Silas leans against the mantle while the roaring fire makes shadows dance across his face. “How does that help us now, Hombern?”
Oak grimaces. “It doesn’t, but at least we know someone can read this. We just need to get this book to Brinkym.”
I push against the table and get to my feet. “Amazing. Let’s add this to the list of impossible shit we have to do.”
“It’s doable, Briar,” Silas chimes in, and turns to Oak. “Would your grandfather be willing to help?”
Oak nods. “I would think so, yeah.”
“Then, when we head back to the mainland, Brinkym will be our first stop,” Silas commands.
“And Daramveer?” I add.
“Calia and Nolan will expect us to return to Daramveer. We need to be strategic when the time comes to go back. They will have spies everywhere—watching for our return—so reachinganywhere safely will be the ultimate challenge. We will need to remain unseen when we return.”
I remain quiet because I don’t disagree. They will definitely expect us to return at some point, and Daramveer is the first place I want to visit. So even though it pains me, I understand that we can’t go there right away. They know we can’t stay here forever. But a thought flickers in my mind, and a broad smile spreads across my face.
Oak looks at me. “Either she has a plan, or she’s finally lost her mind.”
“Both, I think at this point,” I respond. “Especially when you hear what I’m going to say.”
They all wait with bated breath.
“We can be invisible.”
Silas laughs, and I know he knows exactly what I’m referring to.
“You are a genius, my love.”
“We have a specific Rigil on our side that offers a degree of invisibility. When we return, we can be unseen. We can set foot on the mainland again, and for a moment, no one will ever see us.”
Oak claps his hands together. “You are right. That, at least, seems like a plan we can set in motion. Now, we just need to cross off the other hundred things on our list, and we’re golden.”
I turn to Fen. “Rohhit will be okay, but please don’t give up on him. Keep listening and continue tugging on the tether. Maybe he felt you pulling back and stopped searching for you as well. Please, Fen. Don’t give him another reason to give up.”
She nods. “Alright.”
“Please,” I whisper.
“I’ll keep trying.”
“Thank you,” I breathe, placing my hand on her arm. “Warrick is also going to be alright. He cares about you deeply, Fen, and this doesn’t mean you care about him any less, either.”
“It just means I have to care about Rohhit more,” she replies.
I squeeze her arm. “That’s up to you to decide.”
She wipes a tear from her eye and stands, heading to the threshold of the room. “I’m going to bed. Please wake me if any other revelations occur, but please, Gods, I would like one night of good sleep.”
Silas moves forward. “I’m going to walk you to your room.”
She nods, and they move into the hallway, leaving Oak and me alone for a moment. He stands and walks to the open window in Silas’s room. The heavy curtains sway in the breeze, and the sun has completely disappeared from the sky for the evening, gracing us with the largest white moon I’ve seen in ages.
I join him, and we gaze upon the vast black sea before us. The waves crash against the cliff’s edge, and the water churns like a storm is coming.
“Maines feels lighter,” Oak says. “I’ve been obsessing over the darkness I felt attached to her, but today, it seems to have lifted a bit.”
“Any clue what it could be?” I ask.
