“Oh my god,” Verity whispers, eyes wide with shock.
“It will take them hundreds of years yet,” she says. “Though to the Fae that’s a blink of an eye, isn’t it?”
“How do you know this?” I snap, eyes narrowed. “And why the hell haven’t you brought this to our attention before?”
The first Bloodbane looks down at me sadly. She turns away, creeping back to her sleeping mat. I rise partially, intent on following her and demanding answers, but Verity’s cool hand curls around my wrist. My heart pounds at the simple touch and I feel desire coursing through me already. As if she can sense the sudden electricity thrumming inside me, she releases me quickly.
“Leave her,” Verity murmurs. “She’ll tell us more when she needs to. Fighting with each other won’t help us.”
I sigh, knowing she’s right, and ease back down. “I need to make this world safe for you,” I whisper as our eyes meet.
Thal clears his throat and I drop my gaze. “We should all go back to sleep,” he says softly. “Especially you, Verity, you need to rest.”
“If I sleep, they’ll come for me,” Verity says fearfully.
“I’ll keep them away tonight, and I’ll teach you more in the morning,” Serus says. His claws dig into Verity’s leg and she winces in pain but strokes his fur absentmindedly. “My powers will be enough to protect your mind.”
Verity glances towards me as she lays back down. I rise as Serus takes up a position beside the crown of her head. I glower at Thal. “Isn’t your sleeping mat elsewhere?” I quip.
Thal’s tongue flicks out over his lips and I see anger flash in his eyes but I don’t care. “It is,” he finally says, his voice dangerously even.
I watch as he strides away before I head to the perimeter to take over the watch. The sand whispers under my footsteps. Suddenly, a hand snakes out around my ankle, stopping me short. I wrench my foot back, kicking the slender hand away. Sadal stares up at me, eyes hazy.
“What do you want?” I snap, eyes narrowed. “You’ve said enough, don’t you think?”
“You were always destined for sorrow, Altair,” he says soberly. Sadal nods, confirming his own statement. “Nightmarish, unbearable sorrow.”
I glance back at Verity, curled in a fetal position on her sleeping mat. My heart clenches in my chest and my lips twist into a pained grimace. "The gods can be cruel," I mutter. I look back at Sadal, seeing the madness in his eyes. "Even to one of their own."
I leave him there, in his chains, and head into the darkness. Despite the brightness of the stars overhead, the darkness here is deeper than it is in Alnembra. When I know I’m out of sight, I summon the curse and let it transform me. The aching in my bones abates as I let Maaz’s evil power flow through me. It’s as if I’m releasing days and days of pressure building up in my body. I sigh, relaxing and stretching my wings wide. It’s likely giving into it will make it more difficult to resist later, but for now, solace is what I need. Solace only the sky can bring.
I crouch and then launch myself into the sky, wings beating powerfully. I soar higher, letting the cool air of the desert stream through my feathers and ruffle the fur on my cheeks and body. The air buoys me up, pillowing beneath my wings and I soar away from the campsite. The further I fly from Verity, the more the pain in my heart eases. It hurts to be beside her. But when I’m away from her, I feel so empty.
Wheeling back around, I drift towards the camp. Even as the pain returns, so does the desperate hope I’ve unconsciously clung to since Verity left the fortress weeks ago. I close my eyes against the emptiness of the wastelands and dive down into that hope. The peaceful vision of Verity at my side in our bed consumes me and soon all I can hear is her gentle breathing on the wind.
Chapter 14
Verity
I sway in the saddle, moving in time with the rhythm of the horse. I've learned it's best not to fight it and sit stiffly – that takes too much energy on a long journey like this one. I look up to the blazing sun overhead and squint in the bright light. The days are hot, and the nights are cold and all we do is wander past buried ruins. The old Bloodbane seems confident, leading us all through the wastelands towards whatever our destination might be.
I look away from the sun, blinking to clear the black spots that dot my vision now. My hands tighten on the reins while I fight to get my vision back. Now, even closing my eyes for a moment makes me terrified that the Shades will find me. Serus, in front of me, glances over his shoulder. His cat ears twitch, fending off a gnat in search of moisture.
“Are you ready to begin?” He asks.
I raise my brows in surprise. “Now? While we’re travelling?”
“It won’t disturb the others or slow us,” he explains, his tail flicking.
“Alright,” I say nervously. My eyes dart towards Altair, near the head of the caravan. I want to ask him to keep me company, to be here when Serus and I learn how to stop the Shades from finding me in my sleep. But I can’t.
“Open your mind to me,” Serus orders. “Think of the dream last night.”
I resist the urge to close my eyes to concentrate and instead focus on the back of Thal’s horse in front of me. I relax, trying to let Serus in. I can feel him poking around at the edge of my consciousness. It’s not as simple as slipping into my memories and desires and projecting what I want. Now that we’re out of the ether, I can feel him slipping through my memories in search of the nightmare.
“Focus on it,”