Page 97 of The Anointed's Paladin

We cleaned up, and I finally collapsed on the ground, only to be accosted by Kaine and Nidori.

Nidori lay down by my side, putting her head on my chest and letting out a little sigh. Kaine squished himself into my other side, his eyes drooping. I lay still as they drifted off to sleep, drinking in every moment I could.

***

Long after their breathing had settled, my mind was still very much awake. I moved slowly, extracting myself from their embraces and heading towards the door for some fresh air. It was a cloudy day, and I blinked blearily at the bright colours and clear air that met me. Soon, Kaine would be able to see this again. He’d be able to see how the blades of grass shimmered when the sunlight peeked through the clouds. He’d be able to feel the warmth on his face without it blistering his skin.

I heard the creak of floorboards inside, and I felt someone sit by my side. Nidori looped her hand in mine. “Looks like it's your turn to not sleep."

I nodded my head. She shuffled closer. We were silent for a moment, listening to the ferns rustling in the breeze and the short, sharp call of a songbird.

“Leihandra told me, if you free the relic, you’ll die,” she said in a whisper, squeezing my hand.

Hearing it said out loud in her soft voice almost broke me. I remained silent, a lump forming in my throat.

She leaned forward, her large eyes meeting mine. “I have some good news, Talon. She told me to tell you; there’s another way. You can let us take the relic and not die,” she shot me a grin.

“What?” I looked at her, a fragile hope stirring in my chest.

She nodded. “Yes. She said to give you this.” She pulled out a necklace. A tiny, glowing gem hung from its delicate silver chain.

I took it, my heart sinking.

“She said you’d know what to do with it.”

Tears burned in my eyes. The universe had a sick sense of humor.

“It’s an oathstone,” I said, taking it from her. “A Paladin can use their oath magic to infuse it, to draw out the power contained inside. Some of the most powerful acts of magic Paladins have ever done have been through these.”

Nidori nudged me. “Sounds like it’s enough to save you.”

I shook my head, eyes fixed on the ground. It took me a second before I was able to speak.

“I can’t use oath magic.” I clutched the necklace tightly in my hand. “I broke my oath. Abandoned it. I can’t use this.”

Nidori didn’t say anything at first, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at her.

“No,” she said, her voice trembling. She grabbed my arm, her fingers digging in as she tugged me to look at her. “There has to be a way. Just… swear a new oath. We can make one right now. Right?”

I gave her a sad smile. “It’s not that simple. The oath is not powerful by itself. It’s powerful because it magnifies a power you already have. Before, I believed so strongly in vengeance, I was able to use that to produce magic. But I don’t believe in that anymore.”

“But you probably still havesomethingyou believe in like that. That’s just who you are, Talon. You believe things sostrongly.”

I moved close to her, sitting behind her and wrapping my arms over her shoulders. She leaned back into me, absently stroking my forearm.

“Yes. I probably do have something I could shape into a new oath. But I don’t have the time to figure out what that is. I was going to try and find it after I was done here. The way I see the world has changed so much, and it’s still changing. I don’t think I’ll be able to define it before we reach the end.”

“We can,” Nidori insisted. “We will just wait here until you get it. We won’t go into the tower.”

I buried my face in her hair, breathing in her scent. Pine and fruit. Summer forest.

“We can’t,” I murmured. “Cassandra is here, hunting for Kaine. We have to reach the tower as soon as we can.”

Nidori’s body shook beneath mine, and then she was sobbing, shoulders heaving as she turned and wrapped her arms around me. “It’s not f-f-fair,” she said, and I found tears pouring down my face as well. Itwasn’tfucking fair.

“Don’t tell Kaine,” I said thickly. “It’ll be all right. You’ll have each other and everything you ever dreamed of. Kaine’s freedom and your new form.”

“I want you too,” she said, hugging me ever tighter. “We need you, Talon.”

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