“Ryker’s going to need a large bag to put the Vitalis in, and something to grab the sword with. It had a strange effect on Sable when she grabbed it. I would hesitate to touch it with bare hands.”
“We didn’t ask for your input. Now,” Ryker drops my hands and squares my shoulders, “open the portal.”
“If you think Titus is walking out, you're wrong. You will be dragging or carrying him. But, so be it.” My magic swirls, the destination visualized in my mind. The portal opens, filling the small cell with light. Ryker’s fingers hold me in a vice as he begins to guide me through the portal.
I wrap my heart in a cast, knowing what lies on the other side is bound to break it.
Love is a beautiful thing. We sing praises about it; we go on adventures to hunt it down.
We never talk about lifeafterlove. We never mention how our palettes go from colorful to nothing; not gray or black, or muddy tones. Just nothing.
We never show the massive wound love leaves behind. We never admit the struggles we endure when we try to fill that gap.
We never talk about the after, because if we did, no one would seek out love to begin with.
Chapter
Fifty-Three
Ryker
The portal behind us closes. Half a dozen mage lights Sofia sent in first should have lit our way. Smoke grabs hold of them, dimming our vision. Hot cinders burn our lungs.
“Ryker!” Adrian coughs. Our magic ignites, winds stir, pushing the smoke down a long tunnel.
Sofia’s cough turns thick and congested. I push fresh wind around her face. Then, I put the mage cuffs back on her. Adrian and I take a tactical position.
Sofia truly brought us to Caldara—a jail for broken things, including my brother. We have men marching to the mountains where Hector told us the hidden escape tunnel still existed. That’s how he and Sofia found this place. They never brought Sable here till the final day, just in case she came by herself to steal the book.
Hector spewed his story. As soon as Everett was mentioned, Adrian believed him. I have many reservations. All I care about is making sure Tristen opens his eyes and Titus is back. I don’tcare what shape either of them is in. We’ll fix them. I just need them in my arms to mend.
“Ry… Ryker.”
Why is Adrian’s voice so anxious? I swing my hand towards him. Wind glides over the tiny grooves of my fingerprints, ready to attack.
Oh, no… the enemy isn’t one I can fight. It’s mental.
I guide Sofia to Adrian. I don’t step forward.
Don’t be dead! Please!I swallow. Titus lies on the floor in a fetal position. Black smoke curls around him like a blanket. He’s completely naked. Exposed. Everything has been burned away. His flesh shows no new scars. That worries me the most. Invisible scars are the roughest to mend. You can’t see the extent of their damage, so how do you know how many bandages to apply? Too many and you suffocate the patient; too little and they bleed out.
It’s a guessing game, one that takes decades to play.
There! His chest moved. He’s alive.
No, Sofia is right. He’s a shell. Shells are neither living nor dead; they are lost in the middle. A home made of calcified walls with no soul to fill it.
My body sways as I step closer. To the left of Titus, a few feet away, something demands my attention. The Vitalis, and there, that’s the sword Sofia warned us about.
Selene? I peer back at Titus. It’s just him.
I glare at Sofia. “You said Selene died. Where is her body?” I demand. All my fury is aimed at her, the easiest target. Her lips tremble, her finger shakes as she points to Titus. No, under him.
I glance back. No trace of Titus's clothing or armor remain. I inhale. I’ve learned to smell details on the wind. That’s burnt leather, and that’s… flesh and bones. I know that smell better than my own scent. My life has been a series of battles; the only highlight is returning to my family.
Titus’s skin is red, raw in some spots, but still whole, not burnt off. When his magic first evolved, it used to burn his clothing off; it took him practice until he controlled the flames.
He lost control here. Sofia told the truth. I shake my head, not wanting to accept that his mate died.
