Page 122 of The Storm of the Empire

Hazel joined me, getting more cups and sugar. “I didn’t mean for my return to be like that.”

I turned towards her, leaning against the counter. “Did everything go okay?”

She nodded, but I knew she was holding back.

“What?”

She grabbed me in a hug, pressing her face into my shoulder. “I need you to be okay.”

After a second, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer. “I’m okay. I’m not going to do anything to make myself not okay.”

“Okay,” she breathed against my neck. “When I got back and Kiera said you’d over used your magic…”

“I am fine,” I growled. “It didn’t work. Nothing more happened.”

“She said you collapsed,” Hazel whispered. “I panicked.”

“I’m sorry to make you worry. She shouldn’t have told you that.”

“I think she’s worried about you, too.” She pulled away to look at me, touching my face lightly. “You look like you over-extended yourself.”

“I probably did. I’m new to this. But I’m okay.” I picked up the tray and took it back to the little sitting room part of our suite.

I freshened up my tea, and they each made their own cup.

“So why did you feel the need to tell my mate all of that without me there?” I asked, trying to restrain my annoyance.

“Because I don’t think Nyx and Jaxus are taking it seriously. Zaria is too worried about Nyx to deal with anything else, and I think it’s my duty as a healer to make sure you’re okay. Your mate has been my friend for our whole lives. I can’t watch her suffer the way Nyx is.” Kiera’s voice shook with emotion.

All the anger drained out of me. “I will be eaten by this sooner or later, and it’s my duty to do as much good as possible before it takes me.”

“But that could progress it faster,” Hazel gasped.

“We don’t know that.” I countered. “We don’t know anything about it. Maybe it will help me control it. No one knows if suppressing it will make it worse or better. Nothing is known, and you can’t find anything about it, Kiera. If it’s like any other magic, I should be training it, but all of you are so worried about it consuming me, I have to walk on eggshells. I can’t do that. It felt so right to use it looking for the eggs, and when I leaned into it, look what happened! It worked. We got out without alerting anyone. Even down to my idea about bringing decoy eggs to throw them off our trail. It all worked marvelously.”

When neither of them said anything, I went on. “I think if anyone is going to have any idea on what’s good for this, it’s the guy with foresight. I’ve learned to trust myself over everyone else my entire life. My childhood and through all of this. I haven’t been wrong yet. So if I’m destined to be consumed by my visions, I will get there whether I fight it or not.”

Kiera and Hazel exchanged a look.

Hazel took a deep breath. “I know you’re right, but I’m terrified.”

“I know. Me too.” Maybe that wasn’t true. I’d come to accept it. This was my fate and my purpose. To love her and to help save the dragons. “Kiera, this is tied with your work. I know it is. We are fighting the same battle. The missing magic, the dying out of the dragons, the priests, the bane, the place Zaria and I came from.”

“I think you’re right.” Kiera looked at her hands. “But that doesn’t mean it’s all on your shoulders.”

“I know it’s not, but I am a part of it.” I almost felt out of my body saying it. “Is the King with Nyx and Kol today?”

Kiera shook her head. “No, Gran insisted on peace while they work. They think his body is strong enough to start trying to draw out whatever is in that tattoo today.”

“Let’s go see them. I want to try again.” I had to. I needed to figure this out for both myself and to give Hazel some peace.

FORTY

HAZEL

Kiera’s grandmother was bent over Kol with three other healers, working on the tattooed mark. The tattoo seemed visibly lighter than the last time I’d seen it, but no one knew if it was doing anything to heal Kol.

Nyx paced the back of the room, staying out of the way of the healers. I didn’t think I’d seen him sleep this entire time. He looked like a shell of himself, much like he had been before Kiera helped him. If Kol never woke up, would she be able to help him again?

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