It had only been when I’d stepped outside that I’d truly felt the loss of power, followed by a need to return to the grotto.
"You handled it exactly as I’d expected," Reece said. "Strongly and resiliently.”
For a beat, a sense of comfort settled between us, and I hoped that this time, it would last longer. In truth, a huge part of me was still completely stunned by his confession in the grotto, and for once, reading between the lines took me to a place that I wasn’t ready to go yet. A place with too much hope. “Let's head back to our friends,” I finally said. “With any luck they haven’t floated off course.”
His smile was warm, and I pushed into him, feeling the sands of time slip away from us. We were already so much closer to the Delfora, and with that, the uncertainty of our future felt stronger than ever.
“The Odessa is on course,” he said, “heading for the Guardians.” As he tipped his head back, his strong jawline was the only part of him visible from this angle. “I feel the call of the sacred lands.” His murmur was filled with power. “It’s louder than ever. It won't be long before the calm rivers grow wild again and we're fighting for our lives."
Pushing my body as high as I could without unfurling my wings, I sent energy into the world until I too sensed the tugging tendril of darkness deep in the north. "I feel it,” I told him, “the rising tide of power and anger of the lands."
There was no reason for me to have any connection to the Delfora or the Desert Lands in general—I was not born of this world like Reece. But there was no denying that I could feel the call too.
Neither of us questioned it. The reason would show itself when the time was right. Whether it was the bond we'd created in our youth or something more sinister, I would face it the same way I had vowed to face everything since the time of my weakness here: head on.
With nothing more to be learned in Rohami, Reece pulled me against his chest, and as his sands surrounded us, I marveled at how much control he had over the dominating power of this world. All the sands except that of the grotto.
Made me wonder what a being who could control the silver sands might be able to do. What power could they manipulate for their own means? "Do you think the ancient gods, or maybe even Death itself, were the ones who created the grottos?" I asked as he lifted us into the air. "Can they control the silver sands?"
If the jolt in his energy was any indication, that question did not sit well with him. "We’d best hope not," he bit out. "If we fail in our mission to stop them from rising and they can use the silver sands, we’re all doomed. I have nothing that can stand against that strength. None of us do."
Reece used a tone that I’d rarely heard from him. A tone that said he was unsure about the future… unsure we had enough power to win this mission.
For a brief moment, I sensed that we were thinking the same thing: Was this the battle we’d join our brethren in the sands? Our bones added to the valley of the dead, never to walk the worlds again.
38
Reece and I journeyed back to the ship, re-clothed ourselves from the spares in the supplies, and finally got some rest, but after that moon there were no more chances for dalliances in the desert. The next few moons were a battle with the sand streams again as Tsuma’s rising power mixed with the treacherous deeps, sending all of us to the edge of losing our minds.
"It's time for you to go now," Shadow told Mera in the dining area on the eve of us making the Guardian’s lands. "We have delayed for you to see the Rohami sands, observe an echinat jump inall its full skeletal beauty, eat the food suppliesbecause there are starving children in the worlds,and now you have glimpsed the black sands of the Guardian dynasty. That’s it. Now it’s time for your gorgeous ass to return to the library so I have enough time and energy to get back here for this battle."
Mera pouted, the look only falling from her face when the lurch of our ship sent us all to the left. "Reece said we have to make land at the Guardians for more supplies,” she said in a rush. “You told me you could portal from there as long as it’s only you who returns. I can leave once I've gotten off this ship and had a proper look around."
Shadow's eyes narrowed until they were flaming slits. "I know what you're doing mate, and I promise you this is the last moon. Okay?"
Mera's smile was practically a beam as she shifted along the bench. "You're the best. I feel really good about all my new experiences. I think it's rounding me out as an eternal being."
I wasn't the only one hiding a smile; it had not escaped my notice that she hadn't agreed to Shadow's new terms. I’d already won the bet by default of Len losing—even if I wouldn’t get the gems until after this battle because I didn’t want to leave him short—but it was great to know that my guess had been accurate. I knew my best friend.
"Are you sure that Darin has allowed safe passage into the Guardian dynasty?" Len asked as he rolled a deep purple stone in this hand. Theenjettegemwas used for calming and strengthening a soul. I'd noticed him playing with that particular stone a lot lately, and it was clear we were all on edge.
It wasn’t only the energy below us growing in strength, but also the unease in the Delfora too. I kept having the most vivid of dreams while meditating—dreams that tore me through a sea of bones and silver sand. The gods dragging me down so that my essence could rest with my sister’s.
"Darin’s last message assured me that we’ll be welcome," Reece said shortly. “He advised us to replenish ourselves before we face Tsuma and the others. If there was another option, I’d take it, but this is our best chance.”
"We should get some rest, then," Lucien said as he smoothly stood. "My plasma is almost out, so I’m hoping the Guardians have extra supplies. Otherwise I'll be heading back to the library with Shadow."
"Remind me again why we didn’t just take a doorway in the first place?" Alistair asked, voice raspy as he poured another cup of water over himself. "I think I missed the explanation in earlier conversations."
Reece leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his broad chest as he said, "Only someone as powerful as Shadow could open an unapproved doorway this close to the Delfora, and he wouldn’t have the strength to keep it open for all of us to cross. The same if I tried to transport all of us that far in my sands. This is the safest way to ensure we didn't use up all of our power getting there and have none for the battle."
Shadow nodded. "Yeah, it's going to be a struggle even for me. Luckily I only have to return with myself because the more I take, the harder it will be."
Mera's face fell. "Fuck, I’ve been a selfish bitch," she said in a rush, standing as fast as she could with her belly. "My need to stay with you outweighed the truths you’ve been telling me all along. We should go now, I won't have you weakened for this sort of battle."
Shadow reached out and took her hand, halting her. "Sunshine, I won’t be further weakened by one more moon. We can stay for you to see the Guardians."
She examined his face closely, searching out the truth. "Please don’t lie to me. I won’t put any of you in danger."
