Maybe it hadn’t. Maybe it had spread forever, this time. The thought didn’t stop me.
A new sensation joined my thoughtless charge. Pain simmered beneath the surface, unlike anything I’d felt before. At first, I couldn’t describe it—a malaise radiated beneath my skin, though I couldn’t place its cause.
Eventually, it grew into a distracting ache, like the abyss was seeping into my soul and turning me to dust—just like it did with everyone else.
Stumbling beneath the agony, I gritted my teeth, maintaining my grip on the magic.
Seth caught my arm. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.” I hissed through gritted teeth.
“Don’t let go.” He ordered. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
Wrapping my arm around his shoulder, he supported my weight as we trudged on through the endless black. Was this how sailors once felt? When they’d set sail into the fathomless seas, unsure if their boat would ever reach another shore?
Like the Maiden, when she’d split the endless Empty for the first time. . .
Biting my lip, I desperately tried to keep my footing. But the pain grew until I could bear it no longer. I looked down, expecting to see myself crumbling away.
My knees gave out, but Seth caught me before I fell. Sweeping me into his arms, he whispered gently to me. “Don’t let go, princess. I’ve got you.”
Hand trembling, I grabbed his collar, but the touch of leather faded from my skin. With every passing moment, I felt him less and less. It was like I floated alone in the darkness.
Closing my eyes, I imagined the vast emptiness and my single point of light. The flowers spread faster than before, cleaving through the Empty and racing out of sight. Straining to keep up, Seth broke into a jog. Leaning my head against his shoulder, I drew upon the well of magic swirling in my breast until the final wisp of light faded, leaving me with an empty, hollow void.
Had we made it? Or had we faded into dust? A thousand years might have passed, or only a single moment. When I opened my eyes, it felt like I broke the surface of an ocean I’d been submerged in for a lifetime.
Seth stared down at me, face creased with worry. He sat on a bed of patchy grass, cradling me in his lap. A blue sky crowned the world, and red trees swayed in the breeze, painting colors against the backdrop of the Empty, looming behind us like an oppressive wall.
We’d made it.
Sitting bolt upright, I quickly regretted my actions. My body felt like its threads had come unwound, and pain splintered through me. Leaning my head against Seth’s chest, I grinned likean idiot and looked up, expecting the same expression on his face.
His worry softened into a smile. “Fine. I was wrong. There are mages of the Empty, after all.”
Laughter escaped my lips, and Seth chuckled with me. A wet muzzle nudged my hand, and I reached out to ruffle Whisper’s ears.
“How did you manage it?” Seth asked.
“I gave up,” I said. “I knew it was pointless to try. Even if I could carve a path, we had no idea if we’d reach the other side.”
Seth furrowed his brow, not entirely understanding. “Did it hurt?”
I grimaced, echoes of the agony radiating in my bones. “Yes. I don’t know how to describe it.”
“Then it should be used sparingly.”
Nodding, I closed my eyes again. The Empty had been lifeless, cold. Seth was warm, alive. My hand curled into his tunic, pulling me nearer to him, as though closeness could infuse me with the life beating beneath his breast.
Seth wrapped his hand around mine, trapping it against his chest. “Don’t tell anyone about this.”
“What?” I gasped, eyes flying open.
“Do you remember what I said? They’ll turn you into a martyr.”
“But I can save everyone! What if I can travel through the Acheron and destroy the Empty entirely?”
“I see two futures for you.” Seth’s gaze hardened. “The clergy and a mob of angry people force you to the Empty, and you tear yourself apart trying to appease them. Or. . .” He trailed off.
