Page 35 of Of Blooming Embers
She sniffed, lifting her chin and jabbing her oar into the swamp water with a splash.
We’d chosen to head to the bog fields, considering that’s where the Augur had found us. My mouth pinched. I vehemently hoped that the Void fog didn’t infect the bog bodies today. I could do without the dead trying to eat me again.
We settled into a comfortable silence, our boats occasionally separating and coming together as we meandered aimlessly. I inhaled, enjoying the salt-tinged breath. Fortunately, the stench of rotten eggs was absent today, and despite the humidity, the damp air no longer bothered me.
My thoughts wandered to Letti. I hoped she was safe. I’d no doubt that Xeni had found her way to my sister. No doubt that Letti could handle herself with Father. He’d always treated her well, so all she had to do was pretend as though her memories were as they always had been.
Erased.
I heaved a sigh, feeling the weight of my responsibility.
To Kaden. To my sister.
To everyone I loved.
To Midst Fall.
“What’s on your mind?” Rhaegar asked, his tone as smooth as the still water ahead of us.
After turning in my seat, I faced him with a sad smile that bent mymouth. “Do you ever feel … heavy? Like you’re drowning with stones tied to your ankles. You know you need to break through the surface, but you’re being pulled down anyway.”
He shook his head. “Well, that sounds positively horrific.” He laid his oar across his lap, scanning the sky as if we had all the time in the world. His eyebrows drew together, and he bowed his head, running his thumb over the wood. “But I know the feeling. When my sister Skye was ill, I felt helpless. It didn’t matter that I was just a boy myself. I tried everything I could to find her more food—more medicine—as did our parents. But it … it wasn’t enough.” His forlorn gaze met mine. “It was my responsibility to protect her. And I failed.”
Reaching over, I laid my hand on his for a moment. I didn’t offer him words because we understood one another perfectly. Logically, he knew that it wasn’t his fault. Deep down, I recognized the same. Yet, it was. We carried the burden of both protecting and fighting for those we loved … at whatever cost.
Even when the price was our soul.
He continued,“I wouldn’t say it gets any easier when you aren’t able to save someone you love. But time has honed the pain and guilt into a clear purpose. The realm is dying and doing its very best to take us all with it. The Elders are to blame in one way or another. Their laws are self-serving. A means to help them manage the masses. To maintain their power.”
His hands fisted on his oar, conviction rumbling through his chest and through his words. “Wewillbe the ones to bring them to their knees. To struggle is a privilege the elite will never know. They think fighting for survival is a weakness. But what they don’t understand is that the more we’ve struggled, the more resilient we’ve become.”
His jaw set in a firm line as he exhaled slowly, looking at the sky once more. “Like you said, you know …weknow we must reach the surface, but the hardest part is discerning which direction to swim. Having stones weigh you down can strengthen you—make you all the more determined to break through. It leaves you in no doubt as to which way is up.”
My eyebrows rose, and a renewed resolve straightened my spine. Iglanced at Breena and Gavrel’s boat as it swayed closer. My head slowly bobbed as I met Rhaegar’s dark eyes. “We’ll reach the surface.”
In this moment, I believed it.
“Bloody right we will.”
My belly grumbled, and I grinned. “All this talk of rebellion has worked up my appetite.”
He reached into the small satchel attached to his belt, tossing me a chunk of dried meat, and then took a solid bite out of another piece. “You know how I love sharing food with my kin.”
My smile didn’t leave me as shining ebony streaked overhead, a rattling caw in its wake. As the majestic raven soared to the west, my gaze trailed after it. The sun tinged over its feathers, making the tips look almost blue.
I shared an excited grin with mykinand the others as their rowboat approached. “As the raven flies!” I cried, pure hope floating atop my reinvigorated fortitude.
Gavrel’s mouth twitched but remained in a tight line, pushing his craft to the west. He’d probably reached his limit of Breena’s sparkling personality today.
Good.I smirked at the thought. Struggling made you stronger.
As we followed, the bird weaved through the air, circling and diving as it waited. Thankfully, we skirted the bogs at a distance until we came to a copse of doombarks.
With a scratchy screech, the winged beast dove straight for the center, where the trunks bent inward, creating a triangular archway. There was nothing but a swampy horizon beyond.
“Another adventure?” A wide smile sliced across Breena’s mouth.
“Always,” I agreed, mirroring her expression as we propelled onward.
