His lips hovered at my ear. “One and the same.”
I twisted in his lap, feeling more alert than I was when I awoke.
“Is there really something called Bloodmist?” I asked.
Surprise flickered in his features.
“You’ve been talking to an Aurkai,” he said.
“Yeah, Roslyn and Melanie.”
One eyebrow shot up in a look of harassment as if having to explain himself because of Roslyn or Melanie was a chore.
“Roslyn is a fool and Melanie has ulterior motives. The Realm operates within additional energy layers than what you are used to here on Earth. It is because of that and the mages’ ability to manipulate energy that the Realm is in this predicament. There are consequences for our ancestors’ endeavors. The rift did not occur naturally as many would have you believe. It was torn open.”
“Torn?” I asked. “By what?”
Blake shrugged. “It was a long time ago. But it does not matter. What she said is true—the Bloodmist is one of many threats the Realm faces.”
Melanie’s words haunted me. “She said there was something in the Bloodmist—what did she mean?”
Blake’s expression darkened. “It is said that the dead are still trapped there, bound by the curse itself—they are called wraiths.They cannot escape the Bloodmist, though, and I believe the curse, the rift, and the Bloodmist are all related and a solution for one may change everything. Either way, we have to accept we may not find a way to save Valyria. That is why we have come here, for either a way to save it, or so that our people may flee.”
“But Melanie said only a few could make it through,” I said quietly.
Blake frowned. “There are many in the Realm, like here, that would not survive the journey through the rift.”
My chest tightened. A hollow ache opened inside me as I thought about having to leave this world behind. Now, I understood Roslyn’s stress. The weight she carried.
“I have not given up, Anna,” he said. “It is a long shot. But we have time. Things are stable—for now. Though you should know, there are at least ten other ways the Realm could tear itself apart before oblivion is upon us.”
I took a breath. That was good news. There was still time.
Wait.
Ten other ways it could tear itself apart?
I stared at the swirling depths, wondering what it felt like to touch its sleek surface.
“Your everi is still not fully settled,” Blake said. “Are you alright?”
Destructive images flashed through my mind, my vision fading in and out. If the energy on Earth was already causing this, what would be left of me on the other side? I swallowed, my throat hollow.
It didn’t matter. This place was holding the secrets of my past hostage from me. They called to me, begging me to return. I’d never escape my desire to know who I was, to understand my place and to quell this fury within me.
“I want to see it—the Bloodmist Void.”
Blake gaped at me.
“What?” he asked.
“I need to see it. I need to understand. How can I decide if I want to go there without knowing what I’m up against?” I said, my body tingling as I stood. “The incredible power that exists there. The rift itself is potent with layers and layers of energy I’ve never felt before. I need to see it.”
Blake stood, his hand taking mine.
“Anna,” he said hesitantly.
I held my breath, certain he’d deny me what I wanted.
