Page 10 of An Archer's Redemption

I nodded.

“I’m serious. Órla gave you—gave both of us—a magnificent gift in letting you keep your memory. More than that, she gave you the ultimate trust. The security and fate of magic itself rests with the secrets you carry. If Irina—or anyone with ill intent—learned of the location of the Well, it could mean disaster beyond imagining.”

I nodded. “I know, but Keelan is the most trustworthy person I know. His whole life, even his Gift, revolves around the truth. Add my binding, and I’m confident he will never betray that trust. Wouldn’t you . . . someday . . . ?”

Her eyes flew wide. “Oh, Declan,of courseI would want to see him, to see the man he’s become. There’s nothing my heart craves more, but my heart can never take precedence over the welfare of magic and this world—and neither can yours. That is the burden we both bear.”

I hesitated, then asked, “How do I even remember you?”

“What?” Her brow furrowed.

“When I leave this place, how do I remember everything? I know Órla told me things, but could her magic restore what the Keeper’s protections took away?”

“All that time with her, and you still do not see, do you?” Kelså smiled. “Órla is beyond us all, beyond any Mage. Only the Well surpasses her in strength and power. If she chose to break a spell cast by mere men, she could do so with barely a thought.”

“But . . . if she has that kind of power, why could Irina . . .”

“In the end, Órla had to choose. She sacrificed herself to save the people, but that meant allowing Irina to go free. She can do wondrous things, but being in two places at once is not one of them.”

“But couldn’t she have stopped her? Before all those people died?”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. In the end, she gave herself for the good of others. We may never understand more than that.”

She stared into my eyes for a long moment, then drew a deep breath and cupped my cheek.

“Enough of that. Irefuseto say goodbye. I love you. Travel safely and come back soon, all right?”

I wrapped her in another hug. Ayden was quick to join in, wrapping his arms around both of us.

Afterward, with a hand on Ayden’s shoulder, I thought of home and . . .

Nothing happened.

“Give me a minute,” I said when Ayden shuffled. “I just need to get a place in my mind.”

I thought of the Mages’ Guild, the place where I grew up.

Still nothing.

“Declan, what is happening? You look like you ate something sour.” Kelså’s face scrunched in concern.

“I don’t know. I don’t even feel magic’s tingle when I try to Travel. It’s like . . . I just can’t.”

Terrified my magic was gone, I pulled moisture from the air and formed a wobbling ball of water before me. I released a heavy sigh as I let the water splash to the ground.

“My magic still works.”

“Have you only Traveled the one time?” Kelså asked.

“Twice. The first time was when I returned to the mainland. I Traveled to Ayden,” I said. “The second time was when I Traveled from Grove’s Pass to Saltstone, before the siege began.”

“Was Órla with you each time?”

I thought a moment, then nodded.

“I do not fully understand the Bond. No one has bonded in millennia. Something about Órla’s presence may strengthen your power or respond to your need.”

I tried one last time. Nothing worked.

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