Though the enemy is all around us, in this moment we’re alone. We have a small window of silence and peace, something we've needed for a long time.
As Briar runs her hands over the wounds on my back, she takes in a long deep breath. "I know that Willem may have risen against you, but he and his rebels haven't forgotten the people."
I look over my shoulder at her. "What do you mean?"
She nods toward the balcony. "He got my letter, and he and the rebels are in the city, protecting everyone that they can, fighting against Drogaem's soldiers."
I stare out the window at the smoke rising from the city below. My body begins to un-tense, feeling a peace knowing that my old friend, no matter how treacherous and defiant, is looking out for the people. Willem has a heart after all.
Briar finishes with my back and rolls me onto it, working her magic on the cuts across my chest and stomach. I watch her beautiful eyes as she focuses on me, the light almost so bright it blinds me. "I'm sorry. My search for more power got us into this mess. My feeling of helplessness in the face of what I've created myself turned me into a monster. Yet, there you were, standing for me, making sure that I was safe. I'm sorry that I ever got you into this. You deserve so much better."
Briar shakes her head as she continues to heal me. "Drogaem would have found a way to escape eventually. I know, and I can't explain why I know, but I just do know that I would've found you and Drogaem eventually. All of this was meant to happen. Between the goddess within me and the pull to you, I now know that I am meant to defeat Drogaem. But you have to understand. Soon the city will go quiet, and Drogaem's men will return to the castle. We cannot defeat them today. No matter how much we want to, we have to continue on. But this time we're going to come up with a plan, and we're going to do it as fast as we possibly can. We cannot wait for another attack on the city."
I reach up, pushing a piece of hair out of Briar's face. She looks different, bolder, more potent. And yet, within these sparkling eyes, I still see the girl that I brought to the underworld what feels like forever ago. That human innocence and hope that drives her. While it may frustrate me sometimes, that human part of her is what gave her the strength to muster the power to save me.
"We will defeat Drogaem," I tell her. "We will do it together. And if we fail, we will die together as well. But we cannot allow this canyon between us anymore. Separate, we are strong, but together we are capable of much more than I think you fully understand. I didn't even fully understand it until I stood in flames, watching the orbs of light spiral around you. I will keep my temper at bay as much as I possibly can, but you must do the same thing as well. You have to remember that your powers aren't some random gift from an ancestor. They are part of you, and you are part of them, and you truly will be the light that saves us in this darkness."
Silence falls over us, but it's no longer a distant and cold silence. It's a contentment and understanding that we are finally starting to understand each other. That we are beginning to finally know each other on the level of intimacy that I've never had with anyone else. Our goals align, and she cares just as much about saving the kingdom as she does about saving the human realm. She's no longer an outsider. She's no longer the fragile little human that everyone found amusement in when I first brought her here.
Briar, on her own accord and with her own strength, has become one of us. She fights for us, she cares for us, and even though her mortal soul is still intact, she is no human. In my eyes, she is as much of a goddess as Lux was, and she will understand that by the time it's all done. All I need to do now though is come up with a plan to help us. She's right, we need to be swift. We need to catch Drogaem at his weakest point and exploit his inabilities. He's so strong, but I know that together, Briar and I are stronger.
Chapter 17
Briar
My ability to read Kane's movements is getting better. It's hard considering he's quite a bit faster than the average person, but if I know what move he's going to make before he does it, I know where to aim my magic. Of course, I'm not quite at a place where I can use my powers without fully concentrating on what I'm doing. It makes it hard to maneuver at the same time. Kane is trying to teach me tactical movements while still using my magic.
I stand facing him, an orb of light in each hand, watching every inch of his body. This alone is a bit difficult. I keep finding myself drifting off, basically drooling over his tight muscles and firm stance. At least three times, he's tackled me because my mind flutters off to several moments we've had together, the heat between us like a blazing fire. Each time it happens, Kane smirks, and I know he has an idea of where my mind is going.
"Anticipate my movements
