“I suppose a thank you is in order, good sir,” Kevhan says. “Her skills made me very rich.”
Ilryth considers the offering a moment, but ultimately accepts it. However, he doesn’t let Kevhan’s hand go, his expression turning stony. “Then it is you who failed to pay her properly so her family was at risk?”
“Ilryth,” I interject curtly. “He paid more than enough. There were other circumstances that had set back my finances independent of him.”
Ilryth slowly unfurls his fingers and murmurs, “Apologies.”
“It’s all right. I appreciate someone looking after our dear Victoria.” Kevhan smiles, massages his palm, and then gives me a knowing glance.
“Kevhan, can you tell me more of what you know about Midscape?” I ask hastily. There’s not much distance left for us to cover and I row a bit faster. The last thing I want is for the two of them to have uninterrupted time to talk between themselves. Kevhan knows too many of my secrets and too much of my past.
A past I still need to tell Ilryth. Iwilltell Ilryth, once we are safely back in the Eversea. Hopefully once everything is sorted, but sooner than that, if need be. He deserves to know. I just…want to tell him when we don’t have an audience and aren’t trying to escape the god of death’s Abyss.
The shore where I found the boat appears around the bend. Conversation dies as I guide them up the maze of anamneses and finally to the circle of stones I first arrived at. Holding each of their hands, I close my eyes and search within myself for the right words to sing. This close to the Lifetree, I can hear the whispers of her song.
My intention clear, I open my mouth and let out a high note.
We’re coming, Lellia, I say without words.You’ll be free soon. The first time, we sang to Krokan and solicited his guidance for the descent. This time, we sing to the Lifetree high above. Kevhan is utterly entranced by Ilryth and me. His jaw slackens slightly and his eyes glaze. He sways, succumbing to the trance of the siren songs.
Tiny bubbles surround us. My body feels light, detached. My feet leave the ground, and the two of them come with me. We begin to soar, far beneath the waves. Higher and higher and higher. Everything is a blur until we blink and, all at once, our heads crest the surface of the Eversea.
CHAPTER47
Kevhan gasps loudly on instinct.As if he still needs to breathe. I still feel a draw to do the same, but refrain. I’ve grown much more accustomed to my magical form.
Ilryth blinks up at the gray sky above us, calm and collected. He doesn’t gasp for air. He doesn’t immediately dive underneath the waves. There’s a tired smile curling his lips. The light of the Lifetree glistens on his wet skin, highlighting all his paintings in silver and gold. He truly is stunning, beyond all compare.
But a harsh wind sweeps across the ocean, churning it until it’s as gray as my eyes. I fight a shiver and watch as more silvery leaves than ever fall from the Lifetree.
“That is the Lifetree?” Kevhan whispers.
“It is.”
“She would speak of crowns of glass, people that lived in the seas, spirits of the deep woods, and kings that could cleave worlds,” he muses softly to himself. The words seem personal enough that I don’t want to interject. “I never expected I would see such magical things with my own eyes.”
“You’ll get a much closer look,” I say, beginning to swim. “The Lifetree is where we’re headed.”
“Victoria, we need to act with caution,” Ilryth warns, but still follows. “The moment the chorus knows we’ve returned, they will sequester us. And I can only assume Ventris has sensed a disturbance from the Abyss.”
“I’ve no doubt.” This is thoroughly without precedent. I expected as much, as the way of the Eversea seems to be: lock someone in a room until you know what to do with them. “That’s precisely why we’re going to the Lifetree first. We need a safe place for Kevhan to stay.”
“You’re leaving me?” Kevhan asks, hastily swimming to catch up with me. I hadn’t realized how much faster I’m able to swim until I wasn’t comparing myself to sirens.
“You will be safe here,” I assure him. “The Lifetree anchors life itself to this world. It will protect you from falling back into the Abyss.” I hope. It’s a bit of a guess but it’s the best I have. Briefly, I wonder if I made the right decision bringing him back…but I can’t hesitate now. I couldn’t leave him, and Ilryth seems to accept my decision as well.
We swim around to the back of the Lifetree—the roots that hang over the Abyss. I’ve never seen sirens swimming here thanks to the rot and I hope that means that it is marginally protected from their prying eyes. The water becomes clotted and the air is heavy with a putrid stink. To save our noses, we dive underneath the surface once more.
Kevhan goes to swim up for air after a few moments, but I catch his hand.
“You’re a spirit,” I remind him. “You don’t need to breathe.”
“Right…” He stares at the wrist I’m holding. “How is it that I can feel? Or smell?”
“I suspect it is the magic of the old gods,” Ilryth postulates on my behalf. “To ascend to this world from the Abyss, you have heard their songs through Victoria and myself. I suspect it stabilized your spirit.”
Which gives me hope he won’t return as a wraith. “You’re a bit like I am, I think.” I offer Kevhan an encouraging smile and release his wrist, returning to the task at hand by gesturing to a small alcove in the roots. “Stay here. Keep yourself hidden fromanyonebut us. We’ll return soon.”I hope.
“What will you do?”
