Page 115 of Of Blood & Stone

“What is this?” she whispered, eyes wide.

“My signet ring,” he replied, “gods know why I kept it all these years. Suppose I knew it’d come in handy one day.”

Twisting it in between her fingers, dread gripped her chest, constricting until she couldn’t find any air. A gold ring turning into blood, filling an orodyte. The ring from her vision.

The price for life will always be pain.The bird had said.But you will regret choosing this path. I have seen it.

The price for the compass, the price that’d been hidden from her since the start…

Was it Elnok’s death?

Everything she’d come to know as truth had been shattered ever since her failed Kreena Rite. And even when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did. So much worse. Not only was she to blame for the famines, droughts, and sickness in Druenia whenever she used her magic, but her godsdamn vision she had of the bird… the bargain she made to gain this compass…

She’d traded Elnok’s life for it.

My fault. All of this is my fault.

“No, no, no,” Sylzenya breathed, dropping his hand and cradling his face. “You’re not going to die, do you understand?”

His face twisted into something between pain and amusement. “I can barely feel my legs, Syl.”

A new wave of determination struck her as he said her nickname.

Quickly, she took the compass and ran it along his neck. Nothing happened. The black webbed veins didn’t heal, not even the skin stitched together. She cursed as she ran it along her own wounds. The cuts healed, blood no longer dripping down her spine.

She had to find the damn tree. She needed to ensure Elnok lived. She’d find that stupid, prophetic bird and barter herself instead if that’s what it took.

She hooked Elnok's arm over her shoulder, ignoring his protests as she moved them forward, the lone sword lighting their way. It wasn't until much later that Sylzenya noticed herpower had vanished; sweat drenched her back and her muscles ached, the continual readjustment of Elnok to ensure his feet didn't drag taking its toll.

She didn’t complain; didn’t even consider the notion, because this was all her fault. Distrathrus’ betrayal, losing her powers, having the vision and making a bargain, learning the truth of all the destruction she’d caused—it wasn’t just her life that’d been shattered into a thousand pieces.

As Elnok’s breaths labored, all she craved was his laugh; she wanted to listen to his stories of Druenia and his crew, hear his crass jokes, and watch his eyes light up as he droned on and on about his rope being a superior weapon. Gods, there was so much she still didn’t know about him. She wanted to hear about what he liked, what he disliked, his dreams, his fears…

She wanted to know everything, even if she didn’t deserve to.

And this man, the one whom she would readily trade her own life for so he might live, had people waiting for his return. If he meant this much to her after only a handful of days, then she could only imagine the bond between him and his crew.

Sylzenya moved forward through the dark twisted landscape of Lhaal Forest with Elnok stumbling next to her, praying to her goddess that the tree would draw near before the poison killed him.

Chapter 27

A Brave Coward

The air tasted of foul rot and dampened mold. Coughs spurted out of Elnok’s mouth, trails of red and black dripping from his tongue as he leaned his entire weight into Sylzenya. Despite her powers having run their course what must’ve been miles ago, she continued on, heaving him more and more onto her shoulder as they stepped over cracked roots and avoided dead trees.

He wanted to tell her to stop, that she needed to let him go, but he’d seen the look in her eyes—had felt the desperation in her tone.

She wasn’t going to abandon him.

Despite the poisoned chill that gripped his chest, a small light of warmth dipped into his stomach. Sylzenya was strategic, this he’d seen numerous times in the few days they’d spent together, and yet, she chose to take him with her—a risk that could cost her life.

Elnok thought back to their time at the inn. He’d assumed their groping and desire for one another had been nothing more than lust and heightened emotions.

Perhaps, at the time, it had been just that.

But this… this was different. Deliberate. Sylzenya cared for him, and he wanted her to know he felt the same before he died.

“Syl—”

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