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“The realm is weakening again because Elora’s simple presence is no longer enough,” Railan supplies.
“Which is why you needed the ritual from Fontoss.”
I turn from the window, my entire body tensing as Railan delivers the next blow.
“What he needs is Elora’s blood.”
“Her blood.”
Kaia stares at Railan, turning the words over in her mind. Then her body jerks as understanding sinks in, and she pivots her gaze to mine.
“A sacrifice. You mean to kill her?”
“I don’t mean to do anything to her,” I snarl, stalking back toward my desk and dropping into the chair. “I intend to find that fucking book and perform the ritual again, no matter who I have to threaten or maim or kill to get it.”
“And what if the realm doesn’t have that kind of time?” Railan wonders.
“That’s a problem for tomorrow.”
Railan pounds his fist on the edge of the desk, making Kaia jump. “You’re putting everything at risk. Everyone from the lowliest of mortals to the gods. Acaria has lived free from the shadow of death for centuries. They are not equipped to deal with it again.”
“I’m not going to let it get that far. I’ll find the book, perform the ritual, and it will be done.”
“And if you can’t find the book?”
Kaia’s question is soft, but it carries no less impact. I feel the weight of it settle around my shoulders until they droop with it.
“I will. End of discussion.”
“But if you can’t,” she says again. “Will you give her up? Or will you let the Shadow Realm fall?”
She won’t like the truth—neither of them will—so I dance around it instead.
“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Right now, my time is better spent finding the book so I can recreate the ritual. If someone were going to remove it from the library, they’d have to do it with the permission of the Fates, wouldn’t they? I can start there.”
I don’t relish the idea of going to the Fates. What they don’t already know, they’re nosy about, and I hardly want the other gods to know there might be something wrong with my realm. At best, I’ll look weak. At worst, someone may try to take advantage of that weakness. Neither of which would have a good outcome.
“I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” Kaia says gently.
“Do I have any other options?”
“Yes,” Railan snaps, shoving out of his chair and storming to stand in front of the fireplace. “I like her. You know I do. But this is bigger than her. It’s bigger than all of us. And sometimes we have to make sacrifices.”
“I’ve sacrificed plenty to hold this realm, to rule it well. And I will not be lectured on the merits of sacrifice by someone who has never known it.”
He snorts, eyes trained on the flames. “There is only one way this will end. The question is, how bad will you let it get before you do something about it?”
Before I can hurl back a retort, he crosses to the door and slams it behind him. Kaia stares after him for a long moment, the silence hanging heavily between us. When she finally drags her gaze to mine, her eyes are sad.
“Don’t say it,” I warn her. “I can’t take it from both of you.”
“You should have told me.”
I tap my fingers on the edge of my desk. Maybe I should have, but it isn’t as if it would have made this situation any easier. The only thing it would have done is bring us to this inevitable conversation much sooner. And what good would that have done?
Rubbing my temple in rough circles, I pivot to stare out the window as lightning lances down from the sky and strikes a tall tree, instantly setting the dry wood to flame.
It was, all of it, easier to manage before Elora arrived. Before she filled up an empty place inside me I hadn’t known existed. I have waited centuries for someone like her. And now the Fates have decided I should give her up? I won’t do it. I cannot.
