Page 48 of Of Blooming Embers
With wide eyes, I gulped. “All right. Thank you for the … the lesson and the tea.” I emptied my cup and stood. “May the Fates have mercy on us all.”
“Only time will tell.” And with that, she waved us off.
19
SISYPHEAN PEAKS
SERYN
“She’s something else.” I chuckled as we guided our boat toward the city.
Behind me, Gavrel dug his oar into the muck and propelled us forward as I did the same on the opposite side.
He grunted. “When she says little, she says a lot. And vice versa. I lose my damned mind trying to piece together her true meaning sometimes.”
In agreement, a wry laugh sounded in my throat. We moseyed through the swamp, the sun dipping toward the horizon. Dusky shades of amber painted the doombarks. Shadows seeped over the mire.
Over my mind.
“Do you think we’ll find Kaden?” I whispered.
“I’ve no doubt we will,” Gavrel replied.
My oar stilled. “It’s been weeks.”
“And look how far you’ve come. It was time well spent.” His confidence was a balmto my frayed doubts.
“I have a newfound kinship with Sisyphus. Constantly pushing a massive boulder up a mountain, only to have it tumble down again and again.”
His dimple fluttered as he rested his elbows on his knees and leaned in. “Perhaps. And maybe it’s because you’re skilled at looking at the whole scene. You take in the entire landscape and are in awe of its might. But every peak was carved over time, whittled down by the elements. Perhaps it doesn’t look altered, but it’s ever-changing. You can overcome the mountain if you have the will. And you have that in abundance.” His eyes swept over my body, and a shiver rippled over the places his gaze touched. “You’re a force of nature, Asteria.”
My chest expanded with shallow breaths, and I rubbed one hand along my forearm before turning back and digging my paddle into the water. The damp air didn’t help the flush heating my skin.
My musings scampered about as we maneuvered through the swamp. The things we’d need to accomplish. But he was right. I needed to take one thing at a time.
We’d met with Yaya, Marek, and others often during our time here. To share information, dive into the Elders’ weaknesses, and strategize the next steps. My mind wandered to our last meeting.
Marek bentover a map of Midst Fall in Yaya’s kitchen. Yaya handed out cups of tea as the morning sun spilled over the lines and circles marring the weathered map’s surface.
“We’ve pockets of ravens throughout the realm. Helos is the biggest stronghold, of course.” He poked the marked capital on the map. Rhaegar, Gavrel, Breena, and I listened attentively as he went on.
His finger trailed to the south, into the Pneumali region. “But our second largest is throughout the deserts of Pneumali surrounding the capital. The Elders and their minions stick largely to the city. So, we’ve taken advantage of that. Learned how to traverse the lands least accommodating to dwelling.Same here.” He pointed to the Ourea Peaks, the mountain range separating Haadra and Evergryn.
Gavrel’s eyebrows scrunched in thought. “How many ravens do you estimate we have? The Order of Draumr is at least five thousand strong, not to mention at least five hundred Akridais. And those who worship the Elders as though they were Ancients.”
“We’re around the same, but as skilled fighters? Two-thirds more like,” Marek noted.
“But we’ll use our skills traversing the land to our advantage. We also have the element of surprise on our side,” Rhaegar added. “We’ve been slowly recruiting over the decades, coordinating targeted attacks that undermine their following. That cast doubt throughout the realm.”
Marek crossed his arms. “And it’s working. But we need to make a stronger stand soon.” He glanced at Gavrel, bracing his hands on top of the map. “Spit it out.”
With his hand cupping his jaw, Gavrel’s brow furrowed. With a heavy sigh, he looked to the ceiling and then around the room, meeting each of our eyes. “I agree that we should accelerate our timeline. I am loath to admit that Melina demanded that I … I hunt Druiks and Scions specifically over the turns. Her obsession knew no bounds, but only worsened as time went on. I attempted to thwart her, but wasn’t always effective.”
Remorse glazed his eyes, his shoulders sagging. The rest of his confession stayed locked behind the grim line of his mouth. I held my breath at his admission, knowing it pained him to say the words out loud. He was likely disgusted with what he’d had to do for Elder Harrow. And if I knew anything, there had to be a good reason.
Neoma grasped Marek’s biceps, silencing him before he could retort. Instead, he scoffed and glared at Gavrel. Rhaegar dipped his chin and slapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder in a show of support.
Obstinately, Neoma pushed her shoulders back, nodding at the commander. “It’s war, boy. We’ve all done things we’d rather not admit, and if you live long enough to confess your sins, you’re doing something right.”
