Page 145 of Of Serpents and Ruins
I couldn’t remember all the details. But I remembered those eyes of his. Boring into mine. Slicing deep. Spreading into my soul.
My mate.
My love.
My heart.
The waves lapped against the side of the ship. The purple-blue of the sky had deepened, much more vivid now than it had been when I’d first returned.
The heaviness pressed down on me as we continued toward the Ember Lord’s Crest. Hord couldn’t be a traitor. To fight against him and Elias and whoever else Elias brought with him—was I really ready for battle?
My thoughts started to spiral, repeating without solution. Old Stella had been a fighter, a seer, and a water serpent shifter. I almost hated her for all she had been capable of doing. I had fought at Brandt’s side before this. Fought for him. And recently I’d fought against him and only survived because he was holding back as best he could. But the Gola Resh would not hold back. My stomach heaved.
"I told you what troubles me," he said softly. "What troubles you?"
So much for being strong and firm. I was starting to melt just thinking about everything. The words tumbled out as my stomach roiled. "We’re getting ready for a fight against a supernatural entity that none of us understands or fully knows with a ritual that has never been done before and whose core components can be twisted to bring about another terrifying supernatural entity. And I am not the woman I once was. You even said Iusedto be a badass. I’m not one anymore. When we were with Arjax and Lorna and we were chasing the mirror foxes and fighting the terror birds, I barely got one. And I didn’t kill anything. I’m brash, but I’m not the same water serpent and seer I once was."
His brow tweaked, his smile curling a little more to the left. "No. I suppose you aren’t. But that does not make who you arenow any less. You have changed in many ways, but in every matter that counts, you are who you were."
Scoffing, I shrugged and tipped my gaze back into the sky, noting just how much deeper that purple blue was now and how little time we had left. "I’m not a badass warrior. I’m a pretty blue-and-gold serpent who gets her horns crooked and tells goofball jokes. And the badass warrior is the one we need more right now."
He leaned against me, his arms and chest caging me against the railing. "You know…I can’t really comment on your fighting since you came back. All I know is what Kine described. Sadly, I can’t remember what happened in the throne room when the curse seized me. But, Stella…you brought me laughter again. Even if it was confusing. And sometimes a little painful."
"I don’t see how that helps anything." My insides squirmed. I hadn’t told him about the vision Elias had stolen from Auntie Runa, and I wouldn't. I struggled to put it aside, reminding myself that I couldn’t control this. There were other things I could control.
"Because after years without laughter, it’s a balm and a release. And it makes it easier now for me to focus. So I am glad for your terrible jokes and ridiculous wordplay. I am also grateful to Arjax and Lorna for allowing me these moments with you through that vile concoction. And you still have the same strength of spirit and will that you have always had. You have always been exactly what I need. Even when it’s strange. And you are unquestionably a badass now." He pressed his forehead to my temple. "So…anything to make me laugh now?"
I nuzzled him back, comforted by his confidence in me and amused that a man who didn’t know what latte meant knew what a badass was. "You want me to make you laugh?"
"Can you?" He kissed my neck, teeth grazing my skin.
Infernal man, trying to get under my skin and get me all distracted. A delicious shudder raced through me.
I shot him a mock side glare. "All right. Answer me this. What do you call a magician who has lost his magic?"
"I have no idea. Lost? Pointless? Scared?"
"Ian."
Brandt’s mouth trembled slightly, and then he dropped his head against the back of my neck. He groaned loudly. "Stella…"
"You asked for it, husband of mine." I wrinkled my nose at him.
His head remained against my shoulder. "I did." He scoffed, his breath huffing over my neck and back. "I love you, Stella."
"I love you too, Brandt."
STELLA
All too soon we reached the simple dock that led to the Ember Lord’s Crest. Lorna had Brandt drink more of the vile potion. Though he gagged, he drank it and then chewed peppermint. The charm on his neck had turned orangish yellow. We had only hours before the curse seized him.
Kine brought the Great Spear up from the hold, his manner still subdued. When I tried to ask him what was wrong, he refused to answer, simply stating that he needed to focus on defeating the Gola Resh.
No clouds hung in the sky, but it was even darker now. The wind tugged at my hair, smelling of salt and sulfur. My eyes watered.
The broad, jagged mountain rose like a multi-tiered crown, the top smoking thanks to multiple ventilation shafts. The rocks were bladed and porous. Dark earth and black sands formed this shoreline.
Even here, those deep gouges from the Gola Resh existed. They were harder to see, but they sliced nonetheless, curling over the land like tendrils, deeper than when we had left. No vegetation grew here, though once it had. All was barren rock.Large boulders and outcroppings jutted from the sand and stone, harsh and uneven.
