What do you mean she’s gone?”
Preacher wrings his cap in his hands. The poor garment should have unraveled by this point.
“I mean, she left and took the Troll’s daughter with her.”
“Where did they go?”
He shrugs. “Beats me. We’ve scoured the grounds and the castle. Secret passageways as well. They’re gone.” He coughs and tugs his cap on over his ears. “They were in here and then they just . . . vanished.”
My mouth turns down. Everyone may know El is the vessel of the Verity and a Mirror, but not all are aware of the specific capabilities a Mirror possesses. Even I was in the dark until she shared my mother’s “Mirror Theory” with me.
“Thank you, Saul.” I brace myself against the desk, my knuckles like paste against the dark grain. “That will be all.”
He lingers, moving in a ruler’s breadth. “Is it true what everyone’s been saying?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “And what is that?”
“Eliyana and Rhyen shared a Kiss of Infinity, and now her soul is tied to the Void.”
I heave a sigh. “Might I suggest you ignore rumors, Saul? Speculation gets us nowhere.”
With a nod he takes his leave, and I welcome the snap of the closed door. My answer wasn’t a lie, not really. The people carry no proof of El and Ky’s bond. They merely go off what they hear. If I don’t confirm their assumption, it’s still a rumor. And I’d like to keep it that way.
The night has dragged on, but the blue-gray haze of dawn has finally begun to break. I swivel in my desk chair and rest my head against my thumb and forefinger. What I would pay to remain in solitude for a day, to recharge before accomplishing what I must. Of course, that isn’t an option. It never is these days.
I can give you rest.
My head jerks and cocks, a gun’s barrel ready to fire. “Who goes there?” My sword hand hovers above the weapon at my side. “Show yourself. Enough Dragon games.”
But there is nothing aside from the furniture-cast shadows.
Have I misplaced my mind? Lack of sleep will do that. I’ll stop by the kitchens on my way to the dungeons. Regina’s coffee will be just the thing to get me through the day ahead.
But first thing is, as always, first. I open my filing cabinet and thumb through the tabs. Why are these out of order? I had them organized alphabetically—
My hands clench the cabinet drawer. Ebony. If she was with El she would have searched for her prisoner file. No doubt she wanted her name erased from our records. Why would El help her? She knows Ebony can’t be trusted. Where would they have gone?
Terminating my hunt, I shove the drawer closed. It clangs and causes the entire cabinet to shudder. Pulling at my hair, I pace to the window. But before I reach it, something on the coatrack catches my eye. Or rather, the lack of something. My Guardian jacket, where is it?
The lines fall into place like a finalized blueprint.
El left to find Ky.
She helped Ebony escape.
So Ebony would help her.
My mission is now more vital than ever. I stomp to the files, locate the one I require, and storm out of my study and into the hall.
Rafaj Niddala, I hope you enjoy visitors.
Rats. I hate rats.
The sooner I’m out of the dungeons, the better.
Motivation drives me onward, Regina’s coffee still warm in my gut. I tread beyond the rodents scurrying past my boots and over the water trapped between cracks in the cement. Rafaj’s record stated he’s on the third level down, in cell 33. The odd detail, however, is his record gives no indication as to the reason he remains imprisoned. His sentence was to be for the length of time he held the Void, stating Rafaj became a danger to himself and others, and thus captivity became essential.
As an Ever Rafaj is the ideal inmate. Food and water would make him more comfortable, but he does not require them. In fact, it would be easy to forget his existence altogether. Now that he’s Void free, what would have kept him down here all these years?
I suppose I will discover the answer soon enough. My mind weighs on the side of restraint, causing my footsteps to dither. Seeking help from a prisoner is indeed a last resort at best, and not to be taken carelessly. But what I’m doing is not just for El, it’s for everyone. Every Called. Anyone who has a loved one in another Reflection. This is about our existence, our way of life. About ensuring the Callings and passages to other Reflections remain intact. It goes beyond a mere romance. Some things are simply too important—sacrifices must be made.
The Void cannot snuff out the Verity.
I will not allow it.
My steps resume.
At cell 33 I pause. Whatever lies on the other side, whatever information Rafaj relays, there is no turning back.
I shove the key in the lock and after a half turn the bolt bangs, the door opening toward me. I step inside and close it, the clang echoing finality. But the cell is . . . vacant? Did I choose the wrong one? I was certain—
But no. There, in the shadowed corner of the space where a fraction of daylight touches, is where Rafaj waits. The eager expression on his sagging face gives him away. He was, at the very least, expecting someone. His eye sockets are sunken holes, but the eyes they hold are bright with life and color. Despite his aging body, the Ever Calling inside keeps his soul young.
But soon this too will fade, should the Verity’s light continue to dwindle.
Perhaps Rafaj has something to gain here after all, if he wishes to live, that is.
“Rafaj?”
“It is I.” His voice sounds as if it has not been used in decades.
“Rafaj, my name is Joshua David. I am—”
“Silence, boy. Don’t you think I know my own grandson?”
“How did—?”
“You sound like him, my son, Aidan. Your voice is the same. I knew Ember was with child when they departed for Lisel Island those many years ago. You are what, twenty-one, twenty-two? I may be old, but I am far from senile.”
Good. We can forgo the niceties then. “You know why I’ve come?”
He wheezes. I can just make out his contour, nothing but skin and bones. “You are after the Unbinding Elixir.”
“Yes.”
“You and everyone else. It is the only reason I ever get a visitor at all. In fact, I have had contact with no one aside from the girl in the next cell. I spoke to her through the wall months ago, or I believe it has been months. Quite difficult to gauge time down here.” His words are a jumble of wheezes. “Tell me, did she make it out all right?”
Girl? I’ve no idea who he’s talking about, and I can imagine all the years he’s spent down here have played tricks on his brain. I almost feel sorry for him. But then I remember my surroundings. He’s imprisoned for a reason. I cannot be too careful. I must obtain his knowledge without losing my head. Or being fooled.
“So tell me,” he says. “What is your purpose?”
I swallow. “The Callings are in danger.”
Head shaking, he croaks, “Not good enough. Try again.”
“The Thresholds are draining across the Reflections. Without them everyone will be sentenced to one Reflection forever.” Surely the complexity of the problem is enough to convince him to share. This is about our life, our worlds.
“You do not fool me, Joshua David.” Suspicion lowers his tone. “The desire to aid the greater good is a cover-up, a façade. Tell me your truth. What is it you desire?”
My body tenses. “This is not about me, old man. I would not have come if it were.”
“Nonsense.” He waves his skeletal hand. “It is always about the individual. You may pretend you care for sacrifice, pretend you are indeed selfless. But no one is entirely selfless.” His bony finger wags. “No one.”
Something triggers deep inside. My entire life has been about selflessness and sacrifice. But have I once asked myself what it is I truly desire? All considerations aside, have I ever thought, What’s in it for me?
No. Because I always suppressed the notion, held it back, refused to let it surface. Yet here, now, talking to Rafaj Niddala, is when my will takes its initial breath.
Face hardening and chest expanding, I say, “I want to unbind my love’s soul from the soul of my brother.”
He leans forward. “And?”
“She is the Verity’s vessel, and he holds a portion of the Void. Their mutual feelings are corrupting her. I need to break their soul bond to save the Verity.”
“Is that the only reason?”
I clench my jaw. “No.”
“Speak your truth.”
My truth. My truth is, “I love her.” This is the simplest explanation I can give. “I want her to be with me. Always. I want her whole heart.”
“You want her to forget he ever existed.” Wobbling, he rises. His skin is so translucent he could almost be a ghost. “You want her to forget she ever loved him at all.”
I nod.
“Well then, come close.” He beckons me with one finger. “Let me share my secret.”