“All right,” Marcus says.“I’ll need to stay here to make sure people don’t write you off as dead.I’m not going to let them simply declare Selene the winner.And there are going to be emergency sessions of the senate, later.You can guess what’s on the agenda.”
“Trying to force Selene’s proposal through,” I guess.
Marcus nods.“I need to be there to try to stop them.”
“I’ll take care of Lyra,” Alaric promises.He’s already guiding me to the front of the colosseum.People stare at us as I pass until Alaric wraps a cloak around me, shifting his own appearance with illusions again and again so no one can follow us easily.
Alaric doesn't take me back to Marcus' villa.Instead, he leads me to a quiet house in the scholars' district, which doubles as an herbalists' store.He takes me inside, and instantly, I can see why Alaric has brought me here.His lieutenant, Thalia, is the one behind the counter.She has spiky hair that's half white, half black, and she's shrouded in the brown robes of a healer.Her talent has always been for vitomancy, helping those who need it.
She takes one look at me and hurries over.“What happened?How badly is she hurt?”
“Lyra was wounded in her last fight,” Alaric says.
Thalia frowns, looking me over.“Take her upstairs, where no one will walk in.I’ll come up and help her in a minute, once I’ve grabbed some herbs.You’re going to be fine, Lyra.”
Alaric helps me up a set of stairs, leading me to a bedroom that’s sparsely furnished.I guess this spare room is one of the many used by the resistance as part of their network of safehouses.Alaric lets his disguise fall as we walk, then scoops me up in his arms and sets me down on the bed gently.He stares at me as if afraid that, if he should look away, my condition will worsen.
Thalia comes up, looking me over.She applies foul smelling herbs to my wounds, but I also feel the touch of her healing magic, drawing together the flesh, making sure the wounds close properly.It seems to take her forever to work on me, and I don’t know if that’s because she’s deliberately going slowly so she can be careful with my wounds, or if I’m so injured she can’t go any faster.
At last, she steps back."There," she says."Your wounds are closed, but you've still lost a lot of blood and used a lot of energy.You need to rest, Lyra.Alaric, we should talk about coordinating the resistance.The fighting in the streets is getting out of control."
“I trust you to deal with it,” Alaric says.“I’m staying here.”
“But-”
“I’m staying with Lyra,” Alaric insists.
Thalia sighs, obviously realizing she isn’t going to persuade him otherwise.“At least make sure she gets some sleep.”
Thalia leaves us, and Alaric continues to stare at me as if I'm something fragile that might break at any moment.
“I’m all right,” I tell him.
“You aren’t,” Alaric insists.“You could have been killed in that fight.”
“But I wasn’t,” I say.I know how close the fight was, but that doesn't matter now.What matters is that I got through it.There’s nothing between me and Selene Ravenscroft now.
“You weren’t, but it almost broke my heart, having to watch it,” Alaric says.He takes my hand.“I...I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you, Lyra.”
I want to tell him that nothing will happen to me, but we both know that isn’t a promise I can make.Not when I’m due to fight Selene.
“Let me take you away from all this,” Alaric says, out of nowhere.
“What?”I can’t keep the surprise from my voice.
“We could leave Aetheria, the way we did before.Maybe not go to Seatide, but we could gosomewhere.”
I shake my head.“You don’t mean that, Alaric.You have the resistance, and I...I need to help here.Besides, being away from the city all but drove you insane, last time.”
“I’m absolutely serious,” Alaric insists.“Yes, I have responsibilities here, but none of them matter compared to you.We could set off for somewhere else in the world and just...be together.If that’s what you want.”
He sounds uncertain about that last part.
“No,” I say, and Alaric looks almost heartbroken.
“Is it...is it Marcus?”he asks.
I realize that I haven’t been clear enough.I lean up and kiss him, softly, tenderly.
