Page 100 of Duskbound

"Found anything new?" I asked my reflection.

His response came almost immediately. "A few more texts mention volcanic caves along the Eastern ridge. Something about the way the lava flows created natural tunnels. That's where I'd look."

I nodded, studying the range on my map. "Any idea about patrols in that area?"

"The terrain seems nearly impossible for horses to traverse, and I see no mention of roads that run through the mountains. Though I'd be more concerned about whatever's making Talon so nervous. He keeps pacing past my hiding spot,muttering about missing books."

"Maybe you should find a new spot."

"And miss all this excitement? Besides, someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed looking for cave-dwelling death speakers."

"Your concern is touching."

"Just doing my part for the realm." His grin flickered in the mirror. "But Fia…" His voice turned serious. "Be careful. I still haven't found any mention of such creatures in the archives. And these texts are old. The landscape could have changed significantly since they were written."

"Will do." I snapped the mirror closed, tucking it safely away. What I knew about the Dread Sirens could be summed up in a few sentences: they could speak with the dead, they required a personal possession of the deceased, and they lived in the depths of a cave somewhere in Blodfhal. It wasn't much to go on, but it would have to be enough.

A shadow passed over me, massive and dark, making Tryggar's wings falter for just a moment. My heart stopped as Nihr's obsidian form dove through the clouds above, cutting through the air like a blade. Aether materialized from his spectre form as they descended, shadows rolling off him in waves. His golden eyes blazed with fury as Nihr banked hard, coming alongside us with enough force to make the air crack.

"You're absolutely insufferable," he snarled, his voice somehow carrying over the wind. The shadows around him were twisting violently.

"What are you doing here?" I had to shout over the wind. "Go back to them!"

"I'd rather we both went back." His jaw was set.

"I can't." The words came out harder than I meant them to. "But you can. They need you more than I do."

"There are six of them together, and you're out here alone," he growled. "That's not bravery—it's reckless stupidity."

"I don't care."

Something dangerous flashed in his golden eyes. "You just became hope for these people. The one person who might actually save them. And now you're going to throw your life away on some fool's errand?"

"We can't keep doing what the Umbra have been doing," I shot back. "It's not working—it never has. We have to try something different. This is howI help."

"And if Valkan finds you? If his men catch you in their territory?" His voice carried a dangerous edge. "The way he looks at you." Aether's eyes burned through me. "You have no idea the horrors he'd inflict."

“Aether, you’re not going to change my mind.” I shook off the images of Valkan.

“Then I am coming with you,” he insisted.

"I guess you'll have to keep up."

His jaw tightened. "This isn't a game, Fia."

"No, it's not. It's about finding another way—any other way—to save this realm without destroying mine." The words came out sharper than I intended. "Unless you'd prefer we just keep killing each other until there's no one left to fight?"

Silence fell between us, broken only by the steady beat of Vördr wings. Below, the landscape had begun to change. Where there had been only gray ash and death, patches of brown and green now dotted the earth. Actual living plants. I'd never seen it in Umbrathia before. The sight made my chest ache—this was what the realm should be.

Finally, Aether broke through the quiet, his voice shifting into something harder, more precise. The soldier I'd come to know replacing the man who'd argued with me moments ago. "We'll need to stay high—above the cloud cover. Valkan's men patrol the main roads, but they're less likely to spot us if we come from above." He gestured toward a dark smudge on the horizon. "Therange will be visible soon. We find the highest peak first, then work our way down. The cave..." He hesitated, something flickering across his face. "The cave will make itself known."

"What does that mean?" I asked, but he had already urged Nihr higher into the clouds.

"Follow my lead," he called back. "And go into spectre form if we see anyone on the ground. It'll just appear as a Vördr flying a bit too far South."

"What are they like?" I called over the wind. "The Dread Sirens?"

Something dark passed across his eyes. "Difficult to deal with. They might demand a price."

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