He gave my hand a little squeeze. “We’ll be fine,” he assured me, “as long as we’re together.”
As long as we’re together.
I managed a nod. Even as the memory of his violence continued to storm through my mind, I stretched onto my tiptoes and kissed him, and I refused to think about all the things waiting to tear us apart.
TWELVE
Nova
It was extraordinary, how much easier it was to move through Midna with Aleks at my side. How much it felt like the exact place I was supposed to be, the exact path I was meant to walk—even if I didn’t yet know where it would lead.
I clung to that feeling as we moved deeper into the haunting, ruined palace
I led everyone—Aleks, Thalia, Zayn, and Eamon—to the spot in the library where, just days ago, I’d been overwhelmed by that sudden, uncontrollable surge of energy.
Just like before, the moment I stepped into the space, it hit me again: a pulse of raw, strange power that sent a chill skittering down my spine and made me want to retreat.
But this time, I wasn’t alone.
Aleks placed a hand on the small of my back, silently anchoring me. Light magic bled into the space between us. My shadows answered, and our two energies wove together to create a balanced sort of bubble that we could all brace ourselves within.
It was comforting and familiar, watching the faint ribbons of golden light twisting in and out of my darkness…even as all my questions from yesterday—about his true magic and strength—still lingered.
“This is where I felt that strange surge I told you all about,” I said, determined to stay focused only on the problems directly before us. “And I felt it, again, just now. There’s something significant tucked away in this corner, I’m certain of it. Something that’s trying to knock us off balance and drive us away.”
We explored the space for a moment, studying the busts that had intrigued me on my last visit, and the artwork hanging on the wall across from them.
“These statues…they’re the kings and queens of Midna, I assume?” Aleks asked.
Eamon nodded, running his fingers over one of the plaques fixed below a bust, translating the ancient words etched into the shiny metal.
“Solemn looking group, aren’t they?” Zayn commented.
“Most of Midna’s history is made up of bloody wars and desperate schemes to keep their power as the central kingdom of what was once known as the Nerithys Empire,” Thalia said. “And, after the realms split into the Above and Below, they were stuck in the middle, and so tasked with trying to keep the peace between them. The gods asked much of these kings and queens; you’d be serious-looking, too.”
Zayn appeared to be only halfway listening to her. He’d gotten distracted by the row of paintings hanging across from the statues, which featured several colorful beasts and elaborate, beautiful figures surrounded by swirls of what could only be magic. Divine beings, if I had to guess—and more evidence of this kingdom’s deep ties to the gods.
“I doubt he’d be serious-looking, even then,” Aleks said under his breath.
Thalia rolled her eyes in Zayn’s general direction.
I smiled, attempting to fend off the ominous feeling creeping in as I reached for one of the stone-faced rulers.
To my surprise, the statue moved even from just the light brush of my hand. Cautiously, I tried to pick it up, and I found that it was light—hollow, almost. It lifted easily from its pedestal.
And there, underneath it, half-covered with bits of plaster and dust, was the same symbol I’d seen in my vision of the past, etched into the floor of the queen’s glass-walled sitting room.
“What is this?” I asked, wiping it off. “I saw it in the room where Calista cursed Lorien. And I’ve noticed it in a few other places in Midna, as well.”
Eamon spun to face me. His gaze darted between me and the uncovered mark, and his eyes widened. “Where else have you seen it?” he asked, drawing excitedly toward me, so close our noses nearly touched. “Give meexactdetails.”
“I…”
Thalia grabbed the hood of his coat, dragging him back to a more socially-acceptable distance. “Not all of us are walking record books,” she reminded him, dryly. “Or diligent note-takers, like yourself.”
“Yes, of course not. But, Nova…” He gave me an imploring look. “Try to remember.”
“Um…well…it’s never been in particularly noticeable places, I guess?”
