“I won’t let you down,” he reassures me. It’s an echo of some of the first words I ever said to him. Begging him as a young woman on the streets of Dennow for a chance to make something better of herself.
For a chance to be the woman I am now.
“I know you won’t. I trust you,” I respond, a mirror of the words he said once to me. I turn to Ilryth and speak just for him. “Are you ready?” He nods. Then, closing my eyes once more, I return my focus to Kevhan. “All right…Now.”
I hold my breath and listen. Even though sirens don’t speak with their mouths on land, I can hear the grunts of surprise as Kevhan emerges from the distant tunnel and the sounds of the sand scraping as they give chase. With one look to Ilryth and a shared nod, we also launch into action.
Much like when I’d charged into the Gray Passage, I steel myself for whatever comes next. Whenever I tackled the passage, I had the protection of Ilryth. Now I walk with the protection of the gods themselves. A divine mission.
Ilryth springs from behind the remaining warrior that stayed back. The others are just a blur of sand sprinting down the tunnel. Ilryth wastes no time disarming the man and rendering him helpless.
I’m already halfway to the main trunk of the Lifetree, grabbing an axe on my way. Lady Lellia’s door glows faintly in the gloom and gray of an early dawn, as though a fragment of the sun has been trapped inside. A subtle, warm pulsing—a rhythm I can now understand. I fight every compulsion to touch the wood and instead draw back my axe.
At the same time, friendly warriors burst through from the beach closest to the castle, led by Lucia and Sheel. They’re those who patrolled the trench. Men and women loyal to Ilryth and the Duchy of Spears above even the chorus. There’s enough of them to buy us time.
I swing the axe and it meets the wood. My eyes slam shut and I let out a song that has not been heard for thousands of years.Let me be your voice, I beg her.
I sing the words of the anamnesis down in the Abyss and the trench, not caring who might hear or if they can even understand. The stories that were placed upon my soul beg for release. I sing them for the silent goddess. For the fluttering heartbeat that I can feel reverberating through the handle of the axe. Each second weaker than the last.
Lellia, it’s time to leave, I say gently between the words and notes, the scuffle behind me and howling wind.
My children…
I will protect them. Whatever you need, I am yours.
The silver axe comes crashing against the woody tendrils that have barred the door for millennia. The moment the blades sink deeper into the wood, they explode with silvery sap that glistens with iridescent rainbows in the sunlight. Axe still stuck, I pause, reaching out to touch the sap. It’s as light as water and as lovely as mother of pearl.
It’s not red. Even after all these years, the rot still hasn’t reached Lellia’s core. The tree still stood strong, holding Lellia in its grasp protecting her, but also trapping her in an embrace so strong that she couldn’t escape even if she wanted to. It’s small wonder Krokan was desperate. He could still feel how far she was.
Chaos begins to unfurl behind me. I see it with a glance over my shoulder as Ilryth moves to my side, an axe in his hand. Sheel and the warriors have formed a line. Lucia leads the other contingent toward the tunnel that connects with the beaches of passion. Blocking the warriors who had chased after Kevhan from returning.
Ilryth and I swing again in unison.
The wood is softer than I would’ve expected. The blades meet little resistance. Halfway through the woody vines, the tree begins to shudder. It’s so slight that, at first, I think it’s just the reverberation of the blows through the blade and into my arms. But more and more, the boughs above us sway. Silvery foliage rains down. Soon there will be nothing left on the branches above.
You’ll be out soon, I sing softly, intending the words only for Lellia’s ears.You’ll be with Krokan, soon.
When I’m almost through the first vine, it begins to wither and sag away from the door. I grab it and pull with all my might. It strains. There’s a horrible wrenching and tearing sound that rips through me. But at once, it’s over. One of the bars of Lellia’s cage is gone.
There’s a burnt mark on the door, underneath where the vine once was—the wood has blackened as if singed. I imagine the vine was an invasive species, cutting off circulation for centuries.
Our attacks are stalled as the earth around us shakes and shudders. There is a groaning accompanied by a roar that comes from deep within the seas. At the same time, warriors burst from the tunnel closest to the castle, leading the chorus. Sheel engages.
“Krokan knows,” I breathe, too focused on Lellia to worry about anything else.
Ilryth glances behind us and forward again. “Should we—”
“Keep going!” I say with confidence. “Krokan will be here to take her once she’s free. He’s coming to us and that means it’s working.” I know it in my bones. I can feel the old god’s growing nearness as the song in my head grows louder by the second. But Ilryth has stopped cutting. “Ilryth?”
The chorus and their warriors are threatening Sheel’s line.
Ilryth grabs my shoulder. “Keep going, Victoria. Free her.”
“But you—”
“I’ll hold them off as long as I’m able.” He leaves his axe, starting down to Sheel.
“Ilryth!” I shout, turning from the door. He faces me as I run over, throwing my arms around his neck. The impact of my body crashing against his nearly knocks him over.
