Dyna got a fire going to warm them up. She hung up her cloak and Von’s coat above it to dry. He had traded his black coat for one of deep auburn. It reminded her of the color of Yavi’s hair.
By the time she finished cleaning his wound, he woke up.
Von looked around them weakly, finding her. “Dyna…”
“I’m here.” She moved closer. His shaking hand reached toward his stomach. “You’re healed. I closed the wound in time.”
Von shut his eyes and laid an arm over his eyes.
“Von? Are you all right?”
He began to shake, and she saw the tears rolling down his temples. “Why did you keep me here?” He wept. “Why didn’t you let me die? I was ready to die!”
Dyna’s vision stung at the pain she heard in his voice. “I’m sorry … for Yavi. I saw what happened in Tarn’s memories.”
Von looked away from her to the ceiling. “Why were you there?”
“I suppose for the same reason you were.” Dyna sighed. “You had stowed away in the cargo hold, hadn’t you?”
“I intended to blow them all to the Netherworld, but I wanted to see his face when he realized death was coming for him. I wanted to see the fear in his eyes, knowing he would never accomplish everything he desired.” Von sat up. “If I had not gone up there, you would have died as well.”
“That wasn’t our fate.” Dyna held up a waterskin to his lips for him to drink. “Our paths were meant to cross, Von. I came for you as well.”
He sat up, wiping his mouth as he stared at her. “What you said at the beach … I thought I had imagined that.”
She shook her head. “You are my fifth Guardian, Von.”
“Guardian?” He retorted with a bitter chuckle. “I’m yourGuardian?” Rising on his knees, he laughed so hard it shook his body. “No, see you’re wrong, lass. Guardiansprotect. The one person I wanted to protect died before my eyes, and in the most brutal way possible.” His laughter turned to wretched sobs. Von fell forward on his hands, and the sounds he made, the heartbreak was so strong Dyna felt it. Von beat against his chest as the sounds of his broken sobs filled the space. “She’s dead because ofme. The fates predicted it. They warned me, and I got her killed!”
He truly believed it. Tarn had chained him to the belief that turning his back on his holy oath towards his life-debt caused Azurite to fall, and now Yavi. But none of it was ever his fault.
“No, Von. That wasn’t your doing.” Dyna reached for him, but he pushed her hands away.
“I am not your Guardian!” he shouted, making her flinch. “I amnothing!My only purpose was to kill that man. I should have killed him a long time ago.”
And she knew they were both thinking of that day the Horde came.
“He’s dead now,” she said quietly.
Tarn went down with his ship. And for some reason, it didn’t give her any satisfaction.
“Then I can die in peace.”
“Von…”
“Leave me! I serve no purpose now.” He curled up on the dirty floor. She didn’t know what else to do but go as he asked.
Dyna stood. “You do have a purpose, Von. Meet me in the White Woods if you want to find out what it is. If you don’t arrive by the third dawn from today, I will assume your answer.” She walked away to the doors and paused. “I hope you come.”
She closed the rickety door behind her.
Taking a deep breath, Dyna ducked into an alley and went west. And soon found that the fire had spread through Argent. People screamed, fleeing from the burning buildings. Shieldmen swarmed the streets, calling for them to evacuate.
At first, Dyna thought the ships’ explosion had somehow cast burning debris onto the roofs and spread. Until she saw the bodies. They were armed elves with red cloaks.
Red Highland soldiers.
Dyna gasped and looked around her wildly. “Zev!” She shouted into the chaos. “Rawn!”
