Mum rushes up behind me. “Andi. Come on, we need to go. Get up.” She hauls me to my feet, urging me on.
Mangled bodies grunt and groan as some of the guards stir, nursing their injuries.
“Quick, we need to get back to the cottage.”
Mum and I help Myles up from the ground while Elana uses all her body strength to hold Wyatt upright. We push past folk in the street, struggling to get through the throng before the guards come to their senses.
Myles slumps into Dad’s armchair while Mum and I replenish our lost supplies, readying to depart once more.In dire need of a change of clothes, I slip away to my bedroom, pacing back and forth on the worn rose-coloured carpet.
I killed them. Killed them with my bare hands.How is it even possible? Where did the thrilling magic from the woods go? This was far from the beautiful, bright light skating over my skin.
No. This… this was raw.
Never have I felt more alive and lethargic at the same time; it’s terrifying. I drag my hands through my hair, gripping as tightly as I can, silently screaming. I catch sight of myself in the mirror, taking a second glance. My right eye is brighter than usual, more vivid. The colour of fresh blood. I retreat, falling onto my bed with my head in my hands, tears flowing.
Mum creeps in, wrapping her arm around me. “I am so sorry. If we had told you sooner, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“I sucked the life out of those guards. I could feel their… essence, their… their life seep into me, the agony they were suffering. And it felt… I don’t know. It felt… good. But draining. I couldn’t stand after…” My voice breaks, “What’s happening to me?” Pulling away from her, I pace the room again.
“That was… well, terrifying, I’m not going to lie. But you also brought Myles back to life.” She looks at me and smiles.
I did. I brought him back to life, but how?Everyone knows there’s no way back from the dead. Death was irreversible. Eternal. So, how is Myles Alive?
Mum grabs my shoulders to stop my pacing. “I don’t know what is happening, or what will happen. I know—and so do you—that you need to learn to control this power. Before it takes control of you.”
“Where am I supposed to learn? There's no magic school.”
“No.” She softly smiles at me. “But there is a temple in Yiren where folk go to study. To learn, to heal. Dad found a priest, if I’m not mistaken, the information will be in the box.”
She brushes my hair away from my face. “After he gave you your necklace, he continued searching for answers, hoping that when the time came, he could help you.”
Yiren. The land of the elves, where magic originated. Tales of the elf wars have inspired books and songs for centuries. It’s legendary.
Excitement and nerves soar through my body, prickling my skin.I’m not the adventurous type. I never thought I would leave Vendyl, let alone Linorah. Mum takes my hands in hers, squeezing her thumbs gently into my palms, the same way she used to do when I was a child needing reassurance.
It's the only way. I have to go to Yiren and meet this priest.
Together, we head back to the living area, arm in arm. Wyatt gives me a half smile as he holds ice to his eye. Beside him, Elana stares off into the distance, her head resting against his shoulder. Myles sits quietly with his eyes closed. If it wasn’t for the gentle rising and falling of his chest, I would think he was dead. Again.
I can’t go through that twice.
I study him for any sign of injury. My heart thumps erratically against my chest. Myles lifts his head, meeting my gaze, giving me his lazy, lop-sided smile. I rush to him, throwing my arms around his neck with such force that he crashes backwards into the chair. He holds me tightly, with the need for closeness.
Unwilling to let him go, I run my fingers over every part of his body, tracing along his skin, confirming this is real. His heart, beats through his top, soaked in the blood that no longer flows, ripped to shreds by swords. His eyes have a blankness to them now, dulling the once sparkling russet shade. He takes my hands, kissing my knuckles, then the ring which sits neatly on my finger.
Elana interrupts our idleness as she collides with me from behind, wrapping her arms around me, squeezing tightly. I haven’t taken the time to think about what it was like for them, watching me being hurt up there on those steps.Mum looks exhausted, her eyes rimmed with dark circles and full of worry. Wyatt’s face is haggard, as Mum wraps his leg and cleans up his head wound. I rise onto my unsteady feet to face Elana, one hand still clinging to Myles.
“I’m okay,” I say to her, “promise.”
Elana looks at my neck, dabbing the cuts with a napkin. I don’t feel them anymore, numb to the pain. I’m grateful for the shock that’s blocking the ache.
Elana sobs uncontrollably. Tragedy has taken her youth. I wish I could take away all this hurt from her. She should be making mistakes and learning from them, not watching her sister being brutalised.
Listlessly, we all fix ourselves a plate of the makeshift meal Mum scrounged up, eating in utter silence, contemplating the day’s dire events.
Wyatt lets out an almighty belch, breaking the tension of the room. Our silence broken by roars of laughter.
“Trust you, Wyatt,” I say, wiping away tears.
