Page 8

HYDOR LILIES

SERYN

C autiously, Gavrel scanned the front of the shop. With no sign of Melina’s minions, we rushed over to the door.

A short stub of a man wearing dingy robes in a patchwork of blue velvet wobbled down the stairs. His pudgy cheeks puffed as he sputtered, “What were you doing in the back of my?—”

My brows shot up, and then a mask of contrition spilled over my face as I interrupted him with a mumbled apology and hurried outside after Gavrel.

Gavrel marched across a footbridge and down another alley, checking each corner before progressing. His gaze continually swept over me as if I were the twilight about to slip away into the morning sun.

Finally, as we left another backstreet, we reached the edge of the city. Relief washed over me at the sight of the lynstone bridge and marshy land whence we had arrived.

We darted toward the exit, but before we could set foot on it, a young man in Draumr uniform appeared from between two shops. With a yelp, I crashed into him, knocking us both onto our backsides.

The rasp of Gavrel’s sword being drawn had me scrambling away from the guard while reaching for my dagger. The Draumr slowly got to his feet, his palms held out in front of him. “Commander Larkin?” he asked, his eyes wide and curious.

Gavrel squinted at him, taking an ominous step forward, blade blinking in the sunlight.

“Wait. Wait, please,” the guard entreated as he righted his overcoat and lifted his chin. Standing, I leaned in just a fraction and rested my hand on Gavrel’s left biceps. The man continued, “It won’t be long until my companion finds us. Please, listen.”

Gavrel’s blade dropped a fraction. “Speak.”

“Your second-in-command sends a missive.” A quick breath of air filled my lungs, my eyebrows lifting.

The guard looked down the alley he’d shot out of and then back at us.

Gavrel lowered his weapon further, and the young man leaned in, speaking furtively.

“Rhaegar sent word through our network . Said that mortals were better messengers than”—he curled the first two fingers of each hand in the air near his cheeks—“blasted harbinger starlings.”

He glanced behind nervously. “He’ll find you in the Bogs post haste, but asked that you leave word with Neoma Skiya of your final destination once you arrive in Helos.”

Gavrel sheathed his sword and patted the young warrior on the shoulder before walking toward the bridge once more.

The guard nodded to me and turned to leave the way he’d arrived. “May the wings of the Raven carry you.”

“Uh, thank you,” I muttered as I moved past him, falling into step with Gavrel. “Do you think it’s a trap?”

“No, that message was surely sent by Hale. The man loathes birds.”

I chuckled, the feel of it odd in my throat. “He seems to have issues with most small, winged creatures.” Rhaegar didn’t enjoy pixies either.

His dimple flashed before he shifted his rucksack and pushed ahead.

Hastily, we moved through the marshland, mud sucking at our boots and wispy, tan reeds stroking against our bodies. Briny wind tossed loose strands about my cheeks.

Bending, I plucked a thin, broken stalk from under my foot. I ran the grain through the pressed pads of my thumb and middle finger. “How long do you think it’ll take for Xeni to reach Letti?” I murmured.

“She’ll make haste. I’d say a few days.”

My chin dipped. “I wish I’d gotten to know her better. I’ll remedy that once we return home.”

“You’ll get the chance.” He slowed, the corners of his mouth tipping. “Xeni is a woman of few words, but she’ll do what she must in order to protect Letti.”

“I’ve no doubt.” I tossed the reed to the ground. “What are we going to do about my father?”

Gavrel’s jaw ticked. “I don’t know yet. When we find Kaden, I fear that he’ll take the decision from us regardless.”

A grimace settled over my features. He was right. Kaden would likely lose the precarious command he had over his temper.

And it bothered me that the thought didn’t pain me as much as it should. Did I care about Father? Yes, but he’d been so distant and uncaring my whole life that the weight of his demise didn’t sit heavy upon my shoulders.

With a deep exhale, my eyes roamed over the wide expanse before us. Far in the distance, the Ourea Peaks poked at the sky.

“Are those huts?” I asked, focusing on a spattering of slanted, grass-roofed structures along the horizon to our left.

“Likely abandoned long ago. Haadra used to be filled with marsh dwellers, but the Withering made it nearly impossible to survive out here. Citizens either fled to the city or starved.” His voice rumbled, ire lacing his words.

I breathed in, a sodden gloom coating me. The only sounds that accompanied us for the next several hours were those of the salted air pushing through the reeds and the squish of our boots as they trekked through endless puddles.

Either the critters in this region were long lost to the Withering, or they were hiding, silently watching as we crept through the sopping wetlands.

We reached Inksalt Loch as the sun prodded its pinnacle in the sky. I scanned the water, following its gentle ripples to the right. Close by, a single coral bloom bobbed in the current.

I crouched. A smile curved my mouth, mimicking the gentle bend of the petal as I ran a finger over it.

“Hydor lilies are in season,” Gavrel mumbled as he strode to the right, following a thin tributary connecting with the loch.

With one eyebrow lifted, I stood, brushing my hands over my thighs.

“She said, ‘hydor lilies are in season’ … the lotus. ” His dimple peeked out from the side of his grin, and the shock of it had my head jerking back. He so rarely allowed his face to express joy in that way.

“Why, Gavrel, I had no idea you were so interested in flowers,” I teased.

“The seer was directing us to Lotus Loch.”

Bugger me .

Hydor lilies were also called lotus . My heart tripped and then caught up with itself as we hastened our strides along the meandering river.

My thoughts drifted along with the current.

I wondered how Letti was doing, how she’d react when Xeni found her, and if Father suspected she remembered everything.

If he cared even a little that I was gone, but my chin fell, already knowing the answer.

Did he at least regret what he’d done to Hestia?

My heart pounded erratically as the image of Kaden screaming in the darkness replayed, and then skipped several beats entirely as I wrapped my arms across my middle.

I scrunched my eyes closed, remembering Gavrel’s biceps cocooning my body this morning. The warmth of his front pressed snugly against my back. Heat climbed from the base of my spine to my neck, and my ember purred within me.

Heart fumbling, my focus wandered along the crisp mountain ridges as I tried to distract my thoughts from scurrying back into this morning’s wake-up call.

A low hum of frustration vibrated in my throat. I blinked and glanced at him. He was studying me from his peripheral, as he often had during our little adventure .

One side of his mouth tipped up before settling back in place again. I pulled my eyes forward as a burning rush of heat swept over my face and scalp. Did he know what I was thinking? Ancients, I hoped not.

Absently, I played with the end of my messy plait, tugging on the end before tossing it back over my shoulder. My fingertips brushed over my neck.

A tingling caress stroked down my spine as I recalled my half-asleep body rubbing against his this morning. I’d relished the feel of his solid limbs tangled around mine. His hands squeezing my backside. His hardness pressing against my core.

Pulling my thoughts back, Gavrel coughed lightly, hands tightening on his baldric. He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, and I wished it was me doing that.

Bloody void, you wanton wench .

Kaden was likely suffering, trying to survive, and I was lusting after his brother. My forehead wrinkled at the thought of my best friend’s anguish, his body contorting in pain. My contemplations continued to spiral and bleed into one another.

Confusion.

Longing.

Rage.

Concern.

Nostalgia.

Frustration.

Overwhelming emotions skittered over my bones, poking and prodding me. Trying to find their place within the cracks of my very being. I wiped my damp palms along the sleeves of my dark tunic as I hugged myself.

Breathe in .

Breathe out.

A subtle brush of Gavrel’s biceps against mine brought me back to the present. He wasn’t looking at me as we forged ahead, but the corners of his eyes were soft. Comforting.

He was holding back, allowing me to shuffle my memories back in place. Allowing me to acclimate to the onslaught of feelings thrashing around my skull. Giving me the space to soothe myself while letting me know he was here.

Kaden was the sun. Shining. Conspicuous.

I’d always counted on his constant comfort and warm presence.

My head leaned to one side, neck stretching with the motion.

I peeked at Gavrel, considering him. He’d always been around as well, discreetly watching over those he cared for like an unwavering shadow.

He wanted Kaden to shine and was content with lingering in the background.

I breathed in and then out to the count of four again, allowing the crisp, clean air to soothe me as we trekked through the reeds and mud. As my pulse calmed, a final, shaky puff of air pushed from between my lips.

Gavrel and I would have to address our past. It bubbled beneath my skin, yearning to unleash itself. The compulsion to do just that was almost as intense as my ember wanting to drain others dry. A prickle stroked in an upward curve along my nape as if it was smiling against my skin.

Within the hour, a mesmerizing array of hydor lilies scattered over the clouded surface of Lotus Loch.

My scar tingled as we walked along the edge. Tentatively, I allowed my ember to trickle out, its energy sighing with relief as it wavered around me, unveiling the spectacular halos dancing around the water, mountains, and flora.

A sparkling haze twinkled above each flower, but as my eyes traversed the pool, their auras sparked and popped the closer they got to a section not far from the shore.

Pointing, I gulped. “There.”

Without question, Gavrel stepped into the water. The blooms swayed around him, and his tattoo glowed as he held his hand out to me.

I breathed in and exhaled as I placed my palm in his. Lapping at my skin, the wet chill seeped into my clothes and bones as we trudged deeper. The briny liquid was so murky, it devoured any part of me that was immersed, my top half bobbing with the flowers.

The silty bottom sucked at my boots as we pushed forward, and as we grew closer to the crackling lotus, a humming energy crescendoed—a watery drone that vibrated among us.

Briefly, Gavrel turned his attention to me, one eyebrow raised, head tilting.

The water was waist-high, but with our next step, my aura and Gavrel’s rune exploded with brilliance. We plunged into the icy depths, the muck no longer meeting our feet. The cloudy liquid pressed into me from all sides, its grip yanking me down.

I gasped before my head submerged, and salty liquid filled my throat. Trying to propel myself upward, my hand ripped from Gavrel’s as I flailed.

The memory of me almost drowning as a child intruded my thoughts. My heart thrashed about, lungs screaming. Buzzing filled my skull, and despite sinking into the gloomy depths, a scorching light pulsed over the insides of my scrunched eyelids.

Not caring if it hurt, I opened my eyes, seeking a way to save myself. A stinging burn swept across my pupils before a massive shadow swooped past my left. Without warning, something tangled around my calves, wrenching.

Trying to escape as the squirming shackles tug me sideways, I jerked to my right but didn’t get very far. I pulled my dagger from its sheath, and within a few seconds, the blade severed my restraints with a squishy snap.

Milky claret swirled around me as I sheathed my weapon, panic vibrating within every fiber of my body. My ember rammed against my flesh, urging me to tear at the water to my right.

An obscured blaze of light whirled into the opaque depths. Frantically, I pushed ahead and heeded my gift’s counsel .

Just as my fingers stretched toward the vortex, the current pulling me in, the glint of massive, needle-like teeth snapped precariously near my left. A muffled scream tore from me, and a burst of bubbles fled my mouth, the maelstrom greedily gobbling them up.

The dim outline of the creature’s bulbous form lunged at me again, as its bulging, phosphorescent eyes locked onto me. I could just make out numerous eel-like tentacles writhing and stretching from the beast’s rotund mass, reaching for me.

I shut my eyes tight, not wanting to see the creature any clearer as it dragged me into its jaws. My heart slowed, and my lungs jerked, no longer able to withstand the lack of oxygen.

All at once, my whirling thoughts stilled, and absolute acceptance washed over me.

Pain was fleeting.

Perhaps the Fates were offering me a way to find Kaden and Mama.

After all, death was just another part of the journey.