“I’m sorry?” My voice was rough.
The woman’s face softened. “I know you are. You must go back, Avalon. I cannot send you back; I’ve interfered enough. You have enough lifeforce left to reset this moment, and you must. If you die here, everyone you love will follow you. Ebrus will follow you.”
I sighed heavily, my eyes closing. “I’m tired.”
A soft hand reached out and stroked my cheek. “I know, my champion. So strong—that’s why you were chosen. However, you can’t let it end here. You must fight.”
With a huff, I opened my eyes again. “Okay. For them.”
She smiled this time, and it was like the dawn rising on a new day. Beautiful. “For them. For you.” She placed a hand on my chest, over the gaping hole still steadily bleeding. Outside this dreamy bubble, there were roars and trumpets, but here, it was perfectly calm. “Go back, Avalon.”
Those softly murmured words, filled with comfort and wisdom and kindness, stroked through my memories. Memories of her holding me, my crying body exhausted and limp. But she seemed so much bigger. Or maybe I was smaller.
I gave her a crooked smile. “Okay, Goddess.” I reached into that flickering place inside me, that held my magic, or maybe my lifeforce, and gripped it with two hands.
On a scream, I pushed it outward, sending us back.
The Goddess in front of me faded away, but her voice followed me. “This is your eighth life, Avalon Halhed. Use it wisely.”
Before
I sucked in a deep breath,Kian’s arms around my shoulders. “I’ve been worried about you,” his gruff voice said against my hair, and I froze. The forest noises played around us, but I was unsettled.
I knew this feeling. This hollowness in my chest. I stepped away and rubbed my sternum. There was an ache there, likesomeone had punched a hole in my chest, that hadn’t been there a moment ago.
Something niggled in the back of my brain. Stepping away from Kian, I looked at Lierick. “Get the book.”
Despite his shock, he didn’t hesitate, leaping over a log to where our bags were stored beside Celis and Powell, and grabbing out our copy ofA Future History of Ebrus.Bound in a waterproof wrap, spelled with elemental magic, thanks to Vox, the book could have floated its way across the Alutian Sea, and not a single page would curl.
Freeing it carefully, Lierick skimmed to the last page, and his shoulders stiffened.
“Read it for the rest of us,” Hayle growled.
Lierick cleared his throat. I could see the slight paleness to his skin, the only indicator that it had been bad. I mean, every time had been bad; it was why I kept resetting. “We separate here from Kian, and head to Rewill. Avalon’s father was meant to be away, but instead, he was meeting with the Baron of the First Line.” My eyes moved to Vox, whose jaw was tense. “Vox is stabbed, and we’re captured in a warded room. Avalon’s old room.” Looking up at Kian, he chewed his lip. “He threatens to kill Bach, saying he only needs one Heir.”
Sucking in a deep breath, he continued. “Then Bach rescues us, and Vox nearly kills your father, but succumbs to his wounds. He’s dying, and we flee, but run right into a regiment of First Line soldiers and Feodore Vylan himself.” He looked at me, his eyes haunted. “He shoots you, and you reset while in the hands of death.”
I felt the ghost of a memory brush across my mind, like a hand across my cheek. Was that death?
A shaking breath flowed from my throat. I couldn’t dwell on it. I moved toward Vox, wrapping him in my arms, my cheek to his chest so I could count his heartbeats. Despite everything, Iwas so thankful for my magic, for the gift of being able to change the weave of destiny. Even if it meant that the chance of a simple life was never going to be mine.
“I’m okay, love,” Vox whispered against my hair.
Not loosening my hold on him, I nodded. “I just need to hold you a little longer.”
No one spoke, until finally, I remembered the two strangers in our midst.Fuck.We looked over at Celis and Powell, who were gaping at us, wide-eyed. “Uh, Kian, this is Powell, the youngest son of the Baron of the Fifth Line and his… friend, Celis.” I gave him a quick rundown of how we’d rescued them, including Yaron’s death.
Despite being as vague as possible about what had happened to them, it was enough to set Kian’s jaw pulsing with rage. Everyone knew about Yaron Vylan. No one would be sad that he was dead. There would be no country-wide day of mourning for that piece of shit.
“They need a healer, then they need to disappear until this is all over,” I finished.
Kian nodded. “I know a place.” He hesitated. “I found it once, by accident. I don’t believe Father even knows it’s there. The girl—Celis”—he corrected himself—“can get healing there. If Feodore Vylan is haunting the plains, then perhaps it’s best if your group comes with us.”
I looked around at the guys, the echoes of our past life haunting us. Lierick and Iker seemed to be having a silent argument, though I wasn’t sure about what. Finally, Iker stood and stomped into the woods.
Lierick’s expression was closed, and it was only because I knew him a little that I could see that he was perturbed by what he was about to say. “They can’t know about you.”
My eyes slid to Powell and Celis, understanding sliding through me like insidious fingers. He had to wipe their memoryof the book, of the knowledge that I could reset time, in case they were captured.
