Was that what Isla had looked like, while she had walked through her memories?
Isla realized a person could be lost in these woods forever. Lost in their own mind. She exhaled deeply, the reality of her situation truly crashing upon her. Lark was a monster. She had killed hundreds of people, including Wren. And Remlar. But they had to work together, to keep each other moving forward when the other was ensnared by the past. She could only hope that Lark didn’t kill her when she herself was unresponsive.
Isla took her ancestor’s arm, picked a direction, and started walking.
ORO
“That king was fucking useless,” Grim snarled, throwing the golden threads down onto the table at Oro’s castle on Lightlark.
Oro frowned at him. They were both still covered in blood and guts. The stench was almost enough to make Oro gag. “He said she would need this to save the universe.”
Very slowly, Grim’s eyes met his. He took a step forward. “Do you think I give afuckabout the universe?” he said. “I care aboutmy wife. The world can fall to pieces in the meantime.”
“My love is not lesser, because I care about this world,” Oro said. “She does too.”
“Which is the only reason it isn’t already ash,” the Nightshade growled. He shook his head. “Sheismy heart. Of course, your love islesser.”
Oro wondered if that was true. But he knew Isla. He knew she cared about others. It was the entire reason she had left this world in the first place.
“I just want to get her back,” Grim said, hands in fists. Shadows raced across his floor, suffocating the gold tiles.
“I don’t think the threads are useless for that,” Oro said. He didn’t know much about the Threads of Time, but an artifact so powerful must be able to help them.
“Good. Then makeyourselfuseful,” he said, gesturing to the threads on the table.
Oro sighed. “The lost king said we had to go to the cursed world. Can you portal us there?”
Grim lifted a hand. “If I had something of that world. A connection to it. A piece of it,” he said.
Oro thought about their conversation with the lost king. “He said that all realms needed to play their part in this war.” He started pacing. “Nightshade and Sunling.” Grim and him. “Starling and Wildling.” Isla controlled both. “Moonling.” Cleo had just helped them. “... And Skyling.”
Their gazes met.
“Azul’s husband died during the curses,” Oro offered. “If what the king said was true...” Then part of his soul was still in that world. Perhaps they could speak to him. A knot formed in his chest, thinking about everyone else who died during the curses. Everyone else who might be there...
“What would Azul’s husband know that could be important to us now?” Grim said.
Oro considered that. “He was a Moonling scholar, who worked with ancient texts.” If Cleo knew something useful to getting to the otherworld, she would have already told them. Her knowledge before the curses must have been limited, given she was never supposed to become ruler. “If any Moonling has information that could help us...especially if it was lost...it might be him.”
Oro continued pacing as he mulled it over. He didn’t want to cause Azul any pain by asking this of him. The Skyling had said his goodbyes, when the storm around Lightlark had vanished, after the curses had been cast. He had believed that his soul had been released...Now they knew that it was the island that had been released, back into this world.
But if there was a war coming that could destroy not only their world but the entire universe, then the lost king was right. They all needed to play their part.
“Let’s pay Azul a visit,” Oro said.
Azul had already taken on an enormous responsibility during the last battle. Almost all of Oro’s people had been portaled to his newland for safety. He was elected to rule his realm, which had resulted in a successful, efficient democracy.
Every important action was voted upon. But this was too crucial and time-sensitive for that.
“Let me do the talking,” Oro said, as Grim portaled them into the Skyling’s castle. He had at least taken a moment to change out of his blood-crusted clothing. Grim, expectedly, hadn’t bothered.
When the Skylings caught a glimpse of Grim, they scattered, shooting in all directions. The Nightshade scowled at him. “Yes, because you’re so good at talking,” Grim said dismissively, and Oro was struck by a memory. The Nightshade had said something similar centuries ago.
“At least I don’t incite panic with my very presence,” Oro grumbled, watching as everyone they passed soared away, fleeing the castle as if the skies themselves had fallen.
“Not everyone can make an entrance, Sunling,” Grim drawled before flinging the council room’s doors open with his shadows. Oro rolled his eyes.
Inside, the discussion a group of representatives was having immediately silenced. There were some gasps. A few murmurs.
