“Yes.” I look down, unable to hold her gaze. “We faced each other once again.”
“And you live, even though he has Spring’s Blessing …”
“He was blinded by rage. I used his anger against him.” Memories of my brother’s screams flood my mind.
“Is he still alive?”
The weight of the question hangs in the air before us. The words stick in my throat. Though I know why I chose the path I did, I don’t know if anyone else will understand it. But I must try. “Yes. I could not kill him.”
“Oh,” she says.
I grab her hands and stare at her deeply. “Listen, Rosalina. I know how dangerous Kairyn is with that Blessing. I had the opportunity to end his life. But it was as if I could see my own life laid out before me. If I killed my brother, I would become like him. His rage, his sorrow, his pain … It would pass to me. I would not be the man you fell in love with.”
A soft smile crosses her face, and she trails a hand over the curve of my tattered ears. “This is why I fell in love with you, Ezryn. Because of your gentle heart.”
Gentle. A word I never thought would be used to describe me, a man cursed for his malice. “I have to hold on to the hope that there is still good in him,” I whisper.
Rosalina rises to her tiptoes and presses her lips to mine, a whisper of a kiss. “I stand by you, Ezryn.”
I grab my pants off the floor and rummage in the pocket. Then I hold out the Queen’s token of Spring. “I took this from him. Without it, he won’t be able to wield the Hammer of Hope nor travel to Castletree on a whim. Though he may be the High Ruler, he does not deserve to wield such power.” I put it in her hand, closing her fingers around it. “You should look after it.”
“It belongs to you,” she whispers.
“No. It belongs to a deserving ruler of Spring. Until that person is found, you must safeguard this.” I implore her with my gaze. “There may be an opportunity to grant this to someone who can save Spring. Please, Rosalina. Look after this. For my people.”
She closes her eyes and nods. “I’ll keep it safe, Ez.” Then she wraps her arms around me. “I’ll keep you safe.”
I hold her as tight as I can, treasuring each inch of her skin on mine. “One more moment here,” I murmur.
“One more moment.”
CHAPTER 104
Dayton
Somehow, the arguing voices are even louder than the whirr of the airship. Never thought I’d be aboard one of these ugly things. I’ve caught a few of our crew looking nervously over the railings, but they had to pry me from the edge. I’ve stood on the bow of a ship with waves cresting the horizon, but there’s something magical about sailing across billowing clouds.
It’s a little more unsettling below deck, with the echoing metal floor and rattling pipes. I enter the meeting room. Even though I’m not late, it seems the arguing has already begun.
The scent of polished metal and oil fills my nostrils. The soft hum of machinery resonates through the floor, a reminder of the ship’s power.
The Green Flame’s power.
I guess if you can’t beat them, use them however you can.
Justus, Valeria, Delphia, Nori, Ezryn, and Fare stand around a long table. Rosalina hovers a little way behind them, silently watching. I cross to her, placing a quick kiss to her temple, before stepping between my sister and Fare.
“Any of you geniuses figured out how to save Hadria yet?” I ask.
“Like I’ve explained,” Nori says, “it’s statistically impossible.”
“Remember, Nori,” Ezryn gives her a soft look, “that’s what you said about finding the Huntresses.”
She sighs, tucking her long hair behind a pointed ear. “Okay, then it’s extremely unlikely.”
“Nori’s not wrong,” Delphia says.
There’s a thin layer of water over the table. Delphie stretches her hand over the surface. The water stirs, then rises and coalescesinto a miniature model of Hadria. Delphie’s eyes glow with focused intensity as she manipulates the water, shaping it to her will. Tiny ripples and waves form intricate details of the city’s layout. It’s a replica of the grand war table at Soltide Keep.
