Unable to help herself, Viri’s eyes flitted to Reeve for reassurance, despite knowing she wouldn’t receive it. He’d moved since she’d taken her seat and was now leaning against the wall beside one of the windows, his arms crossed as he stared out into the darkened forest, his expression oddly resigned. There was a smear of dried blood on his temple over where the wound had healed, his hair was a tousled inky mess, and his black clothes were as ragged as hers after their perilous journey, but even so, standing there bathed in moonlight, he’d never looked better, like a brooding hero straight out of one of Wynter’s romance novels.
Reaper. Monster. Killer.
The reminder of what he was rose up from deep inside Viri, prompting a fierce ache within her, a potent mix of anger, despair…and grief. She tore her gaze away, telling herself she didn’t need his comfort. Didn’twanthis comfort. He’d been lyingto her—or at the very least, hiding things from her and letting her believe the wrong things. It was time for her to learn why, and she was certain those answers were trapped in whatever memory the magewish had stolen.
Tightening her grip on the Guardian, she confirmed, “Yes, I’m ready.”
The last thing she saw before the room blurred was Reeve’s chest rising and falling in a deep sigh, and Braedan slumping onto one of the spare armchairs to stare glumly at the fire—with Viri belatedly realizing she should have bound him with her fillium to keep him from escaping. But it seemed he was as resigned as Reeve about whatever was happening here, and intended to wait it out with them. Regardless, it was too late for her to secure him now, since ellixen slammed into her and her world turned upside down, leaving her no longer in the tower at all, but somewhere else entirely.
Somewhere painfully familiar.
Viri had been certain she remembered every horrible second of her Impartation ceremony, but there was no denying the formidable figure of the Southern Obelisk rising up before her, the obsidian stone tapering toward the cloudless blue sky. The area surrounding it was sparse, nothing compared to the farms on one side in the distance, and the forested necropolis on the other side. Instead, the obelisk sat innocently in the middle of a manicured grass circle bordered by a hedge of glowing angelroses. It was peaceful. Inviting.Magical.Exactly what kids needed to see when they came to sacrifice their ellixen—exactly whatVirihad needed to see as a ten-year-old girl.
Because there she was, skipping beside Braedan through thegap in the angelroses and coming to a wide-eyed halt as she stared up at the obelisk in awe.
It was strange for Viri to be watching her younger self, almost like she was viewing the scene as a spectator rather than experiencing it firsthand. She wondered if that was an effect of the magewish, but she didn’t think on it for long, mostly because the breath left her when a much younger Reeve appeared through the angelrose hedge with Jorth and Amity Solace at his heels.
Viri’s parents.
Tears filled her eyes at the clarity of the memory, her mom and dad so close that she could almost reach out and touch them. Her father had always been a handsome man, standing tall and proud, his hair a deep copper, his eyes the same as Braedan’s pale blue. Amity, too, was strikingly beautiful, with rich auburn hair—like Viri’s, just without the silver streaks—and uncommon lavender eyes, which Viri had also inherited. Both Jorth and Amity wore scarlet hunting cloaks over their black leathers, indicating they would be returning to work after the Impartation ceremony, but for now, they were wholly focused on their two children.
Viri thought she remembered everything about what happened next. In the memories she recalled, Braedan stepped up to the obelisk to reluctantly yield his magic, and then she did the same right after him, during which time she lost consciousness for the briefest of moments before awakening to find her parents dead and her brother standing over them with blackened veins. He and Reeve then took off before the Nox and hunters could arrive, leaving her alone and abandoned, her world having crumbled around her. But the scene playing out before her now…there was something different about it. Almost like a haze had been lifted, her mind shifting and rearranging as if it were unlocking a door she hadn’t even known existed.
Viri only had a split second to feel the brush of anxiety before her consciousness dissolved, her perspective changing until she was no longer looking upon the memory as a spectator, butinsideit, returned to the thoughts and feelings of her ten-year-old self, the scene playing out as if it were a dream.
“It’s so tall!” Viri said, turning from the obelisk to beam at Braedan and Reeve. “Do you think anyone has ever tried to climb it? Do you thinkwecan?”
“I’m up for it.” Reeve nudged her with his elbow before turning to his best friend. “What do you say, Brae? A friendly competition to see who can make it the farthest?”
Braedan grinned. “There’ll be nothing friendly about it when you’re both crying because I won and you lost.”
Viri stuck her tongue out at her brother. He might be the oldest, but she and Reeve always managed to keep up with him on their adventures, and he knew it.
“Big words,” Reeve said, his starry eyes twinkling in the way Viri loved. Then again, she loved his eyes when they were stormy, too. The only time shedidn’tlove them was when they were sad, but she hadn’t seen him sad in a long time. “Maybe it’ll beyouwho’s crying after Viri and I kick your—”
“There’ll be no kicking of anything, and certainly no climbing the obelisk,” Jorth interrupted in a stern voice, though he couldn’t hide the humor in his expression.
“Daaa-ad,” Viri whined, turning a pleading look on her father, then on her mother when it didn’t work. “You’re the ones who always tell us to challenge ourselves.”
“Challenge, yes,” Amity said, her lavender eyes dancing. “But let’s try to wait at least another year before you get yourselves arrested by the Nox.”
Viri pouted, but then Reeve nudged her again and winked at her, silently telling her they’d sneak away later and have their competition. Braedan was staring at the ground as if to not give away their plans, but the dimple in his cheek showed he was on board to return after their ceremony ended. The three of them had plenty of experience getting up to mischief while Jorth and Amity were off hunting—today would be no different.
“Fine,” Viri grumbled to keep her parents from becoming suspicious, before her attention returned to the obelisk. “How long is this going to take?”
Amity brushed Viri’s hair behind her ear, smiling down at her daughter. But then she bit her lip as her gaze caught on the silver strands amid the red, concern flitting across her features. Uncertainty, even.
Viri had never seen her mom uncertain about anything in her life. “What’s wrong?”
Amity shared a look with Jorth, who wrapped his arm around her, as if she—or both of them—needed the comfort.
Clearing her throat, Amity said, “Nothing’s wrong, darling. It’s just…you’re so young. Maybe we should wait another few years for you to Impart.”
“I’d like to wait another few years,” Braedan said with a huff. “I’d like to not do this at all.”
“You know you can’t do that, son,” Jorth said, though not unkindly.
“I know, I know.” Braedan rolled his eyes. “The laws. The wards. The burnout. Blah blah. I get it—I just don’t have to like it.”
