Page 59 of A Blightress of Wrath
Iffae existed in the sea, and she was one of them,Iwouldn’t be the least bit surprised.
Shelaughed at my expression and kicked backward, her hand trailing over the golden body of an enormous aurum fish.
“Well?” she called. “Areyou coming with me to see the world or not?”
Themoment was perfect, staring out across the water at her bobbing up and down, her black hair pulled back and her eyes sparkling like the morning sun on theGreatStreaminFelgren.
Itdidn’t matter anymore that she didn’t love me the same wayIloved her.Ionly cared that she wanted to share her life with me.
Herexperiences, her adventures.
IfIspent my life loving this womanIcouldn’t have,I’dstill be a happy man.Iknew that truth and grinned wickedly asIstepped back, ran forward, and splashed beside her into the pool.
Chapter30
Saelyn
Weswam for hours,taking breaks occasionally to lie in the sun that seeped through theHatcheryskylights in long amber rays.Thevintold me stories about his time at theBlightLine—the missions he’d been given as aRunner, working closely with his parents who were both conduits with prized power.
Neveronce did he mention the scars across his chest.
Neveronce did he touch them asIlonged to do.
Thosewere parts ofThevinIhadn’t known, but wanted to.
Iwanted all of it, soaking up every one of his stories like our skin soaked up the warmth of a spring sun.
Guiltpricked her nasty little head a time or two whenIoccasionally wondered if my mother was worried about us.Butshe had that damned rhyzolm with her always and would be able to find us if she really needed to.
“Thisworld you’ve shown me is wonderful,”Isaid at the end of laughing until we cried at his story aboutLanna’smishap with a particularly orneryHornedVintrasin theAttatokMountains.
Wewere lying on our backs, arms behind our heads, looking up to see the occasional group of white birds soar across the blue sky.
“There’sso much more to see.Eventhe dark parts of this isle are something to behold.But,” he wavered, “nothingI’veseen compares toFelgren.Thetrees, the fields, the streams.Thesun when it shines down from the sky like a warmthI’venever known or will ever know anywhere else.”Heclosed his eyes and sighed.
Iturned my head his way.Iwanted more than any swimming, or exploring, or adventuring, to follow the line of his arched nose with the tip of my finger.
Hepeeked one eye open as if he could feel me studying him. “What?”
“Doyou think there’s hope?”Isat up, pulling my frizzy damp hair over my shoulder. “Doyou think we can defeat theBlightress?”Iset my chin on my knees, pulling them to my chest. “Doyou think there’s any chance of saving my father?”
Hefollowed my movement, pulling his arms around his legs. “Holdonto hope.Defythe dark.That’swhat my father always says before we leave to any frontlines.Hesaid it comes from something your father told him a long time ago.Beforeeither of us was born.”Hewrapped an arm around me, pulling me to him soIcould rest my head on his shoulder. “Ithink your father was a great man.Isa powerfulBaron.Andif anyone can bring him home, it’s your mother and his daughter.”
Atear fell down my cheek beforeIcould stop it.
Ididn’t want to stop it.
Iwanted to shed tears for my father.Forwhat he’d missed while he’d been gone from us for so long.
“SometimesImiss him.”Iwiped my cheeks, sniffing. “EvenwhenIwas told he was dead, somedaysI’dfind myself at his portrait, wondering ifI’mlike him.Wonderingif he’d be proud of whoI’vebecome without him.Iwonder if he would have trained me himself or would have taken me,”—Igestured to the pool in front of us—“fishing.”
“BaronRevichliked to fish?”
Ilaughed, replying, “Yes.Yes, it’s one of the few thingsIknow about him.Mymother once told the story of the day she knew she could no longer hide her feelings for him.He’dbeen fishing of all things.”
Thevinlaughed, the sound echoing through the cool breeze and flowing through the open arches of the room. “Maybehe’ll teach you someday,Sae.”Hetilted his head to mine. “Someday, when he’s back with you, father and daughter, fishing inFelgren.”
Ipressed my chin to his shoulder. “You’llhave to join us.”
