Page 25 of A Conduit of Light
Shecleared her swollen throat and spoke again, her voice steadying with rising anger. “Howmuch of the forest is taken, and how long do we have?”
BaronHeimlenstepped forward, his boot kicking aside a black vine in the process of smothering the corpse of something large.
“FromwhatIhave been able to document, almost nine thousand acres.Springhas stunted its growth—for now.”Heturned toAsh, placing his gloved hands on both of her shoulders, looking down at her in earnest. “Weneedyou,Ash’Arah.Felgrenneedsyou.Iknow you can save it.Youmustsave it.”
“Idon’t…Idon’t know how.WhatcanIpossibly do to stop…” she gestured to the dark wood before them, silent and still, and mumbled, “all of this?”
“Ican teach you.BaronRevichcan teach you.Thereis a kind of magic we can try.Onlythe most powerful of magic users can wield it, and with yours and my magic combined…”Hepulled her chin up to look him in the eyes. “Wecan stop theBlight.Together, we can prevent more destruction, more death.”Hepulled her to his chest in an embrace as if she was a child, her talents realized and praised.
Shestood there still, arms at her side, her mind racing with an impossible task that she surely could not complete.
Helet her go and turned back to the door toViridis. “Come, you have seen enough for now.Ido not want your heart weakened by the sight of it.”Heleft through the door, an orb of a silvery light before him.
Shefollowed, taking one last look before closing it and locking it tight.Hersteps echoed in the wake of his, her heart hammering in its cage, and her mind a mess of what seemed unachievable and what seemed like fate.
Afterall, she hadn’t beenweakenedamong theBlight.
Shecrossed her arms at her chest, cold at her realization—she had felt morepowerfulbecause of it.
Chapter13
Karus
“You’reearly today,Karus.”BaronRevichsmiled up at me in genuine pleasure before scribbling something on the open ledger before him.
“Predictable,”Moiramumbled, rolling her wild, violet eyes upon quickly finding him hiding away in his study and apparent place of rest.Alarge blanket and pillow had been tossed to the side of a leather armchair.
Igave her a half smile and told herIwanted to speak to him alone, suggesting she ask the cook to bake some extra cinnamon buns for us to scarf down later.Iclosed the heavy door, turning my back upon it, and stared at the man sitting at his desk in his usual slew of papers, books, and maps.
Isaw him every single day, and yet every day he was not out there fighting theBlight.Everymoment we met waswasted.
Heglanced back up to me, realizingIwas silent, still standing with my back to his door. “Is…everything alright?”Henarrowed his eyes in confusion and dropped his quill. “Youlook…angry.”
“Whydon’t you ask me,Baron?Askme ifIfound anything in the forest.”Istrode across the room in three steps, my gown a mess of blackened underbrush against the white cloth. “No, don’t ask—you’ll take too long.I’lltell you.”Islammed my hands on his desk and stood over him, my white streaks of hair falling forward, no longer contained in their plaited prison.Hewatched me with a strange stillness, as if not daring to breathe.
“Death.Ifound death, and decay, and disease.Ablight.It’sraging throughFelgren, and what are you doing to stop it?Whyaren’t you out there now, doing everydamnthing you can?Gatherevery single channeler and conduit—anyonewho can wield magic and stop it!”
Ragecame over me in waves.Wehad todosomething.Timewas limited by the looks of the growth, and yet, he sat there, every day passing papers from hand to hand, taking me on walks through a dying forest, doing nothing,nothingto save the forestIloved.
Hestared at me, his jaw clenching as he spoke in a low, dangerous tone. “Shetold me not to tell you.Shesaid you weren’t ready.Isee thatfaeriegets to do whatever she wants.”
“Don’tyoudarebringMoirainto this,”Iseethed. “Shehas taken care of me.Shehas seen to my needs andtalkedwith me.Actuallytalkedwith me and helped me understand what’s at stake.Shehas said more to me just today than you have inmonths.”
“Andyou think that wasmyidea?”Hesprang out of his chair, meeting my eyes with ones so dark, the faintest hint of blue would be lost to anyone else. “Youdo notknowwhat it has been like,Karus!Youdo notknowwhatIhave suffered—keeping to a short script of words and questions—the dullest,meaninglessquestions that she has persuaded me to say.Talkingaboutnothing, just to keep you from falling further back into that place of shadows!”
“Saythem then!Saythe words you wanted to say!Let’shear it—all of yoursuffering!”Exasperated,Iraised my hands into the air, slamming them back down on the desk between us, pushing my body forward. “C’mon,Baron, let it out!”
“Istill love you!”
IfIwanted more anger and argument,Iwould not get it.Hisbody calmed instantly, the tension in his face and shoulders relaxing the moment his confession left his lips.Confusionand a heavinessIknew well rang hollow in my head as my brows knitted further, my mouth agape.
“Iloveyou, andI’msorry…I’msosorry,Karus.”Heexhaled quickly, a laugh in his breath as he shook his head in disbelief, bringing a hand up to the back of his neck, rubbing it softly.Hiseyes met mine, now the color of the first breath a wave takes as it tumbles across the sea.Heleaned in close and whispered softly with a conspiratorial smile, “Icannot tell you how longI’vewanted to say that.”
It’snot as ifIdidn’t know what the words meant.
It’snot as ifIdidn’t hear them, either, as a short gasping, “What?” came from my lips andIstood tall, straight, and still, hands leaving the desk, blood draining from my face.
“Ilove you.Ilove you.Ilove you.”
