“I can’t promise that. But I am hopeful. Elowyn is a fighter. She’s strong. If anyone can pull through this, she can. Especially since she has a human prince depending on her not to die. She murmured your name more thanonce while I was treating her. I think you’ve made quite the impression on my sister.”
Tharios smiles weakly, and Rominy’s brow creases. Is he all right?
“We need to keep your strength up,” Queen Nestraya says to Tharios.
“I want to get Elowyn settled. Then I’ll rest, Mother. I promise.”
“Let me heal your hands first.”
As Tharios extends his palms, Rominy’s stomach lurches. The elf prince’s hands are covered in blisters.
He did that for Elowyn.
“Thank you,” Rominy says hoarsely.
“You are not the only one who loves Elowyn,” Tharios murmurs. “Thank you for getting her to me quickly.”
Swallowing, Rominy nods. “Can I see her?”
“After we move her,” Tharios says. “How much does she know? Have you met her in the heartlanding?”
Rominy nods.
“And she was herself? Her mind is well?”
Memories of her laughter and her smile, her lips and her skin against his, her softness beneath his wandering hands, the heat in her gaze and the yearning in her voice as she whispered in his ear fill his head, and he rubs his eyes.
“She was well. The magic...I can’t—”
“That’s fine, Rominy,” Tharios says. “Once we get her settled, I can help you sleep if you want to talk to her again. Encourage her to keep fighting.”
The thought of seeing Elowyn speeds up his heart, and he struggles to breathe through it.
“Slowly, in and out, my youngling,” Queen Nestraya says. “Just as Elowyn taught you. You’re doing fine.”
His pulse slows again, and the beating of Elowyn’s heart is there, wrapped up in his. Steady and familiar.
“Yes.” Rominy’s voice is quiet, even to his own ears. “I want to be with Elowyn again.”
When My Light Wanes
Episode 66
Cerianhoversnearby,unsurehow to help. Seeing Elowyn like that almost upended his stomach.
She’s the strong one. For her to be so pale and sunken...it’s jarring.
But Arisanna gripped his hands and looked into his eyes and somehow gave him a morsel of her own strength before being strong for Rominy as well.
And she was right. Rominy loves Elowyn. He looks as broken in real life as he did in that vision.
He must feel as helpless as Cerian does.
Cerian listens as Tharios and Rominy discuss Elowyn’s condition. Not that Cerian didn’t understand every word Tharios said as he fought to save them. All the words Arisanna translated as well as the ones she didn’t.
Rominy has no idea how close Tharios came to losing them both.
Even now, darkness gnaws at the edges of Cerian’s vision, clawing at the exhaustion from the day and the terror of those moments when Arisanna kept Rominy distracted and Cerian did his best to pretend along with her that Elowyn wasn’t dying.
