Page 100 of A World of Ruins

As soon as the name leaves my lips, all three of my brothers widen their eyes as if I have just sprouted ten arms from my body.

‘Why?’ Iker says, baffled. ‘To have a friendly conversation while everyone else is wondering what is going on?’

I sigh. ‘Listen, I have already despatched Ruvyn and Lorcan. Right now, they are rounding up a team of Venators to assess any damage to the city and its people.’

Regardless of what I say, my brothers don’t look the least bit pleased.

‘You’re all safe, which is what matters,’ Darius cuts in when he sees me struggling against my brothers’ concerns.

Idris shifts his attention towards Darius, drawing my gaze in his direction. Darius’s fingers delicately toy with his mother’s pendant while his left hand rests inside his breeches pocket. His gaze is fixed on my brothers, emanating an air of profound respect that seems to resonate through the four of them.

Footsteps echo against the ground from behind us. Freya, Link, Rydan and Tibith pant as they come to a stop. They look exhausted, yet Freya’s eyes are so bright. They twinkle from a distance and radiate something that makes me believe she is overjoyed despite the recent tremor.

‘Finally,’ Rydan huffs, seeming out of breath.

I frown.

‘You need to come see this,’ he says, his expression the most serious I have ever seen it.

Freya and Link share a sideways glance before gesturing with their chins to follow them.

‘This isn’t something Tibith did, is it?’ Darius teases as we all begin to walk behind. Tibith’s eyes go wide in protest as he clambers up Darius’s leg. ‘If so, he should be pardoned immediately.’

I chuckle but none of my friends even loosen themselves up a bit. That sets my stomach off. ‘Rydan, is—’

‘Look,’ he cuts me off, coming to a stop and staring at the ground.

My brothers, Darius and I glance downwards at the same time. An odd silence permeates the air.

‘Grass,’ I say, cocking an eyebrow up at Rydan. ‘We are looking at grass.’

‘No, don’t you get it?’ He runs a frustrated hand over his face when I don’t say anything. ‘It’sgrass. Bright green grass that ishealthy.’

My eyes wander back down to the fields covered in dead grass. Yellow and lifeless.

‘Before you left, us three were sitting here.’ Rydan motions to me and Link. ‘It wasn’t green; it was all dry and crumbling in our hands, but thenyoustood up after the tremors, and it was different.’

His words begin to dawn on me.

I was clutching the earth beneath me so tight when the shaking began; all I wished for at that moment was to be able to mend this world.

‘Whatever you did, Nara,’ Freya says, shaking her head with a smile, ‘your magic grew it all back.’

‘You healed it,’ Darius whispers, his eyes on the grass as he smiles.

Healed it.

The story behind it is that it bleeds real blood. Some say it’s Solaris and Crello’s blood from the creation of this world. Others think it’s cursed and are waiting for the reincarnations of the sun and moon to bless it and make it sacred again.

Turning to Rydan, the memory of him saying that long ago flickers like an ember flame, igniting an excited spark in my eyes. In a moment of impulsiveness, I reach out and cup his face, kissing his cheeks. ‘You magnificent solver.’

Unruffled, he shrugs, his lips curving into a smug smile. ‘It’s a gift.’

I shake my head, my grin never dissolving as I turn to Darius, and without needing to say a word to each other, he can already read my mind.

‘Inform the shifters we’ll be in the city,’ he says to everyone. The earth rattles once more, and Darius immediately shifts into dragon form. As the wind picks up, my brothers step back and I climb onto Darius’s back.

We take off not a second later, heading straight into the centre, where dozens of people storm the streets, children in their mothers’ arms, men picking up broken debris from taverns and past Venators in ordinary clothing, helping them.

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