Hands caught me.
I didn’t even realize my eyes were closed until I opened them.
When I did the world felt sharper. Clearer. Whole.
I feltwhole.
Arielle’s face hovered above mine. Garrick was at her shoulder.
“Are you okay?” Arielle gasped.
“I’m… fine.”
“Is that fine as in not hurt?” Garrick raised a brow. “Or the other kind of fine we were hoping for where you have all your memories?
I stared at their faces and all the great memories I’d had of Garrick and Arielle flowed back to me, along with the deepest joy.
I remembered them.
Irememberedthem.
It felt like a block had been removed from my mind and everything connected.
I lunged forward, wrapping my arms around them both.
“It’s both. I remember you,” I said, laughing and crying at once. “I remember you.”
They both gasped and held me tighter.
When we pulled apart, Arielle took hold of my shoulders.
“I’m checking. I just can’t believe it.” She looked me over. “Last month when I took you to the capital what did we bring home with us.”
I laughed out loud. “Candles. Candles of every color. And when we got home Garrick offered to take me to the festival, but Wolfe stepped in.” I looked at Garrick and chuckled. “The night before that I drank too much and lost to you in a drinking game. I fell asleep in Wolfe’s chamber.”
They laughed again.
I did too, but suddenly everything that had happened overwhelmed me, and tears broke free, streaming down my cheeks.
“Five years,” I stuttered. “Five years of my life.”
Arielle slipped her arm around me and pulled me in for a hug. “I know. I’m so sorry. You are free now, my friend. You can have a normal life now.”
Garrick stroked the top of my head. “And you just found the location of the ring.”
I lifted my head and looked back to where the map had been.
The word was gone but it still burned in my mind.
Ozaileith.
“I have to find Wolfe,” I said. “I have to find him.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Arielle grinned.
“I’ll try and sense him,” Garrick offered. After a moment he frowned. “That’s odd. I can’t sense him through the Veythral.”
Arielle tried and shook her head. “Me neither.”
