Page 132 of Silver Claws, Crimson Tears
He eases himself onto the edge of my bed, his weight creating a dip that slides me slightly toward him, our bodies now separated by mere inches rather than the professional distance he usually maintains around others.
“What did you tell Voltguard?” I ask, my voice raspy from dust and screaming. She was here earlier, talking to Vaylen behind his drawn curtain.
His eyes flick to the door before returning to mine. “I lied to her,” he admits, his voice low.
“You? Breaking rules?” A small smile tugs at my lips despite everything. “What’s next, dancing naked under the full moon?”
He doesn’t return my smile. “I couldn’t exactly tell her thefucking Matron herself grabbed you, then chatted directly into your mind, could I?” His fingers find mine on the bed sheet. “Not without understanding what in the seven hells is happening first.”
I tense at the memory of that alien presence in my mind, but avoid going there. Instead, I ask, “So what exactly did you tell her?”
“That we encountered regular Screechclaws. That they tried to collapse the tunnel on us.” His thumb traces small circles on my hand. “Now you need to tell me what the Matron said to you. All of it.”
The intensity in his blue eyes pins me in place.
I spill it all, explaining about the cracked syllables, the half-formed phrases, the name she hissed inside my skull like burning acid… Omneira. Some sort of awakening. Curses. Choices.
My chest tightens with each memory. I can’t hoard this poison and face it all by myself, so it drips from me raw, unbearable, too wide and heavy for my shoulders alone. This is much, much bigger than me. Phoebe was so right. I need help. It was ludicrous to think I could face this alone. Still, it doesn’t mean I’m not afraid of speaking the truth. Lies have served me well in the past, but if I don’t tell Vaylen then who?
I watch his face as I finish speaking. His brows furrow, and he rubs his temple with his fingertips, closing his eyes for a long moment. The silence stretches between us like a taut wire.
“You’re going to hate what I’m about to say,” he finally murmurs, eyes opening to meet mine.
“What?” Dread curls in my stomach.
“We need allies, Rhealyn. We can’t face this alone.”
“No.” I jerk my hand away from his. “Absolutely not. Telling you was enough. More than enough.”
“Rhealyn—”
“Do you have any idea what you’re suggesting?” My voice rises sharply. “I’m already walking on the thinnest ice here. I killed a Neutro. I’m a Weaver. The King wants me to spy on the Sky Order. Silas is spying on me. And now the fucking Matron is calling me Omneira and talking about some awakening!” I’m nearly shouting now. “Let’s involve more people! Brilliant plan!”
“Silas is spying on you? What?”
I wave a hand in the air. “It’s the least of my worries, but yes. His father has access to Sky Order reports, and they were aware of my struggles with Wind Spear. They hate me, and I can’t risk them finding out any of this.”
Vaylen grabs my wrist, his grip firm but gentle. “Listen to me. We’re talking about ancient powers, a sleeping Goddess, a Screechclaw with elemental powers, a whole mess we really don’t understand, and—I’m pretty sure—the fate of Embernia. We can’t do this alone. We need people we trust,” he insists. “Phoebe’s research skills. Dakar’s tactical mind. Cliffbecker’s experience.”
“And when one of them turns me in?” My heart hammers at the possibility. “When they decide a Weaver can’t be trusted?”
“They won’t. You know Phoebe. She’ll stand by you, and I have loyal friends who owe me their lives.” His eyes bore into mine. “Some battles can’t be won alone, and I think we’re really facing the coming of a… new era.”
New era.
My stomach twists violently, bile rising in my throat as Vaylen repeats Tahranis’s words.
I stare at Vaylen’s bruised face, my pulse thundering in my ears, and my anger ripples. But it’s stupid because didn’t I just finish admitting I couldn’t face this alone? That thisburden is too heavy for one person alone? The contradiction of my feelings tears at me. I need the help but I’m afraid of what that help might cost. Can I trust others with the entire truth? Can I let them in?
—If they betray you, I will eat them alive, Zephyros says.
I nearly let out a hysterical laugh.—Letting them in feels like cutting my own throat.
—I know.
But beneath my fear another version of me whispers something else. What if the fate of the realm truly rests on what we do next?
I look away from Vaylen’s intense gaze, my fingers clenching the sheets. For once in my life, I’m paralyzed by indecision, trapped between ingrained instincts and the menacing uncertainty unfolding ahead.
