“We have to get her out of the cave before we can do anything.”
“Any bright ideas on how we can do that?”
“Not a single one,” she answered.
“I have one, but it’s absolutely ridiculous. She may hate me forever if it doesn’t work.”
“You’re going to try to enchant her?” she gasped.
“I don’t see any other options.”
She nodded, taking several steps backward.
If Asha reacted with anything but full faith in me, she would tear apart half this cave in anger. I walked to her and held my hand out, dipping my head. I waited, but she did not come. “Asha.” I looked up to her. Our eyes locked for a moment, and before she could turn away, I grabbed my magic and forced it out. “You must come out of the cave. You must take me home, Asha.”
The melody echoed within the cave walls, and as we looked at each other, I realized she understood me. Even without the enchant, she knew what I needed. It was her choice, and though I attempted to take it from her, she did not yield.
“Please,” I begged.
The minute I asked and did not command, she dipped her head and stalked to the door, tucked her wings in tight and walked out. I looked at Umari and then followed the cetani out of the cave. I was not, nor would I ever be, in charge of Asha. I had never had more respect for a living creature.
Once outside of the cave, I looked back to Umari, and she shook her head. “This is your journey to navigate, Tolero. You must find a way with her on your own.”
“That’s helpful.”
The draconian fae gathered outside. They hadn’t seen a cetani leave since they fell ill, so if they didn’t think I was their savior before, they certainly did now. I tried not to look at them, keeping my eyes on Asha.
She moved in a giant circle, stretching her wings as far as she could. Again, she raised her head and called to the heavens. The draconian fae went silent as they watched her move toward me.
I raised my hand and bowed my head. Finally, she nudged me with a cold press of her nose. I lifted my face and smiled at her as she bumped me again. The fae watching, laughed as she continued to push me until I was at the far tip of her wing, where she laid upon the ground with her wings stretched and looked to me.
“She wishes you to ride her,” a fae called.
“Climb her wing,” another said.
“But it is not done,” a third objected.
I meant to stride forward, but just as I was about to take that first step onto her, Umari stopped me.
“Wait.” She turned to her gathered fae. “Bring me Nuath.” Two draconian fae dragged a third limp fae between them. “In front of your people, with my own beseeching, will you enchant the mind of this fae and help us to learn the truth of what has happened here.” She faced the crowd. “You’ve all heard the testimony. He claims that he knows nothing; however, he is the only guard who cannot be accounted for the night the cetani turned ill. He says there are gaps in his memory. Today we will learn the truth.” She gestured for me to begin.
I stepped toward the drooping fae as two guards held him upright. His face was bruised, and his lip split open. Umari had gotten her answers by force. I could only imagine how that pained her, knowing how close the draconian fae were to each other.
I stirred my magic deep and pulled a thin line forward as I spoke. “Wake,” I sang.
The crowd murmured as fear or awe, I wasn’t sure which, settled among them.
Nuath’s eyes peeled open, and he cried out in pain as he remembered his own wounds.
“Tell this crowd the truth, have you had an encounter with the sea queen, Morwena?” I asked.
“Yes,” he gasped as he searched his own mind for several moments while his eyes glossed over. “I remember,” he sobbed. “No, no, no.” He banged his fists to his own head.
“Stop,” I demanded.
He stilled.
“Tell us exactly what happened from the moment you encountered her.”
