Page 75 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

Baylis let out a sigh, and I swore I heard her say, “I know what you mean,” under her breath. Was she talking aboutGideon? The scene I’d witnessed in her mind flashed before my eyes. My chest tightened. Had they truly been in love? Were theystillin love now?

I pushed the thoughts away. I needed to focus on the sirens. Ursula was right. It would take everything in me to face them. I had to conserve my energy. I’d need to take food with me; focusing on keeping the siren song out would take a massive amount of mental fortitude.

Amolie continued, “I wish you could have been there, Aelia. You would have loved it.”

“I wish I could have been there too.” I choked back tears. “I bet you looked so beautiful. I bet Roderick cried.”

She squeezed my hand. “He did. He’s really a big softy. And then we had a wonderful dinner and danced the night away.”

“Did Caiden dance?”

“I… I don’t think he did. I couldn’t really tell. The world just kind of faded away when Roderick and I were dancing.” She fiddled with the ring around her finger. “But even now, I can feel the bond pulled tight between us. I know he’s thinking of me, just as I am thinking of him. I can’t wait to see him when we return to the Alder Palace.”

I sighed.

“Amolie. I don’t want you to wait. I want you to go back to Vantris. To Roderick and have a lovely little honeymoon.”

She waved me off.

“Don’t be silly, Aelia. I love Roderick, but I want to be here to support you when you go to the Isle of Fate. Who knows what will happen? You need someone here who can get help if you don’t come back.”

“Alright, alright. You’re right. Though you’re being very presumptuous in assuming we’ll even make it to the island.”

“Like you’ve ever failed at anything you’ve set out to do.” She clicked her tongue at me, and Baylis laughed in agreement.

A small streak of light in an otherwise bleak situation. We all knew the risks of what we were here to do. Death waited for us around every corner. I was grateful for this time with my best friend, and even my sister—despite being suspicious of her. I just hoped she proved me wrong.

“I’ve failed at lots of things. I failed at being a wife, a queen, a?—”

Amolie interrupted me, “Don’t finish that sentence. Some of those things were out of your control.”

“And some were only controlled by me. But that is in the past now. All I can do is move on.” That familiar heaviness weighed on my heart.

“That’s right,” Amolie agreed.

“Amolie, while we’re gone, can you do a little more research into necromancy? Particularly the kind Erissa would use?”

Amolie yawned.

“Of course, but tomorrow.” Her words faded off into nothing. I looked to see if Baylis was still awake but found her breathing softly beside me.

I shut my eyes and drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep.

I awoke to the whisper stone vibrating in my ear. Pulling myself from between the two sleeping women, I slid into the changing room. “Tharan?”

“Oh, thank the Trinity, you’re alright. I got worried when you didn’t buzz me earlier.” The concern in his voice made my heart beat a little faster.

“It’s been a long night, to say the least.”

“Well, we made it to Elohim. I haven’t seen my grandfather yet. This place is so cold. So empty.”

“What does it look like? I’ve heard Elohim is the most beautiful city in all of Moriana.”

I could hear him light his cigarette and take a drag. “The elegance is tainted by the fact it was built on the backs of my people. This could be a sylph city. It was built with sylph hands.” He let out a sigh. “But I must admit it is beautiful. All white marble and granite, like the city we stayed in the first night we met. Only there’s a castle that rises into the sky with spindled spires. You can see all the way to the Atruskan River from my balcony. And there’s a huge river that cuts the city in two. Boats from across the continent come and go all day long. It is like Ruska in that way.”

“I wish I were there to see it,” I said, trying to hide the sadness in my voice.

“Me too, Aelia. I can’t sleep without you.”

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