“So do you feel like…thatabout him?” I check, too curious for my own good.
“That is the first foolish question you have ever asked me,” the goddess of death informs me before swinging her scythe to rip an entry back into the mortal realm.
I see where I inherited my dislike for handing out personal information.
I step out of the vestibule between the lowest planes of existence and find myself in the exact same spot I started. My quintet is still frozen in place in this dark, foreboding forest, butgods,I’m so fucking relieved to be back at their side.
As soon as I step toward them and the rip behind Syntyche and I seals itself, all four of my matches unfreeze. They blink in confusion to see me facing them. Silas rotates slightly to keep my mother out of his peripheral vision.
Changed your mind?Baelfire frowns, checking through the bond.
No. I just got back.
Holy shit, that was a fast goodbye.
Her mother is the goddess of time, you fucking dolt,Crypt points out.
I feel a million times more at peace than the last time I was standing in the dark thrall of Everbound Forest. My chest still aches, knowing Lillian is in the Beyond and I won't see her againin this lifetime. I’m not sure how soon that ache will get away, but closure makes a big fucking difference.
I turn back to Syntyche. “Thank you.”
She dips her head slightly. “I anticipate more polite prayers from you in the future. Or from your mortal matches. Some of their prayers have amused me.”
When her dark gaze moves to Everett, he turns redder than I’ve ever seen him and covers his face.
What is she talking about?I ask only him.
Nothing. But feel free to reap my soul to make this moment end sooner.
The goddess of death smirks at his reaction. It’s the first real expression she’s worn in the presence of my quintet, and I don’t miss that they all flinch away from her again. With that, my mother pulls her hood up and dissolves into shadows.
47
SILAS
In the threedays that have passed since the wraiths attacked the cultist temple, my quintet and I have done everything we can to comfort our keeper. The trouble is, Maven refuses to linger on her loss.
She was careful not to shed a tear at Lilian’s simple burial service the morning after the attack. Everett crafted an elegant nevermelt headstone for Lillian, which now sits beside Maven’s in Everbound’s largest greenhouse. The snowdrop flowers in there bloomed contentedly under Asher Douglas’s common magic spell as our quintet, the Baird quintet, Douglas, and a few other Reformists paid respect to the kind-hearted human who raised my keeper.
Maven left a colorful box of Crayons and a photograph of a young girl at Lillian’s honorary grave. She hasn’t shed another tear in front of us or anyone else. Even when our keeper told us about her experience in the vestibule to the Beyond, she kept it brief and then moved on with her careful planning of how we will take down Amadeus.
She’s a force of nature—but all four of us know she’s still in mourning.
I sit on the edge of the bed, watching my blood blossom as she sleeps deeply in Baelfire’s arms. Dawn is lacing its way into the dark sky outside our quintet apartment’s primary bedroom. It’s changed to summertime temperatures over the last few days, so I can see the starts of blooming plants far below. The natural world is finally returning to normal after Everett’s perpetual cold snap.
Unfortunately, the improved weather has only encouraged the campers outside to remain here. Even despite the recent wraith attack in the forest, the refugees, Nether humans, cultists, and others are undeterred. They believe their presence shows support for “Maven Oakley.”
She’s been too busy plotting and giving instructions to the Reformist leaders to spare the lingerers any notice. To say that we’ve been busy is an understatement, but my blood blossom still hasn’t shared the entirety of her plan with us.
I watch as Maven finally grows overheated in Baelfire’s extra warm embrace. The big lug is passed out so hard that he doesn’t even stir when our fuckingadorablehalf-asleep keeper detangles herself from his arms and scoots closer to Everett. The ice elemental instinctively pulls her against his bare, scarred chest. Cooled off at once, she relaxes back into rest.
I sense Crypt nearby a moment before he materializes beside me. He wordlessly hands me an empty syringe—one of several I’ve spent the last couple of days tinkering with in an attempt to find areveriumconcoction to allay his curse.
“Well?” I check, keeping my voice low so as not to wake Maven.
He answers by removing his leather jacket and holding out one of his arms. The swirling light and dark markings on it light up in an angry pattern. But then again, very few markings remain at all.
Godsdamn it.
