Grandmother steadied first, then her eyes sharpened to something old and dangerous. “Tell us everything, child. Tell us everything.”
I reached into my satchel and took out my journal. “This is my journal from last month.”
I drew in a slow breath, then told them what they needed to know.
I kept the tender parts about Wolfe to myself.
When I finished, I handed the letter I’d prepared for them to my grandmother.
“Everything’s in there,” I rasped. “In case you need to go over it.”
With a shaky hand, Grandmother took the letter from me and held it to her chest.
Mother swayed and walked blindly to the couch as if her legs had forgotten how to work. She sat hard, one hand pressed to her heart, the other braced against the cushion.
“Mother…”
She looked at me, eyes glassy, expression overwhelmed. “Your father … he did this. Hekilledthe king… He dragged us into his nightmare…”
“Yes, Mother.”
“My heart can’t take this.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “My heart…”
I walked over to her and rested my hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry.” She was shaking so hard I could feel her tremors in my body.
Her devastation was palpable. She loved my father with all her soul and knew his actions would come with serious consequences if we managed to get him back alive.
Mother had given up so much to be with my father and create a life here in the mortal lands, where she knew she’d never be able to use her magic again.
Grandmother didn’t move. She stood very still, very straight, as if emotion were a luxury she couldn’t afford.
“The ring,” Grandmother spoke. The word cut through the room. “That is what this all circles back to. Your father has the ring, and the Seer said your time magic can find it.”
My gaze snapped to her. “Yes.”
Grandmother inhaled slowly. "Finding it would fix everything. It would break your curse."
"It would." I swallowed hard. "But I don't have control over my time abilities yet. I wouldn't even know how to unlock the basic spells I managed in Galaythia. And the Seer said I need tofind my familiar—a dragon." The enormity of it pressed down on me. “It's overwhelming.”
“It is. And you cannot practice here in the mortal lands. Nor would you be able to get the necessary training that would enable you to harness it.” She inhaled deeply. “The element of time is one of the most intricate of abilities to harness. Some mages never obtain their true potential because the Fray holds back. The ability to control time can be dangerous even in the right hands.”
“So, what do we do now?” Emabelle asked in a tight voice. “Finding the ring is a priority. But we’ll be in danger if Thayden comes back and Elariya is gone again.”
All three of them looked at me. And I knew, in that moment, that whatever choice I made next would cost us something.
“I’ll do this part first. Go and help find Wolfe if I can. But…” Here came the hard part. “I’ll return before Thayden does.”
Mother stood and gazed down at me, worry clouding her eyes. “Elariya?—”
“I have to do this, but l won’t abandon you, either.”
“Oh, my sweetheart.” Mother cupped my face. “I’m so sorry this burden rests on your shoulders. I don’t care what takes priority. I just don’t want you to go.”
“I have to, Mother. I have to. I think you’d do the same thing if you were me.”
Mother's hands trembled against my cheeks before her arms fell away, heavy and lifeless at her sides. Her shoulders caved inward, her elegant posture dissolving into something raw and defeated as she folded into herself. The steel that had always held her spine straight crumbled, leaving behind a woman hollowed by fear. I had never seen her look so breakable.
“We need to let her go,” Grandmother said.
