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Talodus grabs her arm and pulls her away from Garben as he says, “Whatever Nesta hit us with is eating him from the inside out.”
“So why aren’t we experiencing the same?” I wonder aloud.
Ada touches Garben’s leg, her eyes closing as she focuses on… I’m not sure.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Trying to heal him. He’s not dead, but he’s dying.” A frown creases her brows, raw skin tightening across her face as she whispers, “It’s water that heals. He needs me to survive.”
It’s a promise that comes with a cost too high to pay. Garben is suffering, and no amount of healing will put him back together. She may be a goddess, but some things are beyond even her reach. This is a lesson that will take more time to learn.
Garben gasps as if he can’t inhale.
“No.” Ada scrambles closer, but I grab her, banding my arms around her chest and waist to stop her from intervening.
Talodus touches his mentor’s forehead and murmurs quietly to him, moisture brimming over his lashes. As swiftly as possible, Tal pulls the last bit of life force from Garben’s body and slams it into the ground, silencing the fires with his heroic sacrifice.
“He’s gone, Ada,” I whisper in her ear, resting the side of my head against hers. “You cannot heal the damage that was done. Talodus chose to end Garben’s misery. Let him find peace in his last moments with us.”
Tears stream down her face as she takes a fortifying breath. A warm calm spreads through my body, and I can breathe easier. My heart beats in tandem with Ada’s, though she doesn’t seem to notice what she’s doing. Talodus looks up and tilts his head as he watches her.
“How did you do that?” he quietly asks, eyes rimmed red.
“What did I do?” she inquires, relaxing in my grasp.
“Soothe my heart, my emotions. You took the anger away.”
Ada hangs her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was going to jump between—”
“No,” Talodus gently stops her as he climbs to his feet. “That’s not what I mean. I was angry with Nesta for killing him, but now I just feel aggrieved. You have nothing to apologize for, Ada.”
“But—”
He cups Ada’s still healing cheeks between his palms. “Garben was a warrior, and he died a noble death. Knowing you can’t die wouldn’t have changed anything. Letting Nesta attack you without stepping in would have gone against his morals. He knew there was something special about you, but more than that, he knew what you mean to me.”
She nods, and Talodus releases her. I squeeze his shoulder, my eyes burning as reality sets in. Ada was right. The Mongrels can’t fight against Nesta. And neither can any of the other tribes.
This war will be fought by Ada, Madigan, and the other two goddesses…
The question is: whose side will they take?
Talodus gives me a grim smile as he pulls away from us. “I have to tell—”
“Let’s just get him home, Tal,” I suggest. “We can take care of everything else when we get there.”
22
CONNAK
DAY SEVENTY-ONE
William laughs as we step out of the cellar, our hands full of empty crates. I stop midway to his house, my mind fully focusing on Ada, though she’s nowhere in sight. The floral scent of her soap ensnares me, and I hunt for the direction in which it’s coming. My search ends all too quickly when I see distant clouds of smoke rising from the forest.
“I’ve got to go,” I tell Will, frantically dropping the crates.
“Go, go,” he urges, fixating on the thinning smoke. “That doesn’t look good.”
A rush of fear takes over me, and I run down the path, finding myself weaving between Mongrels in the village before I’ve even noticed how far I’ve gone. I follow the footpath all the way to the guards’ barracks when I spot Imryll. He motions for me to follow him, but I shake my head.
