Lira shakes her head in disbelief. “You have everything here, Amara. You are the Jewel. There is no greater honor among the Tenders.”
“There will be no Tenders if I do not go,” I assert firmly.
Mirael’s expression hardens with anger. “Then we forbid it. You cannot leave.”
“I’m not asking for your permission,” I counter, determination steeling my voice. “I came to bid you farewell and feel the warmth of our circle one last time.”
Mirael turns her back on me, a clear sign of her refusal, while Saren and Lira begin to relent.
“Will you return?” Saren asks, her voice softening.
“If everything goes well, then yes,” I reply with a light laugh, trying to bring some cheer to the moment.
Lira reaches for me, and I rush into her arms without hesitation.
“We love you, Amara,” she says, glancing over my shoulder at Mirael. “Especially Mirael.”
Reluctantly, Mirael turns and links hands with Saren, joining the circle. Our arms wrap around each other, our heads resting on one another’s shoulders. Energy surges through us, and once again I feel the power of our unbroken bond.
Mirael jerks back, startled. “Your power, Amara, it’s greater than I’ve ever felt.”
Lira frowns. “It’s that rune on her neck. Perhaps we should get one too.”
“It only works if you use High Fae blood in the ink,” I explain.
Saren grins. “Maybe we should get ourselves one of those as well.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” I laugh. “They’re very troublesome.”
“You love him, though?” Lira asks quickly.
I nod. “I do.”
“Then it’s worth all the trouble in the world,” Mirael says.
We hug once more, and as I step away, another ache settles into my heart, adding to my growing collection. When I return to The Grove, Zyphoro and Solena wait for me, and a sorrow falls over the Tenders as I farewell them a second time. I can barely meet their eyes, reminding myself that what I do is for their safety, no matter how much it pains me to leave.
Zyphoro grows impatient, tapping her heavy boot on the ground, and I wonder if she’s more eager for this fight than I am.
Bending down, I lift Ashen into my arms. He lets out a small cry, as if he too feels the weight of our departure. He crawls onto my shoulder, sinking into my hair, his little purrs tickling my ears.
“Ready?” Zyphoro asks, and when I nod, she sweeps me into her arms, her wings unfurling majestically behind her.
With a powerful push off the ground, we rise, watching as my people below shrink into tiny specks. We break through the canopy, emerging into the brilliant blue sky. The sun blazes down on me, and I close my eyes, allowing its warmth to seep into my bones. I will hold onto it, knowing that in Baev’kalath, the sun seldom shines to light the dark places.
The ship remains anchored where Arax dropped us, and it takes everything in me not to fall apart at the thought of him standing at the bow. I feel the ribbon tied around my wrist—a touchstone, a reminder of him during these hardest moments. I wonder if he knows that even now, he is protecting me.
Daed and the seven remaining Blades wait for us, and with the combined power of the siblings, the ship surges forward at twice the speed, waves of smoke racing alongside us across the still harbor toward the perilous Untold Sea.
As night falls, I lean against the railing, staring toward the approaching storm. The rain begins to fall lightly, but I knowsoon it will pour. Part of me feels a thrill at the thought of its icy sting against my skin once more.
Daed joins me, his arms snaking around my waist from behind, pulling me against his chest. He buries his face in my neck, his lips brushing softly toward my ear, until a screeching hiss sends him stumbling back.
Ashen leaps from my hair, landing deftly on the deck, his back arched, smoky fur bristling.
“How long has he been doing that?” Daed asks, clutching his chest.
“It’s his favorite spot,” I laugh as Ashen scuttles away in search of a more peaceful place to sleep. “When you made him for me, I assumed he was just a kitten, not a giant cat with tentacles.”
