Utter insanity.
But one fae caught my attention above all the others.
Mortus.
The old fae staggered back a step, his expression one of bewilderment and confusion.
I reached out to steady the professor and noted his lack of fire. “Mortus,” I said slowly. “What’s wrong?”
He blinked, his dark eyes focusing and unfocusing all at once. “I… I don’t know.” He leaned in and lowered his voice. “C-could you tell me…? What year is this?”
Chapter29
Sol
When I came upon the Earth Quad, I paused to assess the damage.
Not as bad as I’d feared. Likely due to Cyrus’s glittering blue streams he’d woven through the grounds. Previously wilted trees now stood up straight and boasted fresh leaves and fruit, along with solid branches that reached for the sun. And the soil breathed with vitality, happy to have absorbed liquid nutrients from the Water Prince.
I spotted Aflora tending to another Earth Fae in the shade of one of the larger trees. She pressed her palm to the trunk and drew in its copper power, glowing as she fed on the source of our element, and gifted it to the petite female beside her.
Relief lightened my chest.
She’s alive.
“Aflora,” I said, and she glanced up at me, her blue eyes flashing with specks of emerald magic. I smiled and rested a heavy hand on her tiny shoulder. “You shouldn’t be using your magic right now. Just moments ago you were unconscious.”
Almost dead.
My gaze ran down her neck, searching for those black streaks. Aside from some lingering soot, I couldn’t detect the illness that had taken her so suddenly.
She shrugged me off. “I’m fine, Sol.” She flashed me a confident smile. “Can’t keep this Earth Fae down.”
I frowned, not wishing to downplay how close to death she’d come.
The female fae beside her groaned as black lines retreated under Aflora’s magic.
“There,” Aflora murmured, seemingly pleased as she rested the Earth Fae against the sturdy trunk. “Draw on its power,” she instructed. “You’ll feel better in no time.”
Even though Cyrus had bolstered the Earth Fae, Aflora’s miraculous recovery didn’t settle well with me.
I glanced around the quad again, noting how many of the others resembled the female fae Aflora had just treated, all of them leaning on the coppery substance of earth for survival.
But someone had given them a kick start.
Was it something Claire had done, or was Aflora’s grasp on the source stronger than I had previously imagined?
Aflora wiped her hands together as she stood and rolled her eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
I pinched some of the soot remaining on her shoulder and rubbed my fingers together. “It doesn’t feel right, Aflora. You need to reserve your magic, not spend it.”
She chuckled. “Well, aren’t you the bossy one? I knew there was a royal in there somewhere.”
Now it was my turn to scoff. “You’re the princess, Aflora. In time, it’ll be you who leads our people back to the fruitful civilization it’s meant to be.” I knew she had always thought we’d do that together, but I could never mate Aflora. Not just because she was like a sister to me, but also because of the scars on my soul. I didn’t know who or what had put them there, but it kept me walled off from the darkness that infected my people.
Not that it mattered. I wasn’t a leader. I’d spent my entire life trying to figure out my own shit. However, I was making progress thanks to Vox, Claire, and the rest of my mate-circle. Today confirmed that, as it was the first time I’d been able to trust someone else to carry my burdens with me.
I’m no longer alone.
