My feet began to sink into the darkness below, though this time, I did not panic. Not as I was dragged into nothingness, and not as I fell.
The Soulseer—the voice that lingered inside of it—left me with only one message.Do not squander the second chance you have been blessed with.
No, I would never return to the weak girl who had faced hardship and given up. Who had taken the hand of a monster to retaliate against those who’d slighted her. Who had existed as a shell of a person, unformed by a purpose. I didn’t even feel like that same person anymore. This Nairu was strong, resilient, and she would not falter. Never again.
I rose from the Soulseer slowly, my eyes closed as the strange liquid ran rivulets down my cheeks, dripping from the ends of my hair into the pool below. When I fully emerged, feet perched upon the Soulseer as if it were solid, I was fully dry. Untouched as if I’d never entered at all. But much time had passed, I knew, for when I opened my eyes, before me was not only Jyuri, but Alandris, Lorian, and Makatza, as well.
They watched me strangely, unsure. I could almost see the questions racing behind their perfectly focused eyes. Who had emerged from the Soulseer? The woman or the monster or something in-between?
I smiled, soft at first, and then a grin so wide it stretched my cheeks to discomfort. “It’s me. I did it.”
Alandris was at my side in an instant, wrapping me in his arms and lifting me, spinning me in a dizzying circle as he laughed into the crook of my neck. So long he had waited for me, and at last we would have our time.
He set me down on my feet so I could embrace my crewmates, both of whom squeezed me until the air left my lungs.
“I do hate to interrupt this sickeningly sweet moment,” Jyuri said as I pulled back from Makatza. “However, there are a few matters we need to investigate.”
I stepped towards him. “Such as?”
He held his hand out to me, expectant. “Your wrist.”
Jyuri dragged a claw along my skin until a small line of blood ran along the cut. He held my wrist in an iron grip as he dipped his head down and ran his tongue along the wound. He paid no mind to my squirming, only releasing me when he was done with… whatever he’d been doing.
Alandris glowered at the male, his voice a deadly calm. “Did you just… lick her?”
Jyuri wet his lips, removing any trace of crimson. “A necessary means to an end.”
And then something I had not been expecting at all happened. Alandris stepped forward and punched Jyuri square in the jaw.
Shaking his battered knuckles, he sighed in bliss. “Oh, how I’ve longed to do that. You infuriate me so.”
The Fae rubbed at his chin, and I expected retaliatory bloodshed, but he simply laughed. “I’ll give one to you for free, Elf.”
Alandris gave a nod, and I saw something stranger still pass between the two of them—respect.
“Explain,” I demanded curtly.
“I needed to determine if you still possessed my Queen’s magic,” Jyuri answered. “You do. Not a drop of it is missing, which is both impressive and problematic. Possibly even more concerning is the fact that her magic is no longer twisted up and fractured. I imagine it will no longer harm you to call upon it. You no longer look like you’re a breath from death, either.”
“You got all of that from my blood?” I shook my head. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. That aside, why is this a problem? Those seem like wonderful revelations to make.”
“The Queen may not take kindly to this knowledge.”
“Convince her Nairu is not a threat,” Alandris spoke up.
“Ah, I may be oddly fond of your mortal pets, however, I can not make demands of the Unseelie Queen.” Jyuri screwed uphis face. “Imagine the worst possible punishment you can, and I assure you she will make it worse for me.”
“If I may,” Lorian stepped forward. “Did you not make a bargain with my sister to protect Nairu?”
“Our deal has concluded. Nairu is safe from Zaelos. Your sister now owes me payment, in fact, which I intend to collect upon our return to Nil’Faerith.”
“You bastard,” he spat. “You worded it like that on purpose.”
“Of course I did. You can’t expect me to babysit the girl for the rest of her life. She has the blood of an immortal now. How terribly boring it would be to sit around for thousands of years at her beck and call.”
“We also need to worry about the Divine Council coming for her,” Makatza added.
“Also not a part of mine and Zorinna’s bargain.”
