Page 192 of Rose and Shadows
While he did that, Remnant told me, “Rhyza wishes me to invite you and your loves to dinner.”
“Huh. So the two of you are—”
“It’s a work in progress, but things are well, yes. Very well.”
“Text us some days and times and I’ll see to it.”
“She will be thrilled, thank you.”
She would be? He was clearly trying to tamper down how he truly was looking forward to hosting a very family-oriented dinner like that also. He wanted to maintain his focus for what was to come.
While he didn’t have a role beyond bringing theMystic Hearthere in repairing the Valley of the Dead, he and I were slated to meet with the other being involved in Requital immediately afterward—Charles Petrone—which would involve detailed, high-level strategizing.
We talked for a while to give Ketheron some time, keeping things light for once, discussing pregnancy and how we could help Velra, child-rearing, balancing our work with our family life, me explaining some complex necromantic spells that I’d fashioned which could assist him with The Shadowed and reinforce the Shadow Tunnels.
“Done!” Ketheron called out then.
“Right,” I said, breaking from Remnant and joining Ketheron. “Let’s get this done.”
I moved just to the left of him and called my power.
He guided the heart from my magical hold and levitated it with his own power, widening his stance as his golden magic surged in preparation for what was coming.
I uttered the incantation I’d crafted to pull this off—something that had never been done before. It was a reversal ofAuctoritas Mortisin a way, not dominating death, but… soothing it, calming it, healing it.
I streamed my power up into the atmosphere, a red film forming, as I called a portion of the Valley of the Dead forth into being.
My hands shook as it happened, a shimmering near-translucent entity coming into view with amber and green threads all over it—the patches of repair that Gabriel and Ryker had put in place.
A temporary solution that now needed to become permanent.
I strained, weaving my hands, and watching as a small window opened—a path into the Veil, with the Valley of the Dead just beyond.
“Now,” I told Ketheron.
His magic was glowing near blindingly as he guided the heart through the window.
As I kept it open, his magic swirled around the heart inside, until white and gold power was leaking from the valves and out into the atmosphere of the Veil.
It grew more vibrant, spreading everywhere, until I saw through the window that it was filling up the entire space within.
I saw the patches begin to fade away, the film being healed quickly, as though there had never been any tears
And then Ketheron thrust his palms forward and the heart exploded, becoming fluid golden and ivory that flooded the Valley.
I could feel through my death connection that it was encompassing the entire Valley, not just this section that was visible to us from this entrance point.
A shudder rolled through me as I felt the reset, the stabilization.
“Done,” I breathed, closing up the window, then the shimmering entity itself fading from view, settling back into its dimensional positioning.
“All is well,” Ketheron confirmed. “Well done, friend.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “We must make sure we take care from here on out, as there is no moreMystic Heartto assist now.”
“We will.” I added. “I’ll be careful.”
He smiled. “I know you will.”
I sucked in a breath as the weight of that rolled over me.
