Page 89 of Fractured Lore

“No, they exist as one. So while Baz is awake, the other part of him is sleeping within him and vice versa,” Pete adds.

“Is it something that can be fixed? You said that the two sides need to merge again?” Baz asks.

Pete shakes his head, “I can’t fix the connection, but Doc can.”

“Excuse me?” Doc asks, completely baffled as we all look at him questioningly.

Pete nods, “You have fixed a similar connection before, although admittedly on a much smaller scale.”

Doc’s confused frown deepens.

“Shit, you mean Rana, don’t you?” Coen asks suddenly.

Pete nods, “Yes.”

Baz looks at Doc. “You don’t have to.”

“Fuck off, man, of course I do. Stay still,” Doc says.

“Whoa, wait a minute, we’re going to this now?” Van asks as he steps forward to stop Doc.

“I would rather do it in front of someone who sort of knows what is going on,” Doc points out and looks at Pete.

“I may be able to help if something does go wrong,” Pete confirms. “You do need to hurry though, Murray is still a threat.” He looks down at his watch and relaxes slightly, “We should have a little more time.”

“Right,” Doc says, he looks at me, “Neith, I’m going to need you to move away from us both just in case.”

I nod and reluctantly move backward, refusing to take my eyes off of Baz and Doc as Reed’s arms wrap around me tightly.

Doc smiles reassuringly and then looks at Baz, “Are you ready, man?”

“Let’s do this,” he grins. “I think I might stay on the ground. Just in case.”

“I think that’s smart,” Pete agrees with a slight grimace that makes me extremely nervous.

We stay silent as we watch Doc place his hand on the sides of Baz’s head, his eyes close, and so do Baz’s as Doc’s magic begins to build.

When it builds past the point where it has ever gotten before, I start to panic. Not that it would take a lot to make me panic right now.

“It’s taking a long time,” River says anxiously.

“It will take a while, it is not an easy thing to restore a connection that isn’t just worn but completely severed,” Pete replies calmly.

I decide that I’m going to take my cues from him. He doesn’t seem worried, so I’m not going to be.

Doc’s magic continues to build, and both of their bodies become rigid with tension as sweat drips down both of their brows, and grimaces of pain cross their features.

I don’t like this.

It feels dangerous, like I could lose them.

Blood starts to drip down Doc’s face from his nose, and my panic hits new heights. I take a step forward, Reed following me and getting ready to intervene as well, but before we can get any closer, Baz cries out, light consumes him, and Doc gets thrown back.

Raiden throws himself into the air, his wings snapping out as he catches Doc before he hits the tree with serious force. Enough force that it would have broken bones.

Once I know that he’s safe, I turn to look at Baz only to shield my eyes as the light lifts him up off the ground, the wind wrapping around him, driving the debris of the forest floor into a frenzy as it swirls around him, obscuring him from view.

Suddenly, the world stills, the light dims, and Baz drops to the ground, landing in a crouch.

He flips his now shoulder-length black hair back off his face, and I gasp.

“Zephyr?” I whisper.

He looks like Zephyr, but not. He has Baz’s purple eyes, and is bulkier than Zephyr is, he’s more feral looking and less refined too, butthere’s no mistaking that Baz currently bears a striking resemblance to Zephyr.

“What the fuck is happening?” River exclaims loudly.

“Kyrous?” Pete asks in hushed tones that have all of us freezing because there is no fucking way.

Baz, or Zephyr, or Kyrous? Grins, “Good to see you again, Bhaltair.”