Finally, the music quieted, and a figure clad in a heavy purple cloak with the hood pulled up came from the house and made her way down through the orchard toward the stable. Else often did this when she couldn’t sleep. She’d check the barn doors were closed, the latches on the windows were fastened against the wind, and the hay was replenished for the horses.
With gloved hands, Elsedora wiped at her eyes.
My stomach sank.
Whatever festivities she’d hosted hadn’t swayed her mood entirely for the better.
The tug upwards was stronger now. But I didn’t want to say goodbye.
I tried to follow her down the hill. One arm reached out, hoping that somehow I’d be able to grab her shoulder and stop her.
With every step, the ground felt further away. I waved wildly, trying to keep my balance as I floated upward, away from her.No, no. I needed to stay with her.
The world illuminated, replaced with a brilliant white void. I squinted, attempting to get my bearings.
“Hello?” I said as the light engulfed me. The luminescence wrapped my skin in an icy embrace, cradling me for a moment before allowing me to suspend there once more.
“Hello, King Mattock,” someone answered. "Thank you for waiting for me."
My head snapped from side to side as I searched for the source of the voice. In that suspended state, I held both arms out to the side for balance. There was no up, or down, or ground, or ceiling.
Golden light flared where the skin of my forearms should have been. I balked.
Finally, I noticed him. A pale glowing form with long silver hair and a face I recognized approached me. He grew from the size of an ant to the size of a man as he stepped nearer. “You are Elsedora’s friend—Ryn?” My voice felt distant.
“Friend, huh? She wounds me still. Demoted so quickly. Though, I suppose I can’t be too surprised.”
I glanced around the liminal expanse encompassing us. “Are you... dead?”
“Of course I’m dead. You watched me turn to dust.” The warlock laughed. He held an arm out to his left, and it became an amorphous trail of light. “See... no physical form to return to. Shit luck, really. But I’ve only one thing left to do before I can rest. I’m hoping you can help me with that.”
“Then, am I—”
“No, no,” he cut me off. “You arein between. But you’ll be right as rain soon. You’ve got a body out there.”
“Asterie told me about this place—but it was different for her. She saw the stars.”
“Yes. I was the new Moon Origin, not the Star Origin. And oh, how the Moon and Sun sometimes eclipse.” Ryn’s face shone, flashing a mischievous smirk.
Thein-betweenwrapped around my limbs, cradling me until it felt like I sat in a deep chair.
“What does that mean?” I asked him.
He ignored me and continued to ramble. “Did you know... all it takes for a black moon to occur is for the moon to be between the sun and our world for just a moment?”
He had clearly been in this place for far too long.
His tether to reality was looser than mine, even.
“Yes, but what does that mean for us?” I asked.
“It means there is hope. A new Source was born—the Origin of Light walks the land. And he can prevent a black moon.”
I shook my head. “A new Source Origin?”
“Precisely. Outthere, they’re searching for a relic—an item. My last duty is to make sure that you know they’ve got all they need already. Funny, really.”
Still confused, I moved to scratch my neck and startled when my hand went through me. I didn’t find any humor in his musings. “So the last relic isn’t athing. It’s a person? This Source of Light?”
