The Lady of Eilean Gayl had things well in hand. Even if she had not, I doubted that I could have been any help. Not with Veyka standing there in such obvious distress.
It hadn’t been an illusion. She was glowing. White light emanated not just from the rift itself, but from every inch of her exposed skin.
Her eyes glowed as well. Not the vivid ring of blue desire that circled her pupils when she looked at me. This blue was bright as the center of a flame and it encompassed everything—the pupil, the iris, the whites of her eyes. She might have been a goddess from some other realm entirely.
But it was my mate’s voice that said clearly, softly— “Hurry.”
Veyka’s entire body trembled with the effort of holding the rift open. This new dimension of her power should have been explored systematically, with careful observation and testing to explore the nuances and limits.
All magic had a cost. The Ancestors demanded it.
But the Ancestors could not have my mate. Not now, not ever.
“Faster!” I yelled into the goldstone palace.
A second later, Minerva stepped through, the healer behind her, each of them shepherding an injured elemental under their arm.
Cyara waited only long enough for her mother to hand off her charge before flinging herself forward. They embraced, facestucked in tight, their shaking wings the only indication of the sobs that overcame both females.
“Father?” Cyara managed to ask, her face wet and turquoise eyes round.
Minerva’s pause answered the question before the sideways jerk of her chin.
I did not see Cyara’s reaction. One of Veyka’s knees buckled.
My arm went around her waist, bracing her body with mine. Lyrena was at my side in an instant, then Gwen.
“She can’t keep holding the rift,” I shouted. “Where is Elora?”
Lyrena lifted her sword. “We’ll go after them—”
“No, we don’t have time.” I eased my face down to Veyka’s, though she gave no sign of noticing. “Close the rift. We can come back.”
Neither Lyrena nor Gwen dared to argue. They fell back to make whatever preparations they’d been trained to. I tightened my hold on Veyka’s waist. The skin of her stomach, where her gown was open, was cold to the touch. Usually, it was just her hands and face, but now… it was as if the lifeforce was being drained from her body.
All magic has a price,my beast rumbled softly, more gently than was possible.
Veyka did not respond. Could she even hear me, as deep as she’d dove into her power?
“Arran.” When she titled her head, still facing the rift she’d opened but so her eyes could connect with mine, I saw every dimension of her magnificent, resilient soul shining out at me.
I knew, then. She would hold the rift until every soul was liberated from Baylaur. She did not need me to argue with her—she needed my help.
“Veyka,” my beast growled. Then me, “You can do this, Princess.” I let the corner of my mouth lift in time with my voice. Somewhere between teasing and challenging, where Veyka andI had thrived since the moment we first met in the scrubby forested hills of Baylaur.
Her chest lifted and fell against mine, the slightest hint of a scoff.
“Do you remember when you told me you were powerless? Look at you now, Veyka. You are no longer the Queen of Secrets. You are Queen of the Void. Queen of this realm, and every realm, should you desire it.” I watched her as I spoke, the words pouring out of me easier with every syllable. A crash sounded from the direction of the rift, and I was aware of another wave of elementals crashing through it, heard Elora’s voice in the background. But every sense was tuned to Veyka—the scent of her exhaustion, the tangible crackle of her magic against my skin. She glowed brighter with every heartbeat as I went on:
“The entire world is at your fingertips. Worlds that I cannot even imagine, beyond what the rest of us can see and hear and dream. Immortal? No, not next to you. You are not the elemental queen, or the void queen. You are an Ancestors-damned goddess. And after this, everyone in Annwyn will know it.”
“They’re all through!” someone yelled from the distance.
I lifted one hand, cupping Veyka’s face where the Talisman showed as dark cuts into the light that emanated from her pores. “You can let go now, Veyka.”
She went rigid against me, flashing with light in time with the rift. The spiral contracted violently in on itself until it was nothing more than a pinprick of light. And then complete darkness.
The price has already been paid,Veyka’s voice caressed my mind.
