“You don’t know,” Azur says.
“I was alone and unaware,” Lidiane says. “But now I’ll keep an eye on the sky. And if Ferer’s here, I’ll be all right. Once everyone returns, we can think about going somewhere else. Now go and find Astra.”
I tap her shoulder. “Take care.”
She gives me a tense smile, then looks at Azur, her eyes full of yearning and worry.
He runs a finger on her face, then says, “I’ll be right back.” He looks at Ferer. “I do love your sister, you know?”
Ferer crosses his arms and shrugs. “I guess.”
Azur smirks. “You’re guessing right.” He turns to me. “Let’s transcend from the riverbank. It’s easier. I’ll meet you there.”
He walks to the edge of the island and uses air magic to push him across. I turn to the siblings, wave goodbye, then float across the water, and meet Azur at the riverbank.
Only now that I’m here, alone with him, I recall that he wanted to kill me not even three days ago, and ask, “Are you planning on betraying me?”
He narrows his eyes. “Let me make a few things clear.” He’s using his smug, annoying tone. “I don’t like you, Marlak. Don’t like your superior attitude, and despise the way you treated your brother.”
“What way?”
“If you can’t be bothered to notice it, why should I tell you? But that’s not the point. Lidiane likes you. And I love her. Ferer likes you. He hates me, but he’s still Lidiane’s brother. You seem to like them both, maybe even love them, in a fraternal way, and I appreciate that. Astra loves you. She saved my life, I saved hers, and we swore loyalty to each other. I like her. Because of that, I’ll never, ever, even dream of harming you in any way, despite the way I feel. Now, I trust that you like Lidiane enough not to harm me either, isn’t that so?”
I sigh. “I was never planning on killing or hurting you to begin with.”
“Of course.” He huffs, then extends his hand. “Anyway. Let’s save Astra. I’m worried too, in case you didn’t notice.”
For some reason, I hesitate. “You can transcend without holding hands, can’t you?”
He rolls his eyes. “First, you already touched me. Second, I found the cure to the magical poisoning. You’ll get contaminated, for sure, but it will be fine.”
“Right.” I take his hand, and realize I might have been unfair. “Thank you. For this.”
“Fae don’t thank, Marlak, but if you really wish to do so, wait until Astra’s safe.”
The riverbank and the stars above us disappear, and then we’re standing on a castle with windows leading to a blue sky and a forest far away, with a circle marked with clear crystals on the floor.
My first thought is that it looked different in Ferer’s mind, but then, memories are never perfect. Astra’s not here, but the heart is in a different room. I head to the door, open it, and it’s all black. It’s black not like a dark sky, but a blackness that seems to pull all the light from around it. Nothingness.
“Don’t.” Azur pulls me back.
“What’s this?”
His eyebrows crease. “I… do not know.”
Something’s very wrong. I try to reach through my bond, reach Astra, and all I get is the same darkness. Emptiness.
“She’s there,” I say.
“Right. But let’s think. Step into that void, and we might never come back.”
But if Astra’s there, that’s where I’m going.
Azur tightens his grip around me, almost as if he’s guessing my thoughts. “Marlak! Don’t be foolish. We need to get her out of there.”
“How?”
“We’ll figure it out. Let’s think. Ten minutes, Marlak. Ten minutes won’t kill her.”
