Page 142 of Chaos and Destiny
I woke, drenched in sticky sweat and heart racing. The sun had not yet risen, and Lichen had fallen asleep during guard duty. I stood carefully, pushed my blanket into my bag, and took Nealla’s advice. I’d only continue to endanger them if I brought them with me.
Two snow-covered hills later, I stood face to face with the ominous wall of dense fog. Even in the pitch-black night, with only scattered stars and a distant moon to light the world, The Mists still moved in a gray shadow of a wraithlike haze. There was nothing gradual about the divide between the Wind Court and The Mists. I lifted my hand to reach beyond the barrier, preparing myself for searing pain or total encapsulation as I made contact.
“Stop!” Fen shouted from behind me. “What in the world are you doing?”
I dropped my hand and my head. “I’m going on by myself, Prince.”
“We talked about this. We’re a team now.”
“Are we? Really? Why would Lichen go through my bag, Fen? Did you ask him to spy on me? That book didn’t just fall out. I had it hiding in the very bottom.”
“I’ll talk to him.” His voice shook with desperation.
“No, it’s not just that. You’re hiding something too. I saw the way Wren looked at you earlier. I know you aren’t telling the truth.”
“Ara, no. I’m not hiding anything from you. I don’t know what you thought you saw, but you didn’t. We can leave the others, that’s fine. But let me come with you.”
“Greeve would kill me if I took you into The Mists without him.”
“You think he wouldn’t kill me if I let you go alone? You matter too.”
“Stop saying that. Stop trying to convince me that I’m important to them. They are only here because you have some score to settle with fate and they are stuck with you. The only role I play is the line leader as we all march to our own fucking deaths.”
He reached for me, but I stepped away.
“You think that banshee tonight was bad, Fen? Every one of you were on the ground from that one damn creature. Nealla wants me, begs for me to come to her. I don’t know why. I don’t know what she’s going to do to me, but I know that even if the second half of my prophecy doesn’t matter, I still have to try to save this gods-damned world. I can’t even save myself. What right do I have to drag anyone along?”
“You aren’t dragging. We choose it.” Wren appeared out of nowhere.
“You don’t know what you’re saying. You could die.”
“Yes, and I could have died a thousand other ways in my life. If I die fighting to make the world better, then at least it meant something. At least I didn’t sit back and watch it burn.”
“You go, I go,” Greeve said as he and Kai landed beside me. “I don’t choose Fen, I don’t choose the southern kingdom. I’m not here to be anything but your friend. I choose you, Ara. You walk into those Mists, then I’m following right behind you.”
“I know it doesn’t seem like I take it seriously, but I do. Just like everyone else. It’s not just your journey anymore. It’s all of ours.” Kai stepped closer. “We’ve come way too far to let you leave us behind now. I fist fought a dragon. I mean, I totally lost, but I did that shit. I just got ear fucked by a banshee for gods’ sake.”
“You guys are all fucking crazy,” I said. “When we die, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I hope there’s dessert in hell.” Kai winked. Greeve smacked him in the back of the head. “What? You can’t tell me you don’t miss Loti’s kitchen right now.”
Fen faced me and held his hand out. He didn’t step toward me, and I knew he was asking me to meet him halfway. To let that gesture be a truce between us as we faced a legendary unknown. I looked carefully at each of their faces. I knew I’d regret it, but I slipped my hand into his. “Together, then.”
“Are you going to stop trying to leave us behind now?” Wren pursed her lips.
“Probably not.”
“Are we just going to leave Lichen sleeping on guard duty while we go?” Kai asked as we stared down The Mists.
“It would serve him right.” Greeve crossed his muscled arms.
“You guys are being too hard on him,” Wren answered. “He said he was sorry, and we’ve all done way worse things than read.”
“I’ll go talk to him,” Fen said. “I don’t think anyone is getting any more sleep tonight anyway. We might as well get this over with.”
“I’ll take you,” Greeve said, grabbing his arm and disappearing.
“Bet you a bottle of wine he doesn’t want to come,” Kai said, elbowing Wren.
