Take care of the other children while I’m gone. They’ll need your stories.” The whisper of power circled around me, locking me into one final bargain. One I’d die before breaking.

“I’ll keep telling them about the warrior princess who’s never afraid.”

I rose, resolve hardening. “Go on now.”

Quill gave me one last searching look, then turned and ran back to the east wing, Boo trotting at her heels.

“Vesalia should be meeting us there. Paesha had a ten minute head start. We need to race,” Minerva said, tossing her cane to Tuck. “I’ll be back for that.”

We moved to the door. I turned back to Tuck. “For every lifetime, brother.”

“Don’t do that,” he said.

“You know how this could go. If it does, tell her I did it for her. For all of them.”

I stepped through the door before he could respond. Some endings couldn’t be avoided, only faced head-on. This one had been waiting for me since the beginning of everything.

It was time to meet it.