“We’re here!” Jolter ran down the path with a long row of people behind him. Molanna, Jemma, Hemmer, Fagan, Mylo, Forten, Ruby, Baryl, and Mena. “I had to let your friends in Bridgetown know too.”
I turned away from Aedan and met Jolter and Koan in a group hug. “We’re going to miss you,” Koan whispered, “but I can’t say it doesn’t make sense.” Tears stung my eyes as memories of these two flashed through my mind. They’d brought me friends, food, and laughter in a time when I did not ever expect it.
“I’ll miss you too.”
Koan wiped his eyes as they stepped back. “You better say goodbye to someone else before you turn us into embarrassing puddles of—”
Jolter elbowed him. “Come see us again someday. Even if it’s in a thousand years.”
I sniffed back another set of tears. “Of course.”
Jemma and Hemmer gave me quick hugs and promised to work on convincing others that fae and humans were not so dangerous.
Then Forten wrapped me up in a hug so big he lifted me two feet off the floor. As he set me down, Ruby, Baryl, and Mena all wrapped an arm around me or patted my back. “You are the only person who has an open invitation into my kitchen,” Forten said. “I don’t care if it takes a few thousand years to work your way back.” His voice cracked. “I’ll keep a pitcher of lemonade waiting for you every day.”
I hugged him again before stepping back to look at Mylo and Fagan. Mylo, the muscle-bound soldier who had first chained me in the dungeon, handed me a small book.Songbirds of Sirun. “I know all your favorites burned,” hesaid, “but Corva’s had this for years, and we thought you might like it, even if… well, even if you don’t see them.”
I hid my face as I hugged him and tried to sniff back more tears. “Thank you. And thank you for everything else you’ve done for me.” Fagan joined us and patted my back.
Finally, I stepped back to look at the group of them—the friends I thought I’d never have. I wanted them to remember me with a bit of happiness, even if I hated leaving them. “Drink some lemonade for me.” Speaking loud enough for them to hear let fresh tears work their way past my eyes.
Koan grinned and saluted me. “And make some chaos for us.”
I laughed between the tears and dipped my head in agreement. I would think of Koan and Jolter every time I saw Alastor, and that thought alone strengthened me in leaving. I wouldn’t want any of them spending their life trying to rescue me and feeling guilty about it all at the same time.
I stepped closer to Aedan and nodded at him.
He wrapped his warm, cedar-scented fingers around my waist and launched us into the sky. I hugged his reptilian skin as we flew, letting the heat from his hands ward off the chill of the wind. The fortress on a stone pillar disappeared from my view quickly, and I scanned the hills ahead for the edge of the barrier.
Last time I’d had this view, snow had covered the ground with evergreens and bare, empty trees poking out of the white like little sticks. Today, the landscape was rich and colorful, with hills of green interspersed by vibrant pockets of flower patches.
And then I saw it: the magic barrier.
Last time I’d seen the barrier, I’d been too stressed to analyze it, but this time I focused on the magic it held. Most of the barrierglowed with a golden color. I recognized yellows, oranges, and reds from Aedan’s magic interwoven with blues and greens from an elf I didn’t know. Surrounding and securing all of the other strands of magic were the more shimmery pinks and purples from my mother.
Why hadn’t I recognized and understood her magic before? Probably because I had been distracted by Alastor fighting a drekkan. I squeezed the edge of Aedan’s finger as he shifted his flight to follow the barrier’s edge. I was excited to see Alastor, but I did not want to lose Aedan. There had to be a way to keep them both.
Aedan landed behind a row of trees and set me on the ground. “I see your brother just ahead. It will take you about fifteen minutes to walk to him.”
I spun to face him. “You aren’t coming with me?”
“I do not think he will want to see me.”
Tears burned the back of my eyes, but I blinked them away. “I’m not ready to say good-bye.”
He groaned and lowered his body so that his eyes were just a little higher than mine. “I brought you something.” A sheathed dagger hung from a belt buckled around one of his fingers.
I huffed. “If you think a knife is some kind of substitute for the—” My voice caught, and I swallowed before continuing. “For the best protector I ever had—”
“Callista.” His low tone cut me off. “I will be shocked if you ever use this to fight. But I want you to have it anyway.”
I unlatched it from his finger and withdrew the blade. I recognized the five rubies on the crossguard as soon as I saw them. The unique, powerful, silver magic emanating from the blade took me back to the doorway between our rooms when I’dfirst seen it.
It represented so much—Aedan’s power and justice, but also his new determination to see people and treat them better. It reminded me of his strength, but also just of him. His gentle touch and tender heart. Tears clogged my throat as I clutched the blade to my chest.
“I thought it burned in my room,” I finally choked out.
“Apparently it is stronger than flames.” He’d always been deliberate when he spoke, but his drekkan voice slowed everything and made it feel more dramatic. “It is the only thing that Mylo’s team was able to recover from your room.”
