Roslyn stopped folding and looked at me. “You heard, then? It was Melanie, wasn’t it?”
I raised an eyebrow. Did it matter at this point? It was a huge detail to keep from someone.
Roslyn sighed. She sat in her vanity chair, facing me, back straight and hands clasped in her lap. “You’re right. We’re not doing it out of kindness. Our world is in trouble. We’re searching for a way to save our home. We hope that one of you will be able to help us, that one of you holds the key.”
I didn’t move as I tried to follow what she was saying.Their world was in trouble?
“What kind of trouble?” I asked. “I don’t understand. And why would you think one of us could help you?”
Roslyn stood up, her posture rigid. “We’re not supposed to talk about this, so don’t repeat it. It is believed that only powerful mages have been able to cross into this world throughout time. It is not an easy journey. So yes, while bloodlines may be diluted over time—centuries, or millennia—the gene that sets a mage apart from a human, if passed on, is never diminished. It is for this reason that we hold out hope of finding someone who might help us. This is why we have the selection process. If an Adept proves their worth and is deemed capable of surviving the journey, they will be granted permission to enter the Realm.”
“What do you mean by ‘survive’ it?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
Roslyn frowned. “Like with the tasks to enter Nightfall, entering the Realm is an ever-greater test of one’s own fortitudeand stamina. Any hints of weakness in body, mind, or soul, and a mage could be lost in the void forever. The portal you saw when Malakai and Melanie took you contains the rift by harnessing powerful everi. It has been reinforced by mages throughout the centuries. Mages who have lived their whole lives on Earth are more fragile and most will not be able to sustain the journey. However, for mages who are selected, the time spent in Nightfall and by engaging with the Aurkai is a slow process that strengthens the body as it adapts. Over time, those mages may survive the journey to the Realm, but there is still considerable risk.”
Discomfort had set into my muscles and my body was stiff as I struggled to get my words out.
“What is happening to your world?” I asked.
Roslyn’s lashes lowered, deep concern swirling in the crescent of her irises.
“It is collapsing into oblivion.”
“What?”
Roslyn paced, her energy becoming erratic and her words spoken so fast I could hardly understand her. “Something happened over a thousand years ago. No one is sure what caused it, but our lands were ripped away from the rest of our world. An entire city was lost, and many died in the conflict that led to this. Ever since that, our lands have been cursed, and now, we are running out of time to return our home safely to the world it was ripped away from.”
I was struggling to process anything as Roslyn’s everi was encroaching around me, her panic seeping into my mind.
“I don’t understand,” I said. “How are you running out of?—”
“I’ve already told you too much,” she said. “You have not been selected. You may never have to worry about this, Anna.”
“But you and Blake,” I said. “This is your home.”
Roslyn smiled sadly. “We are doing everything we can. It’s even brought warring kingdoms together, for now, at least. Let's discuss this further later. We should probably both get to sleep.”
I took a deep breath.
“Yeah,” I said. “Sure. Goodnight, Ros.”
I went to my room and readied myself for bed, my mind numb and aching. Roslyn’s fear never left me.
Chapter 31
Truth is Found in the Least Likely of Places
ANNA
Isabella burst into my dorm the next day like a gaggle of geese.
“Anna, Anna, ANNA!” she honked, hopping beside my bed holding a piece of paper in her hands.
I squinted at her, closed my eyes and jerked the covers over my head.
“You got the lead in the play!” she shrieked.
I grasped the edge of the covers and quickly extended my arm, snapping the blankets down and took the paper from her hands.
