“No,” she whispered and blood bubbled on her lips. “Can’t fix it that way. Wally’s right.”
Valerius wanted to scream that Wally wasn’t right. That he was Rat Shifter and what the Hell did he know about the Behemoth or Sphinx Shifters for that matter? Nothing! Less than nothing! And yet Chione was agreeing with him.
He wiped the blood away from her lips, keeping that calm tone that was so unnatural for him, “How can we fix it then?”
There must be a way. I am not giving up.
“The s-sun. I need the sun,” she whispered. Her eyes were unfocused. She was staring up at the night sky as if she didn’t see, or more like, saw beyond it. He did not like that at all. “In the sun, I am reborn, but not at night. Not in the d-dark.”
“Like a phoenix,” Marban said, the first words he’d said. His voice was thick with emotions that Valerius would have thought him incapable of just last month.
She gave a bloody smile that threatened to wrench Valerius’ heart out of his chest. “Yes, something like that. Only the sun will fix this. How long before--before morning?”
Valerius looked up at the sky. It was midnight black and studded with stars. The sun was ages away. He looked back down at her wounds then up into Marban’s suddenly very old eyes.
She will not last until morning, Valerius realized.
They all knew it.
Rose covered her mouth with both hands to stop the involuntary cry of grief that wanted to escape her lips and turned toward the edge of the bridge so that Chione would not glimpse her crying. Wally’s shoulders curled further inwards until he more resembled a ball than ever.
Marban patted Chione’s hand. “Not long now, Chione. You just need to hold on a little longer. Imagine the sun’s warmth. It’s coming.”
Her lips twitched into something that was between a smile and a grimace. “You used to be such a better liar, Marban. Are we making you soft?”
The old Swarm Shifter let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a surprise laugh. “Soft? Me? Never!”
“Good,” she said softly and coughed. More blood frothed on her lips. “We can’t--can’t have that. Valerius n-needs a strong hand.”
Valerius jerked at her words. She was saying goodbye. She was handing over the baton to Marban as sole Councillor.
“You are the strong hand, Chione,” Valerius said. “Marban is the one that plies me with wine and Ambrosia and very bad ideas. You need to save us from ourselves.”
“No,” she said gently. “No, I think--I know--you will be fine.”
“Not without you.” Tears were falling so thick and fast he couldn’t blink them back.
“The Wheel turns, Valerius. I will be back,” she said and another fit of coughing had her body practically convulsing.
The wounds opened further and more of her life’s blood spilled out on the cobbles. Rose’s shoulders shook. Wally swiped tears from his cheeks. Marban trembled as he fought to hold in his grief. Valerius held his hands over those wounds as if he could close them, but he couldn’t. Only the sun could. Only daylight.
Daylight… It is always daylight somewhere. On the East Coast it will rise…
“Of course!” Valerius jumped to his feet and raced to the side of the bridge.
“Valerius? What are you looking for?” Rose asked.
“Not what, but who. Caden and Iolaire.” Valerius spun around to look at Marban and Wally. “If we cannot have the sun come to Chione then we must bring--”
“Chione to the sun! Of course, Iolaire will fly her! That is the only way!” Marban nodded furiously. “That is the only chance…”
Her wounds were terrible. Valerius knew that it would be a rough ride for Chione in Iolaire’s claws or on the White Dragon’s back, even if it was done carefully. But Marban was right. This was the only chance she had.
He turned back to the edge of the bridge and craned his neck as far as he could. He had to see the square. He had to get Caden’s attention. But the White Dragon was nowhere in sight and he could not reach Caden’s mind. Maybe a car could get him there in time to reach Caden. But there was no time for that. No time! No time!
He spun back around and looked between Rose and Marban. “Can one of you fly to Caden? Let him know? There’s no time to get there on foot or by car and I don’t know when he will return.”
“I can do better than that,” Marban said. “While he might not notice us, he will notice you.”
