“Marbella.” Jasper calls me from the side of the cave and I hurry to him. He crouches with his back to the cliff face, Elyria wrapped up in his arms, her face hidden against his chest. “You need to untether Elyria from Baelen. It’s killing her to be like this.”
I agree, but I’m not sure how. The Priestess said the power I hold now is only destructive. Is it dangerous to Elyria? Could I hurt her?
“Marbella.” Jasper is growling now. There’s definitely gargoyle in his voice. I glance between them, from the way she clings to him, begging him to help her, to the way he pulls her closer trying to draw the agony out of her body into his own.
He says, “She’s in pain. It’s destroying her. You have to free her.Now.”
He’s never give me an order before. He’s always nudged me in the direction he thinks I should go, but there’s no give in his expression now.
I have to trust his instincts.
“Okay.” I draw my focus to the force that exists between Baelen and Elyria. Several paces away, Baelen senses my intentions and he braces but doesn’t try to stop me. The force between them is not a thread like the connection Baelen and I had. It’s more of a wide pull, like a magnet. I gather the destructive force inside the stone and push against the connection, physically leaning into the space between them as I try to claw it apart.
I shoot Baelen a worried glance. I don’t want to hurt him either. But he nods:keep going.
The connection rakes through my bones, thick and heavy, pushing back at me. I extend my fingers and exert all my strength, the heartstones flaring and gleaming at my side. There’s a final burst of power from the stones and the connection breaks. I stumble forward, losing my balance without the opposing force against me.
Two things happen at once. The first is that Elyria slumps in Jasper’s arms, but her deep, indrawn gasp tells me she’s more alive now than she was before. In fact, it sounds like her first real breath since we arrived in Erador.
The second is that there are multiple gasps behind me where a crowd of gargoyles has gathered. Some of them point, others whisper. My eyes widen for the thousandth time today. They’re pointing at Elyria. I’m guessing this means she isn’t invisible anymore.
I really hope you know what you’re doing, Jasper.
Elyria raises her face to his. “Jasper, please, take me away from here.”
He scoops her up into his arms. He’s still wearing his mining clothes. He’s still splattered with blood. But none of that matters. He looks to the sky as a brilliant blaze grows in the east.
Phoenix!
The firebird responds to my mental cry.I am here, Princess. In the sky above you.
You’re free!The last time I saw the Phoenix, it was imprisoned in a dungeon beneath Howl’s palace.
I broke free when Howl died.
A streak of burning light precedes the Phoenix onto the cliff’s edge. Proud and beautiful, it glides above our heads, dropping into the widest space it can find. It folds its wings to the side as I run to it while Baelen watches on. The stones follow me, slipping neatly behind me. For a long time, the Phoenix was the only creature I could touch when my storm power was dangerous. I throw my arms around its large neck, barely able to reach around it, and bury myself in its fiery feathers.
Phoenix, it’s so good to see you.
You too, Princess.It lowers its solemn face to me, nuzzling my cheek.I’m glad to see you looking so… luminous.
My eyes and skin changed after I came into contact with the Queen’s heart in the mines, becoming pale and silvery; even my hair became a lighter shade of auburn.
The Phoenix smiles, not with its mouth, but with its voice.You have a long path ahead of you, Princess.Its tone becomes solemn.But it seems Elyria needs my help now.
I make way for Jasper as he carries Elyria to the Phoenix, tucking her wings into her side, gentle with her broken one. His hands are full but he takes a moment to speak with me.
“Thank you, Marbella.”
“Where will you go?”
“Wherever makes Elyria feel safe. I’ll contact you as soon as I can.”
The Phoenix extends its strong wing so that Jasper can walk up it with Elyria in his arms and settle behind its neck. Then they disappear into the night sky, the Phoenix’s fire forming a graceful arc beneath the moon’s white glow. I check the sky for evidence of Elyria’s storm power, but the sky is clear. She used to rage every day, and every day I had to calm her, but since our first night here, she hasn’t raged at all.
I don’t know where Jasper will take her. I just know it’s going to be far away from here. I have to trust him to know what he’s doing and I know the Phoenix will take care of them both.
A gargoyle drops to one knee in front of me, drawing me from my thoughts. I’m surprised to see Rhain, the gargoyle who lost his wings.
