Page 33 of The Dark Rises
“Mine, too,” I admit with a sigh. It was the beginning and end of my memories of us together, but one I treasured for the longest time. After we left Hiemal, things changed between Cormal and me, and all these years later, I’m still trying to find out why.
“We need to go,” Cormal says, pointing to the darkening sky.
He begins the descent first, and Madoc and I follow. Unlike our trek here, he moves quickly, heading straight for the portal.
Madoc brushes my arm. “What’s the rush?”
“This isn’t a place you want to be after dark,” I inform him, panting a little from the rushed pace.
Daylight begins to dim, and Cormal picks up the pace. “Hurry!”
“There is no setting of the sun here,” I tell Madoc. “Night falls between one breath and the next, and the sky turns black.”
A horrifying roar rises behind us, but I don’t dare turn to look.
Cormal stands at the edge of the portal, and when I get close, he grabs my coat and pitches me through it. Madoc and Cormal dive through at the same time, and the portal closes behind them.
“That was close,” I say, laughing at the three of us lying on the floor of The Abbey.
Arden’s head appears above me. “Are you guys okay?”
I raise a hand, and she helps me up. “Peachy.” With deft movements, I strip off the gear making me sweat and swipe a hand across my damp forehead.
Cormal and Madoc remove all of their items as well.
“Where to next?” Cormal asks as he gathers up our clothing and magically makes it disappear.
“There are a few places we stayed at for less than a week. In our rush to leave, maybe she left something,” I speculate with a shrug. “I’ll write down a list.”
Madoc hasn’t looked at me since we returned. “I need to check on my friend.” With a wave of his hand, he strides into the portal without even saying goodbye.
Puzzled, I look at Cormal, but instead of looking confused, there’s an odd smile of satisfaction on his face. “I’ll check on him, then I need to go to my office for a bit. Will you be okay here?”
“Take me with you,” I plead almost desperately. “Your place is as safe as The Abbey.”
He shakes his head. “I need to visit Lucifer and bring him up to speed.” Pecking me on the lips, he too disappears into the portal.
Irritated, I look at Arden. “Still make those great sandwiches?”
She links her arm in mine. “Yes, and I have wine. Since you have magic now, why don’t you get us some cupcakes?”
Brightening, I laugh. “You’re right. Who said magic can’t make you happy?”
Later,full of food and wine, I leave Arden downstairs, but instead of finding my room, I make my way to Rivan. Arden told me they had all taken a turn training and sparring with him today, but it wasn’t enough, so she created a spell to give him imaginary foes while they all sleep.
I inhale sharply at the fight before me. Alone, he battles, feinting and thrusting, against other warriors. Swords clash and ring loudly in the air. If Arden hadn’t told me this was a spell, I’d never believe it wasn’t real. Not wanting to interrupt his concentration, I slide down the wall to watch.
His burnished skin is naked, void of all the runes that protect him. I wonder if this is part of his chosen punishment. The first night we met he lay on the floor, his runes near shredded by Nyssa’s nails, yet not once did he consider regenerating. He feared losing his protection more than the excruciating pain. And here it’s been at least a week without them covering his body.
A knife slashes across his arm, and I wince. Rivan, on the other hand, looks at the wound and flashes a grim look of satisfaction. It hurts to see him like this. Unable to watch anymore, I quietly stand and make my way to my room.
The long day and several glasses of wine help. Falling asleep the second my head hits the pillow, I drop into the memory of Cormal and me at the hot springs.
Luxuriating in the warmth of the water surrounding me, I lie back and float on its surface. Bitter cold air caresses the flashes of skin I expose above the water for the briefest of seconds, but the heat and steam quickly soothe the sting they leave behind.
We’ve been here for three weeks, and it’s been heaven. There are no tasks to hunt down a magical item or deliver a promise of death to one of her many enemies. She rarely even peeks her head out the door to find me. Not wanting to incur her wrath, I get up early in the morning, grab a piece of toast, and head out to explore the frozen tundra around us. I keep waiting for her to tell me to pack up, but every day she doesn’t is another day in paradise.
“I didn’t know there were sirens in this part of the world,” a dark, smoky voice jests from the rocks above me.
