I was still in the library, stretched out awkwardly on one of the sofas.
Someone had draped my coat over me.
A quiet, simple kindness that pulled at something in my chest.
Then it hit me all at once.
Why I was here, what had happened.
I sat bolt upright, heart pounding, eyes darting around the room.
Where was Veridus?
The suitcase was packed again, sitting neatly off to the side. The rich scent of coffee lingered in the air, warm and grounding.
And just as I was about to get up, the library door opened.
Veridus walked in, composed and steady, followed closely by Caelan, Lydia, and Lythandra.
Something in my chest loosened at the sight of him. He was here. They all were.
“Ah, you’re awake. Excellent!” I couldn’t believe how nonchalant he was standing there, as if this wasn’t the single most important moment of my long life.
“And? What are you doing standing there? Tell me, did you see her?” I almost shouted at him.
He had the nerve to shrug and took a slurp of coffee.
“Has he seen who? What is going on, Theo?” Lydia asked with alarm.
Veridus cleared his throat. “I saw Maelis. The first time I met her in a dream, she was a little girl and didn’t recognize me. I went to Theo and with the help of Syllaca we managed to get me into a state of trance so I could visit Maelis again. It worked.”
I swayed on my feet and nearly fell over.
Shock and hope collided in my chest, my breath coming out in little huffs.
Caelan rushed over to steady me and guided me to a chair nearby.
“Tell me everything, how is she? Did she talk to you?” I asked.
Veridus motioned everyone to sit down.
“She wanted me to tell you she was well and she was sorry for hurting you and lying to you. She has been trying to get back here but is somehow stuck. The Fates have been trying to figure out what to do with her because apparently Mae messed up their plans, which has never happened before.”
A laugh tore out of me.
Sudden, almost too loud.
I couldn’t stop it.
Relief crashed over me like a wave, tangled up with disbelief and something close to joy. It sounded wild, a little too close to hysterical, but it was real.
Thatsoundedlike her. Like the woman I’d come to know over the past year.
“I told her I would feed you all the information she could give me, and we’d try and figure out where to go from here,” Veridus finished.
I blew out a breath and looked at my friends. They were shocked, their eyes round and their skin pale.
“I can’t believe she is not—gone… I was so sure there was no way to get her back. I am sorry, Theo, for not believing you., Lythandra said, tears running down her face.
