“Adela still has the core of my loyalty.” That didn’t surprise Eira to hear. She was practically a surrogate mother figure to him. “But you seem to have her faith, and are her declared heir. If she’s put that trust in you, then you have mine as well.”
“Even if—” Her throat closed involuntarily, forcing Eira to choke on the words. “Even if it was my fault Noelle died?”
“It wasn’t, though.” Ducot frowned. “Not any more than it was mine, or Cullen’s, or the Empress of Carsovia’s. We all made choices that led her there. But at the end, it was her choice to go, and to stay.” The words were somewhat forced, practiced even, as though he had said them countless times over and over to himself to believe them. Not that Eira hadn’t been attempting to do any different. Perhaps…what they had both been waiting for was to hear it from someone else.
“You’re right,” Eira forced herself to say as well. “But that hasn’t stopped me from hating them.”
“I hope it never does.” Ducot twisted the ring he’d taken from Noelle’s collection around his finger. A part of her he’d always carry with him, no matter what his future held.
But, perhaps, there was more that ring could offer him…
Emboldened by the success of freeing Allun, Eira outstretched her hand. “May I see it, just for a moment?”
Even though Ducot surely knew she wouldn’t take it from him, he still hesitated. But only for a breath.
“Yes,” he said.
Balling her hand into a fist, Eira turned all her focus—and her power—to the ring. She had been practicing with Adela nowfor months. The time where this skill would be put to the test was near…if it even worked at all.
No. It would work. It had to.
Sure enough, as she suspected, there was an echo in the ring. Noelle was too strong of a sorceress not to create unintentional echoes, especially in things she’d be wearing all day long. The words were inconsequential but they still had Eira’s eyes prickling and a lump forming in her throat at merely hearing them.
Yes, almost ready, Noelle’s voice echoed from a different time and place. Was she preparing for the games? The ball before their start? Or was this from earlier? Noelle continued, clearly speaking to herself given the murmured words.Too much with the necklace? Maybe? No. Ugh, I hate these ribbons. There. Better. All right, I’m ready!
The voice faded away with the sound of footsteps Eira’s own imagination fulfilled. She could see her friend with such clarity, sprinting off, ready for whatever event awaited her, looking fabulous as always. Eira had kept tight control of her magic for so long to avoid hearing anything she didn’t intend to, in part because she was afraid of this moment. Afraid of hearing her friend once more.
It hurt as sharply as she’d expected it to. But there was also a sweetness to the pain of hearing Noelle’s voice again. Their friend lived on and this was tangible proof. That was the reassurance Eira wanted to share.
Taking Ducot’s hand in hers, she placed his palm over her fist. Confusion furrowed the glowing dots along his brow, but he didn’t ask questions. Eira allowed her magic to swell once more.
The echo repeated in her mind, but Ducot didn’t react.
More power. Adjusted in a different way. He had to be involved with the magic, perhaps?
Frost coated her wrist and began to creep over his fingers.
“Eira?”
The echo repeated once more. No reaction. She pressed her lips into a hard line of focus. The frost was beginning to harden to ice.
“Eira!” Ducot yanked his hand away. “What’re you doing?”
The rest of the group looked her way. She quickly dismissed her magic, placing the ring back in Ducot’s palm. He seemed grateful to have it, but his confusion understandably didn’t abate.
She didn’t offer an explanation or answer his question, instead saying, “We should get going.”
“We just stopped,” Alyss groaned.
“She’s right.” Allun stood, dusting off dirt and dried grasses. “The longer we stay in one place, the more dangerous it’ll be. If they find me a third time, I doubt they’ll take me alive again.”
“Moreover, we only have until dawn,” Eira added, reminding them of their time limit. That the three days they should’ve had were actually two.
“Eira—” Cullen grabbed her wrist before she could start walking. “Your eyes… Are you all right?”
“What’s wrong with my eyes?” Eira blinked in confusion.
“They’re, they almost seemed…” He trailed off.
