Page 88 of A Blightress of Wrath
Karusdrank from her cup. “Moirasays a human has never been to the celebration.Sowe don’t really know what exactly to expect.Besidesthe face paint.”
“Andthe most beautiful fae we’ve ever seen,” addedFiguerah. “Moirawon’t stop talking about how unprepared we are.”
“Howare we supposed to prepare for a fae festival humans have never seen?”
IkissedKarus’shand, rising to leave them to discuss whatKarusandIhad decided were our plans moving forward.
Itoo, needed to explain our next steps to our channelers, soIheaded toViridisto meet them.
“It’squiet.”
“Iknow.”Iturned down our hall corridor into the foyer.
“Don’ttrust the silence.”
“Whatelse would you have me do?”Ireplied in a low whisper, nodding toJesslynas she scurried around the halls, taking overLia’sduties.
“Shewill not wait the twenty years it will take to gather an army to subdue her.Yourplan is not good enough.”
Istopped in the empty, dimly lit corridor. “Again,Adaynth, what would you have me do?Unlessyou plan to tell me what you did centuries ago to dampen her power,Idon’t want to hear your warnings.”Icontinued down the labyrinth that was the path toViridis. “It’sall we have.Wecannot destroy her heart without killing us all, and even then, who knows if she’d still survive.Myguess is thatLiamerely bought us time in that cave.Weknow theBlightresssurvived, but we don’t know if she’s been hurt.Ouronly option right now is to find a way to contain her power and that answer may lie inViridis.”
“Youdon’t have twenty years to train enough channelers to help you in this task.”
“THENWHATWOULDYOUHAVEMEDO?”Mybellow echoed through the hallway, amplified by my power asBaronand snuffing out every sconce along the walls.Darknessfell andIpressed my hand to the cold black stone of theFortress, taking my breaths deep, holding back my desperation from spilling out of me again.
Afigure loomed in the dark.Aman.Hisback against the wall, his head tilted as if he gazed up at somethingIcould not see.Ididn’t relight the sconces, preferring the dark to regain my composure.
Hespoke, his voice no longer contained to my mind. “IleftVisalia.Thelast one to stay, the last one to leave.That’swhy it won’t work again.Nothingheroic.Nolast stand against her.Ifinally left her for good, and she stopped her spread of darkness uponFelgren.”
Istood upright, facing him. “Yougave up on her.”
Evenin the dark,Icould see his features from some distant flicker of flame far down the hall.TheBlightress’scompanion, her lover and childhood friend, stared into the space behind me, unmoving, no more than a ghost haunting the halls he built, speaking warnings of the woman he’d scorned.
“Howcould you do it?”Iasked, sliding my hands into my pockets and clenching the rhyzolm in my palm.
“Shehad become something else entirely from the womanIloved.Ikept her heart safe and warm.Thatwas whereIloved her.Ina tiny room under thisFortress,Iloved her still.”
“Youleft her with nothing.Nohope, no way back into the light.”Iscoffed. “Ipity you,Adaynth.”
“Why?Leavingdestroyed all of it—theBlightshe had grown, the dark creatures she had dreamed into reality—all of her hate and anger fell away the moment she understoodIwas gone and not coming back.”
“Ipity you because even now, you do not accept your role in the path that has led us to this moment.Thispoint in time where my companion is on the verge of bringing our daughter into this world, and yet, the woman you loved still walks this earth even more capable of devastation than when you left her.It’syou who has played a part in all of this, andIam sick of hearing you in my head.”
Istepped back, regaining my composure. “Iam done listening to your warnings ofKarus, of your long lost companion, the fate of this forest—all of it.”Iran my hands through my hair.Hewatched me with dark hazel eyes. “Youwant to know the worst of it?”Ilaughed. “I’mnot sure you’re real.I’mnot sure if this is all a dream or ifI’mstill in that fucking tunnel, waiting forKarusto find her way back to me.Iwake every day, unsure ifIwill see her there beside me.Ifall asleep every night, unsure if she’ll be gone by morning, if she’ll be taken by this woman you left because you didn’t know how to love her at her worst.Ifeel my daughter moving in her womb, unsure ifI’llever get to hold her or some next great tribulation will befall us beforeIcan, soIask you again,Adaynth, what would you have me do?”
Iwiped my eyes, sniffing and standing tall. “Nomore warnings.Nomore suggestions on whatIshould or should not be doing for myself because none of that matters.Whatmatters isKarus.Ourchild.Theirfuture.WhateverImust do,Iwill do it to ensure that they are safe.There’sthe difference between us,Baron.”Ishook my head. “Iwould’t have left.”
“Ileft and savedFelgren,” he snapped.
“Youleft for the wrong reasons.”
Hecocked his head at that, turning to look down the corridor, unfolding his arms from his chest.Hisstare sent a chill through my spine, andIfollowed his gaze, squinting in the distance at the flicker of light down the hall, seeing nothing.
“I’msorryIcannot be of further help,Revich, butIam trying.”Hestepped closer.Icould see through his wispy form, no more than a figure who lived with me in my head since the dayIhad accepted the power ofBaron, bargaining with him to let me share it with the womanIloved.
Hereached out as if to put a hand on my shoulder. “Whateverhappens next, remember thatIam trying to fulfill the promiseImade toKarusand keep you happy, and safe, and loved—just like she asked the night she took half of this power.”Ashe began to disappear from my sight, he repeated one more time, “Revich,Iam trying.”
Chapter42
