Eli nods. Only once. Compassion masked with approval.
Milo weaves in and out of everyone in a chaotic pattern, tossing his arms out as he speaks. “I don’t understand how killing Zandrite helps anything. We still haven’t succeeded in destroying the teva fields, and the entire realm will eventually come for us again. Even if we do stop everyone from sending more elixir to the falls, then what? One realm isn’t aware of the other, and everyone in Sonnet wants the Hollows dead. Not to mention the border separating the two realms.”
“We used to live together in peace,” Kaleida argues. “We have to show them what that looks like.”
“None of us were around then,” Sola says.
I hold my head still, refusing to look at Eli. He has memories of it all. He knows what it was like, how Calderans were a part of the magic cycle.
Kaleida steeples her fingers and breathes out her nose, containing her frustration. “If none of you recall, I’m a storyteller. All the families in the village of Lirica passed stories onto their children instead of sending them to be raised by a school and learn only what the Centress decided. I grew up hearing vivid recounts of life from before the Separation every day—and who could be trusted. I was a kid. It was hard to be told one thing and live another. I didn’t know what to believe.”
She fusses with her curls and continues despite the glassy sorrow in her eyes. “But truth or not, one thing was certain: anyone who dared say Hollows weren’t dangerous ended up dead within a day. Soon it was unspoken, at least out in public, but it was still passed on from generation to generation. I know because my mother risked telling me. A week later the entire village went up in flames.”
Maverick J. shoves his hair back nervously, letting it fall over his forehead again in the perfect position. His whole body tenses in response to her story.
Atom rests a dirty hand on Kaleida’s hip and looks up at her. “How did you escape?”
Kaleida’s face hardens, her chin lifting, boosted by her inner strength. “I ran when my mother told me to. I was up late after a nightmare, outside looking at the stars with her. She was telling me how Ametrine hung them one by one, so many lifetimes ago. We lived on the edge of the village. The fire tore through so fast. She told me to go, that she’d get my father and be right behind me. I didn’t want to leave. I was ten. But she told me that I was born to tell stories, and every single one would be lost if I didn’t run and save myself. And that losing the stories would be like erasing the souls of everyone who came before me. So I ran.”
I ache for her from the deepest depths of my heart. She had a loving mom. And lost her.
Atom sidesteps until he’s next to me, his hands in his pockets. I suppose that makes sense with me being the one that found him… after nearly drowning him. I consider putting a hand on his shoulder but settle for shifting my bare foot an inch to the side, against his. He smiles up at me extra wide, his lips closed, almost goofy looking. I panic and look away.
Kaleida swallows and inspects every humbled face around her. “I will make the Hollows and Vaile see the truth. It’s what I’m meant to do.”
“We’re actually Calderans,” Maverick J. says, lifting one shoulder sheepishly and gripping the silver reflective strips on the front of his vest.
Milo laughs. “No amount of storytelling will change that, Mav. You’ll always be a Hollow to us.”
Eli steps forward. “Coen, take Sola and find somewhere safe to stay. Sypher, go with the Hollow to find more bars. Be back before dark. Alive, preferably.” He turns to Kaleida. “Tell the kid some stories and keep an eye out. Kid, you’re in charge of Kaleida.” Atom accepts with a nod, bristling with pride. “Milo, stick around. I have some shit to tell you. And Never—” I look up at him, his eyes lush with the green molten threat of death. “I’m going to need you. Frequently.”
Chapter 49
KELTER
Peace does not exist in a mind merged with Eli’s. Trouble finds him, and suffering follows. I thought after the Vaile attacked he would finally take Ever somewhere safe, but he’s going to risk her life to get to Zandrite for his selfish reasons. I’ve done the same and regret it.
I can keep her safe,Eli says. I feel him looking at her, his longing.
When are you going to stop lying to yourself? And her? You’ve let her get hurt over and over. You can’t even keep her from running away. You’re not the powerful being you think you are with your heightened senses and strength and shit.
She’s making me weak.His words are rough, scraping all the way out his throat despite coming from his mind.
You should hear how pathetic you sound.
Zandrite’s essence can fix me,he says.And probably get you out of my damn head too.
I press the back of my skull into the marble wall of Zandrite’s chamber and clench my jaw, trying to summon patience from a used-up well.She can’t kill him. She’s never been trained to fight. It’s a death sentence.
Donotunderestimate her,he seethes.
So she kills Zandrite, and you take his essence to fix yourself. Then what? How are you going to be with her?
I can still keep her.
Dammit, Eli. She doesn’t love you. And can’t.
She doesn’t have to,he snaps.
