“Because the Queen’s heart can’t heal. It is a destructive force. Only Virtuous’s heart can heal, but it will only heal you, not anyone else. The heartstones belong to you now. They will only destroy others. That is the balance in Erador. All the good went into our beautiful moon, our majestic mountains. All the bad remained in the hearts. It is why our ancestors buried the hearts beneath the mountains.”
“Are you seriously telling me that all of this power is useless to me right now?”
“I’m sorry, Lady Storm. Deeply sorry. Only the deep springs can heal Llion and they are closed off—”
“Not for me.” I jump to my feet. “Liliana, I will not let your husband die. Do you believe me?”
Her response is immediate, her trust complete. “Yes.”
I spin to Baelen. “Can you help me move Llion without hurting him?”
Baelen responds with action. He barely moves when he uses the storm power, but Llion rises from the ground, his legs gently tucking under him, his good wing curling around his torso and knees. His damaged wing remains at the exact angle and position it currently is, protected while he floats.
While Baelen moves Llion, I grab Roar and Welsian’s attention, speaking quickly. “Roar, please, will you go and free the females in Harem Hall and the slaves in Slave Station? Make sure they find their families.” My expression softens. “Your wife will be so happy to see you.”
Roar’s expression is a mixture of hope and sadness as he immediately calls a group of miners including Iago and Arlo to follow him. Roar’s wife Gilda was forced into Harem Hall while Iago and Arlo’s wives were enslaved to work in the palace. They have waited years to see their wives again.
To Welsian I say, “Would you please tend to the fallen in this Court? I want each fallen gargoyle treated with the same respect, whether they were miners or soldiers.”
Welsian bows low to me, before he calls the remaining miners to him. To my knowledge, he is not married and has no children so I hope he won’t mind staying behind. “Lady Storm, I will wrap them in their wings as is the gargoyle way.”
“Thank you, Welsian.”
Finally, I snag Jasper’s arm. “I’m taking Llion to the deep springs. You must come with me. Elyria is there and she will need your help.”
He gives me a quick nod. I follow Baelen as quickly as I can. The remaining guards and clan leaders part for me, but this time—maybe for the first time—they watch me with respect as I lead the procession to save Llion’s life. The Priestess, Jasper, and Liliana stay close behind. Outside, I judge the distance across the ravine to the deep springs. I remember standing at this exact spot when I realized how close the springs are located to the Court. At the time, that was a bad thing, but now I’m grateful.
“Baelen, can you fly Jasper and me over to the springs?”
“Of course.” He is already floating across the space with Llion held securely in front of him, and within minutes, we alight onto the cliff in front of the springs. Jasper wobbles as he finds his feet, but his focus is the female huddled against the side of the cave.
Elyria sits with her knees drawn to her chest, her hair hanging down over her face, and her shoulders slumped. She’s listless and absent, doesn’t even seem to notice our arrival. I can’t imagine the cruelty she’s witnessed. She has shut herself off, stopped looking, created a mental barrier to protect herself.
Jasper runs straight to her, refraining from touching her at the last moment, but his hands swill the air around her face and shoulders. “Elyria?”
“Jasper?” Her tiny voice is frail and lost, gaining a little bit of strength when she sees him through the curtain of her hair. Her eyes widen. “Jasper!”
“I’m here.”
She starts to sob, her chest heaving. Jasper gathers her into his arms, pulling her against his chest, wrapping her up as much as he can.
My heart wrenches. I want to go to her, but I’m very afraid for Llion now. He has lost all his color and his head sags without any strength left in his body. Elyria is safe with Jasper for now, so I return my focus to the task in front of me, narrowing my eyes at the monstrosity blocking the entrance to the deep springs.
Shivering gargoyle wings stretch from one side to the other, glued together by Howl. In the moonlight, they appear to breathe in and out, struggling to be released. When I first arrived here, I discovered that the wings are still alive. My stomach turns and my anger boils at Howl’s cruelty. Approaching the wings, I run my hand across them. I will not destroy them. My target is the magic that holds them together.
Drawing my finger along the join lines between the wings, I draw on the stone’s destructive power. All at once, the wings slide apart, lifting out from the jigsaw puzzle they formed. I was prepared for them to collapse, but they don’t. Instead, they pair up, folding neatly into each other. Pair by pair, they float down to ground level, lining up against the cliff face next to the opening. There are at least ten sets of them: ten gargoyles who lost their wings. One of those gargoyles was Rhain, a male who used to be a miner. The one who found the Virtuous Heartstone. He tried to use it to free his wife Carmen from Harem Hall. Howl punished Rhain by cutting off his wings.
Within moments, the entrance is clear. It’s sickening how long the springs were blocked, but I’m relieved at how quickly I can undo it. I inhale the surprisingly fresh air wafting out from the cave inside.
Liliana whispers at my elbow, “If you would do me the great help of asking the Wrathful One to keep Llion afloat, I would like to take it from here.”
Elyria once told me that the deep springs is a place where the females can harness deep magic. It makes sense that Llion’s wife should be the one to heal him.
“Of course.” The truth is that I’m glad. I came here to heal Baelen. Now I’ve come full circle and my journey has given me friends and knowledge about myself that I never expected to find. But something tells me I can’t go inside unless it’s with him. Nearby, he gives me an affirming nod: he can make sure Llion doesn’t fall.
I say, “Go safely.”
I return to Baelen’s side. I want to reach for his hand, for the comfort of sharing this moment of anxiety as Llion and Liliana disappear into the darkness. I need this to work more than anything, because if the springs heal Llion, then they will heal Baelen too.
