Page 96 of A Blightress of Wrath
“Perfect,”Isaid.
“Let’shope it goes whereIthink it goes,” she murmured.
Ismirked and stepped inside.
Iarrived immediately into tall grass around a copse of nitor trees.Thesun’s heat grazed across my skin, andItook in the fresh forest air.
“Ah,Karus,”Imurmured aloud, shoving my hands in my pocket and taking a moment to remember.
Ithad been around eight years ago now sinceIhad brought her here for the single purpose of kissing her and secondary purpose of kissing her twice.
Shehad allowed a few dozen more as we lay under the night sky.Thenitor moths’ journey to the nitor trees occurred only on nights of the full moon, and on that night,Ihad been a young man forsaking any kind of life without her in it.
Itook one last look at the grove of trees and left that place to memories.Istepped back intoViridisthrough my own portal, landing right in front of where she’d been.
Ipressed my forehead to hers, finding her hands in mine, pulling them to my shoulders. “CanI…”Iwhispered.
Ablush flushed to her cheeks. “Kissme?”Sheleaned forward, pressing all of herself into me. “Why,BaronRevich,Iwas hoping you would ask.”
* * *
Leaningagainst the wall of the circular room under the foyer,Istared at the pedestal which had once held theBlightress’sheart.Adaynthhad kept it suspended over the stone, caging it in the warmth he claimed was his love still burning for who she had been.Ihad maybe twenty minutes beforeIneeded to get back toKarus, who would be waiting with the painter from theSpire.Shehad commissioned our portrait asBarons, again insisting we needed one along the winding staircase to the tallest tower, adding to the long line ofBaronsofFelgren.
“Idon’t like it here.”ThefirstBaronappeared as a faded image on the opposite wall, leaning against it in his usual folded arms and cold grace.
Itook my hands from my pockets and rubbed my face, scratching at my beard whichIhad kept for several weeks becauseKarusseemed to like it.
Ihad seenAdaynthin this form every day for weeks now.He’dappear for a few minutes at a time, saying something somber and cryptic before leaving like a whisper of magic in the wind.
Icleared my throat. “Icame becauseIwas curious how you did it.”
Hiseyes flashed to mine. “HowIkept my companion’s still-beating heart alive or howIsubdued her power with it?”
“Both.”
Hecrossed one leg over the other. “Herheart will always beat as long as it’s preserved.Itruly do not know what would happen to her if it was somehow destroyed.”
“Andher power?”
“That’san interesting question,Revich.”Heglared down at where her heart had been hidden for centuries. “Ididn’t know at the time that keeping her heart warm would suppress her power.Ionly meant to love the womanIremembered in the only wayIknew how.”
Ishifted, careful in my next words. “ButtheSimulairSolumspell…that’s what you used?”
Henodded. “Iused some of the power ofBaronto set the spell inside her heart.Itdidn’t burn it.Itnever hurt her.I—”Hestopped, a rare occurrence of pain crossed his eyes. “Ijust wanted her to be warm.Icould not hold her and give her warmth of my own, soIheld her the only wayIknew how.Thathad the secondary effect of stifling her rage, and therefore, the power she possessed.Idon’t know why.”
“Lia’shair was black,”Istated. “WasVisalia’shair black when you knew her?”
Hislips upturned slightly. “Findingmore correlations toKarus, are we?”
Ishook my head, pulling myself from the wall and walking to him. “No,Iasked you if your lover’s hair was black before you left her and suspended her heart in a simulated sun,Adaynth.”
Heslid his jaw to the side before giving me a silent nod.
“Showme how you did it.”Ijerked my head to the pedestal. “Showme how you kept her warm.”
Chapter44
Karus
