As I headed back to the buildings to rest for the night, I thought I saw a tendril of darkness flick against my ankle as the whispered words “You’re welcome” died on the wind.
26
Devora
“Come here, honey,” Calyra said, pulling me into a shockingly strong hug for someone of her stature. “We’re sure going to miss you.”
“I’ll come visit, don’t worry,” I said. My heart constricted at the comfort of her hug. I didn’t think I’d ever been hugged like this.
Like from a mother.
She pulled back and cupped my face in her hands, her silver eyes and thin lips lined with wrinkles. “You have Ceres and Malijah’s spirit in you. It felt like we had them back for a few days.” She patted my cheek. “They’d be proud of you, girl.”
“You have to say that. It’s the classic orphan pep talk.”
“I don’thaveto say anything. It’s the truth. Look at all you’ve done ineight days. You’re quick as a whip, but your heart is what makes you a Sephorne.” She lowered her voice. “I know you have your dark thoughts, girl. We all do. But shadows aren’t justdarkness. They aren’t what’s left when the light goes out. They’re proof that light was there to begin with, and that it will come back again.”
I blinked and cleared my throat, not used to this kind of emotion clogging my senses. “Thank you, Calyra,” I whispered, pulling her into another hug. “For everything.”
When she released me, I faced Thecae, who stood with his arms crossed over his large chest. He was an imposing sight, this shadow warrior, but when he smiled down at me, his features softened.
“You’ve done well,” he said.
“All thanks to you.”
He shook his head. “Trust me, I’ve trained plenty of Shadow Wielders who didn’t amount to anything. It’s not just about strength or magic. I think you could be powerful, sure, but there are others like you. The difference is that you’re someone I’d want to stand beside.”
I looked down at the ground, unable to meet his gaze. Nobody had ever said that about me. “You hardly know me, Thecae.”
“You’re a Shadow Wielder. You’re Malijah and Ceres’s daughter. Trust me, I know you.” He tapped a knuckle under my chin to make me look up again. “Chin up, girl. Your father’s watching. Make us proud.”
My eight days were up. This morning, we were heading back to Drakorum. No one had thought I’d be a prodigy, but at least I knew what my shadows could do. I wasn’t heading into the lion’s den unarmed. I’d keep practicing, keep learning, keep getting comfortable with my shadowsandmy emotions.
But, Fates, I’d miss this place. I’d even gotten used to the cold. It wasn’t so bad after a little while. These people filled it with a warmth I hadn’t expected to feel in such a short amount of time. Compassion, cheer, friendliness. A sense of belonging. All things I hadn’t had in…well, perhaps ever.
And a bit of the ice had thawed between me and the Ashen Order, too. Enough to make me think we could be allies after all.
We packed up our carriage and waved goodbye, heading into the rising sun.
We were nearingthe last peak of the Mistwood Mountain range after almost three days of travel. Once we reached the base of the mountain, it would only take two more days to get back to the Keep, and then two more before the ball.
It was all happening so fast.
“You look nervous, oh great and mightyShadow Wielder,” Everett said with a faint smirk, glancing at me over the top of his book. The Illusionist had certainly loosened up between the last time we traveled and now. He was surprisingly funny. A dry, witty sense of humor beneath the stoic outer shell.
“I donot.”
“He’s right; you’re paler than usual. And you keep biting your lip,” Arowyn, who was next to me, pointed out.
I rolled my eyes. “You’d be nervous too, if you were about to have to cozy up with some evil maniac in his evil lair.”
The two of them shared a look. “Are yousureyou want to do this?” Arowyn asked.
“I’m fine; I’m just…dramatic.” I waved away their concern. “How does Nox know so much about the way Scarven’s mind works, anyway? He was incredibly specific.”
Everett turned his eyes back to his book. “Trust me, if you had firsthand experience with what Scarven put us through, you’d see it too.”
My elbow slipped, and I jolted forward. “Wait, did you sayus?” I blinked back my shock. “Was Nox one of hisprisoners?”
