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Eilish’s hands tremble slightly. Her eyes flicker up to mine and she nods, separating from Dragan as she heads toward the tunnel.

Pyre wobbles on unsteady legs, but I help him stay upright.

He leans against me until we reach another cave not far from the edge of the glade.

The trek back to Theren is long and cold, but once we get close, I pick up a scent I recognize.

It’s the same scent from hunting Morrigan in the Veil.

Her blood. Here.

I look to Dragan and notice he’s picked up the scent, as well.

Morrigan is hurt.

***

DRAGAN

Delendren Glade

Eilish is ahead, scouting the trail as Baron suggested. My eyes never leave her. She’s far calmer than I would’ve expected after we all witnessed her killing her father. Eilish is strong, yes, but I hope that strength hasn’t made her numb to loss and… death.

I allowed myself to get to that point and I didn’t do myself any favors. I want her to learn from our mistakes, not repeat them.

When Eilish is a good twenty feet in front of us, I turn to Pyre and Baron, breaking the silence. “I was surprised to see Silvanus,” I start.

“I was too,” Baron answers.

“You didn’t think it seemed… convenient?”

Baron looks over at me. “What do you mean?”

I shrug. “All the times she’s been in danger, he shows up now. Why?”

Baron grits his teeth as I come on his other side to help assist Pyre through the trees. “Silvanus is a wild card. None of us knows what his true intentions are.”

“I agree,” I say. “He’s no more trustworthy than Morrigan…well, until he proves otherwise.”

“Yes,” Baron says as he looks over at me. Eilish pauses up ahead so we do the same. I glance at Pyre and notice he’s unconscious. Baron notices as well and helps me assist Pyre to the ground. Eilish turns to face us and noticing Pyre’s condition, she makes her way back.

Baron looks at me and says quickly, “We’ll have to keep this between the two of us.”

“What?”

“Our feelings about Silvanus.”

“Why?”

“Theren and Cambion are still trying to atone for their actions. Pyre has enough to deal with, and Aima is still healing. Eilish would allow her heart to cloud her judgment, so I think it’s best if our suspicions go unnoticed.”

“Agreed.”

***

After resting for an hour or so, during which time Eilish does her best to heal Pyre as much as she’s able, we start moving through the forest again. Pyre passes in and out of consciousness. I don’t know exactly what’s happened to him, but whatever it is, it’s something serious.

Baron keeps a watchful eye on our surroundings as we approach a small clearing beside a lake. Eilish stands at the water’s edge with her brow furrowed.

“What is it?” I ask, approaching her.

She points to the splatters of blood in the snow and the mess of footprints that lead to the lake. The once-solid surface is now fractured, and the vibrations of magic linger in the air. We follow Eilish toward the hovel that was once her home. Black feathers are scattered everywhere.

Baron stiffens just outside the door and jerks his head towards a red mark on the wood. “Blood magic,” he sneers.

I summon my sword as Baron sets Pyre against the wall, and we flank Eilish as she turns the handle. When the door yields, the sight inside isn’t a good one. Eilish gasps and runs in, dropping beside Theren with tears in her eyes.

Like the rest of us, Theren is covered in blood—only most of it’s his own. His heavy-lidded gaze falls on me before his eyes finally slide closed, as if he now feels safe to succumb to his injuries.

“Theren!” Eilish says as she shakes him but it’s no good. He’s out.

“Is he dead?” Baron asks.

Eilish leans over and holding her head just in front of his nose, she listens for his breathing. She looks up a me. “No, he’s not dead. I can hear him breathing.”

“Now we have two unconscious deadweights to slow us down,” Baron says. “Hopefully we can make it back to the stronghold before those fucking goblins realize they’re free to leave the caves.”

“We should hurry,” Eilish says before she turns around and looks at us both. “But we’re coming back here again at some point,” she says.

“What?” Baron asks.

“Why?” I say.

She nods. “I want this place restored so we can use it as a safe zone. It would be good to have a place in which to retreat in case of emergencies. Especially after what happened in the Veil when the Unseelie attacked.” She runs her fingers through Theren’s hair, and I feel a stab of jealousy pierce right through my chest. He doesn’t deserve her kindness.

I don’t understand how she feels anything towards him.

“Will you help me, Dragan?” she asks as she smiles up at me and motions to the unconscious Unseelie prick beneath her.

I don’t argue but I approach them both and notice how Baron’s gaze drops to the ground as I lift Theren. The vampire goes outside to wake Pyre, while Eilish stays beside me.

“We should leave him here,” I say.

Eilish shakes her head. “He was prisoner to Morrigan just as much as Cambion was. We can’t leave him.”

“The fight to free him nearly cost us all our lives,” I argue. “I don’t trust him—his power is stronger than Cambion’s and much darker. This could all be a ruse.”

“I don’t believe it is,” she argues.

“We will bring Theren back to the stronghold but I want to keep him in the cells until we know he’s no longer under Morrigan’s spell,” I say, my lips tight.

She nods subtly. “Baron said blood magic was used here. Is... is that bad?”

“No magic is innately evil, Eilish,” I admit. “But it can be used for evil. Blood magic, however, is far more susceptible to darkness than even necromancy.”

“Darkness is what you and Baron pull your power from?” she starts.

I shake my head. “I’m not talking about the shadow magic that animates Baron and me. This is a different darkness altogether. I’m talking about the abyss.”

“The abyss?” she repeats, clearly lost.

“Theren’s father and Abedon were once great sorcerers, too, and they succumbed—Elioth more than Abedon.”

“Succumbed to what?”

“To the power of the abyss. The Fae King, Theren’s father, never crawled out of the abyss.”

“You’re not suspicious of Theren, then. You’re concerned he’ll follow his father’s footsteps through his blood magic.” She lifts her hand and cups my cheek.

I feel the blood of her father sticking to her fingers, but Eilish’s touch is something I’ll never again shy away from. And there’s something in her eyes that holds me steady.

“Thank you for always coming to save me, Dragan,” she continues. “I know I don’t always say it, but I cherish you. I always have.”

“I cherish you.”

She raises herself onto the tips of her toes and presses a kiss to my lips, dry and cracking from the winter air.

From the doorway, Baron clears his throat and we separate.

I toss Theren over my shoulder, feeling another rush of warm liquid pouring down my back from the wound on his belly, but I’m too tired to carry him with my arms alone.

Pyre is more lucid, but he’ll need to return to the Veil soon.

“Heading directly through the desert may kill us,” I say. “We don’t have enough water, strength, or magic to make the journey to the stronghold.” I turn to Eilish, hoping her memories are intact enough to help. “Do you know of any other portals out of here?”

“There’s one across the lake near the location where we came out of the cave.

If I remember correctly, it leads to the Dales of Arborel.

There was a tribe queen there my mother used to trade with.

She guards a portal into the mortal realm,” she explains.

“We should be able to get transport from Sori’s camp and ride to the stronghold. ”

“What are the odds Variant raided the place?” Baron asks.

Eilish looks at him and shrugs. “Not likely, unless he wanted to go up against a brood of Amazons,” she replies with a smile.

Baron dips his head and steals a kiss from her before helping Pyre steady himself.

I hide my grin in the fabric bunching on my shoulder.

Looks like I wasn’t the only one feeling a little jealous over Eilish and Theren.

It’s strange but the love between Baron and Eilish no longer bothers me—not like it used to.

Yes, there are still moments when the jealousy gets me but those moments are now few and far between.

We gather what we need and leave behind what’s too heavy to carry. I have no memory of the dales. Most of the lighter regions of the realms are never seen by my kind.

As we walk, Eilish focuses on healing herself. She applies the techniques Pyre taught her during her training in the Veil, using herself as a filter for the pain and then releasing the energy into the ethers.

“What does it feel like?” I ask.

“Like I’m a balloon filling with air until I’m about to burst,” she describes. “And then I slowly let the air out until the pressure goes away.”

Eilish points ahead to a thicket of thorny bushes, where something in front ripples like a stone hitting the surface of a placid lake. The portal.

“This is it,” I announce. “It’s strange... it feels light. Like the way Earlann used to feel when we crossed through the gates as kings.”

Reaching out with my hand, I push through the thin barrier. I feel sunlight on the other side. Not hot like the Desolate Border, but warm. I step through the portal and a world of lush green greets me.

Birds sing in the trees and the sound of rushing water meets my ears. Plush grass covers the ground and beams of pure sunlight break through the tops of the trees. Fragrant flowers sweeten the air along with fresh morning dew.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper as Eilish and the others follow me. I watch as their eyes widen when they take in their new surroundings. When Eilish smiles, her expression is pure and filled with child-like vigor. I wonder if the dale is the way she remembers it from her youth.

A rustle in the underbrush causes me to turn my attention as a ray of light nearly blinds me.

There I see Cambion who stands with a group of women with painted faces and skin as dark as ebony stone.

He catches sight of his brother and rushes forward.

I allow him to take Theren, grateful for the relief of the weight off my shoulder.

“Is he dead?” Cambion asks, his face full of concern.

I shake my head. “He’s alive, but just so.”

“What happened?” Cambion asks.

“That is a question best asked once he’s awake,” I answer as I shrug.

“In other words, none of us has any fucking idea,” Baron adds.

“And Pyre?” the elf asks, glancing over at Baron.

“Will need time and healing,” I respond.