Page 131 of Where Darkness Falls

Perhaps I should entertain it just this once…

No,I scold myself.

The echo of her voice haunts me one final time as I slam the mental door.“It’s such a beautiful thing, isn’t it?”

I release a deep breath as the pressure that was mounting just moments ago dissipates.

She’s gone, and so is the memory.

I’m not that thirteen-year-old boy in that courtyard anymore. Instead, I’m a man standing in a courtyard, but with a different woman from the memory of the girl that I barricade in my mind.

Maeva’s face is furrowed in concentration as she watches starlight whirling in her trembling hands. She stands there frozen, while Virgil’s blood slowly drips onto the cobblestone. Laisren jabs me in the shoulder, tilting his head in her direction. “Say something to her,” he whispers. “She listens to you.”

“She listens to him too,” I mumble.

He nudges me once more. “Right now, she isn’t, and she needs you,” he replies sternly.

I shoot him a grimace over my shoulder, turning my attention back to Maeva once more. I step in front of her, blocking her view of Virgil. “Rosey,” I say softly.

Her deep blue eyes are glazed over as she looks up at me. “I-I can’t do this,” she sobs.

“Yes, you can,” I say encouragingly. I place my hands on her rigid shoulders, the contact immediately setting my heart at ease. “You’ve already done this once before,” I whisper. “You made bloody flowers bloom with your tears, and I suspect you unknowingly summoned it when you were in Aurelius. You can do this, Maeva.”

She sighs heavily. “How do you know I won’t kill him?” she asks.

“Because it’s a part of your very essence. It’s in your nature to heal what is broken,” I say. Then I pull away, moving to stand behind her. She allows the most subtle touch of my hand against her arm, and her tension eases slightly. “Now,” I say, “I want you to concentrate on where his injury lies.”

She takes a deep breath and nods.

“Perfect,” I say. “Focus on mending where the blade sliced his flesh. Imagine your starlight wrapping around it to close the wound, and then have enough confidence in yourself to release it.”

She laughs nervously, as her starlight snakes toward Virgil’s bloodied arm. “Virgil, I hope you trust me enough for this,” she says.

Virgil smiles at her with such a deep warmth. “With my life, Little Star,” he replies.

She nods.

Then, in the richest golden color, her ability winds around his arm like a vine until the wound is wholly encased. The brilliant light intensifies as Maeva focuses. Considering his arm hasn’t turned into ash, I’m certain that her ability is actually working to heal this time.

“You’re doing so well, Rosey,” I whisper.

After another moment, the starlight unwinds, crawling back into Maeva’s palms before dissipating. The rest of the Cadre and I walk over to look at Virgil’s arm and see that the gash is now sealed. There isn’t even a scar in the place where there should have been one. Riordan hollers in victory, and Laisren claps Virgil’s back with enthusiasm.

“Rosey, you did it,” I say. Smiling, I turn to congratulate her—hoping that she’s proud of herself.

But, the scene before me isn’t one of celebration.

My Rosey is lying on the ground, curling into herself. Her entire body trembles violently as her breathing becomes unsteady. “Maeva!” I shout, rushing to her side. I pick up one of her shaking hands, but she brushes me off. I try again, and she shakes her head.

“No,” she sobs.

The rest of the Cadre comes to her aid, but she continues to shake, saying, “No.”

“Rosey, what can I do?” I ask, concerned. Perhaps something went wrong, and it healed Virgil, but hurt her instead. I look for any signs of decay or bodily injury, but there isn’t one blemish.

Her quiet sobs turn into wails of agony. “I-I could’ve—” she stammers. She covers her mouth with one hand as the other digs into the ground beneath her.

“What’s wrong with her?” Riordan asks.

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