“I can’t imagine he intended to help forge Grimnor into something stronger. There’s a catch, I’m sure.”
“Well, the catch is that he needs you to go on this little restoration quest for him, right?”
I think I was still in denial about that part, so I said nothing.
“It seems like a desperate move, binding himself to Grimnor. To you. And to even reveal this curse, this weakness…” Eamon paused, considering. “I can’t think of a reason he would do that, unless he truly did believe you were his only hope.”
I walked over and took the sword from him, sliding it back into its casing. Gripping the red gemstones on its hilt caused a crooked bolt of cobalt to crackle around the blade. I did my best to ignore the ensuing tingle of warm energy that trailed up my arm.
It felt…wrong.
Looking out the window, I quickly found a distraction: The sky was lightening in the distance, and not merely because of the approaching dawn.
It was because of magic.
Magic that was coming from the Above.
From Midna.
Standing in the palace, I couldn’t see the distant land beneath the lighter sky, but I suspected—hoped—that the increased magic was having a positive, rejuvenating effect on Noctaris. Though my body desperately needed sleep, I was already planning to go inspect it for myself as soon as possible. Maybe there would be enough new life to silence my doubters for a while.
Plus, my brother couldn’t be furious with my risky decisions if they’d led to more rebirth, right?
Never mindhowthey’d led to it.
Eamon was staring at the distant, potential sign of hope, too. “Whatever comes next,” he said after a minute, “it seems the flow of energy is reacting to the closer alignment of you two. So that’s a gift, at least.”
A gift.
I wanted to believe that.
But it felt more like Lorien was taunting me, dangling a sign of what could be, if only I managed to hold up my end of our bargain.
Aleks stirred, suddenly. He rolled over with a cough, his hand feeling for the glass of water beside the bed. He managed to take a sip and to clear his throat. My name tumbled from his lips a moment later.
My heart leapt at the sound.
Eamon glanced back and forth between us. “I’ll leave you two alone, shall I?”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
He gave a small bow before slipping out of the room. As soon as he was gone, the space seemed to shrink, some unseen force pinching in and pushing me toward the bed.
I was afraid, bracing myself for whatever lingering effects Lorien had left, but I made myself keep moving.
As I settled onto the edge of the mattress, Aleks slowly blinked his eyes open. Then tightly closed them. Again and again, he did this, until he finally seemed to accept that he was truly seeing me.
“I’m in your room,” he mumbled. “In the Rivenholt Palace.”
“Yes.”
“How long have I been…”
“Not long. A couple of hours.”
“No. I mean…how long…how long did he…”
“Oh.” My mouth felt incredibly dry, all of a sudden. “Four weeks, give or take.”
