I awake with a start, sitting up in bed next to Clover. She is still sleeping peacefully, undisturbed. But I know that the conversation we just had was as real as she is. I pick up her hand, grasping it against my chest. “Be safe,” I say, pressing my lips against her knuckles before laying her hand back down.

The door to the bedroom swings open. It is Eldon.

“Accacia, come quickly, something is wrong with Ezra.”

I jump off the bed and rush from the room. Ezra is sitting on the floor, his back against the wall. He is shivering, his eyes squeezed shut. A sheen of sweat covers his skin, his shirt stuck to him in places. I glance at Eldon. “How long have I been out?”

“You have slept through the night, or at least what we consider the night here in a place that never goes dark.”

“Christ. Ezra’s been without blood for too long. “Where’s his bag?” I ask, casting my eyes about the room. Eldon picks it up from the chair I was sitting on earlier and hands it to me.

“Here. What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s dying,” I say.

“Dying? But I thought only the sun can kill a member of Clan Lux,” Avery says. He is crouched in front of Ezra, the back of his hand pressed against his forehead. “He is hot. Too hot.”

“He is suffering the consequence of refusing to take my blood.” I pull out one of the bottles and hurry to Ezra’s side. “He gave me his blood to heal me, now he refuses to take mine in return and it’s killing him.”

Avery shifts to make room, looking from my face to the bottle of blood in my hand.

“The curse Queen Adrielle cast goes beyond Clan Lux’s inability to live in the sun. The Queen made sure that all of Clan Lux were forced to feed from the common folk to survive and not from each other. If blood is taken from a member of Clan Lux and not given in return, then it is a certain, painful death.”

Avery looks at me in shock as I settle beside Ezra, pulling him into my arms. He barely acknowledges I am there. “How long has he been like this? You should have awoken me sooner,” I accuse.

“This happened suddenly. We were simply talking, and then he collapsed.”

I pull out the stopper, dropping it to the floor, and press the glass to his lips. “Ezra, drink,” I say, tipping the bottle up. He is aware enough to open his mouth, allowing me to pour it in.

“Is that blood?” Eldon asks.

“Yes, it’s about the only thing that is keeping him alive.”

“Why does he refuse to take your blood? Why would he wish this?” Avery asks, his green eyes troubled.

“Because he wishes to be with the ones he loves. He is tired of this life.”

I turn away from Avery’s gaze and concentrate on pouring the rest of the blood into Ezra’s mouth. Once it is done, I wipe at the drop that has escaped from his lips and settle beside him on the floor. Still in pain and oblivious to what is happening, Ezra slumps further.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Avery asks.

“Is there somewhere he can rest for a while?” I ask, needing to make him more comfortable. A stab of panic enters my chest, he looks far worse now. The last time he drank the blood, it revived him after a few minutes. That doesn’t appear to be happening this time.

“Yes, of course. You may use my room. Eldon and I will carry him there,” Avery says, bending down and placing Ezra’s arm over his shoulder. Eldon does the same, and together they lift him off the floor. Ezra moans, the slightest movement hurting him.

I follow them, stopping momentarily at the door to the bedroom. “This will not be the last time we meet. I’ll be seeing you soon, Clover,” I whisper, taking one last look at my best friend before stepping away.

* * *

On the floor below, we enter Avery’s apartment within the tree-tower. It is not dissimilar to Clover’s rooms, with the same wooden furniture, and lit with tiny sparkling lights that don’t appear to be anything other than magical. There is certainly no electricity here.

Avery and Eldon place Ezra on the large double bed.

“Is there anything else that we can do?” Eldon asks.

“No, I think he will need to sleep this off.” I perch on the bed next to Ezra and pull my sleeve up over my hand so that I can wipe the sweat from his brow. Ezra grumbles under my touch.

“I could use something to eat and drink though. If that’s not too much trouble,” I add quickly.

Avery nods, and with a flick of his wrist the table in the corner of the room is filled with a bowl of berries. Next to it a wooden tumbler holds a sweet-smelling liquid.

“Fae magic?” I ask with a tight smile.

“It has its uses,” Avery responds. “If that is all?”

“It is for now. When Ezra is sufficiently recovered we will leave for the fae city. Clover said that you have a map, one that will show us the way to the inn?”

Avery glances at Eldon, then at Ezra. I know what he is thinking.

“He will recover,” I say.

“As soon as you are ready, I will bring you the map and take you to the entrance,” Avery says with a sharp nod of his head.

“Thank you.”

The fae men leave the room, shutting the door behind them. I turn my attention back to Ezra, who is sleeping a little more peacefully now. He still whimpers, but the tightness around his mouth is gone and his breathing has gentled slightly. I pull the silken cover over him, then take a seat at the table. Unlike Clover’s, this room has a window. I lean out slightly, looking down. Amid the sea of green leaves, I can see people move along the walkways between their homes built amongst the branches. I wonder whether any of them are the people I saw being dragged down into the earth.

I pick up some fruit and bite into a ripe berry, the sweetness of its soft flesh exploding in my mouth. It is like nothing I have tasted before. My stomach growls, urging me to eat more. It takes me no time to devour them all. I wash them down with the sweet, honey-flavoured drink.

“Thalia, Roseanna…” Ezra mumbles from behind me. A sob rises up his throat and bursts in the air about us. My heart breaks for him. I get up and rush to his side.

“I’m here, Ezra,” I say, climbing onto the bed next to him. “It’s me, Accacia, I’m here,” I repeat, laying down beside him. I turn on my side, resting my head on the pillow. His handsome face is drawn, pale. Every time I look at Ezra a little piece of him seems to wither away. It is like watching a colour photo fading in the sunlight, until eventually the image disappears. Ezra turns towards me. His eyes are shut, he is still very much asleep, but he reaches out, pulling me into his arms. I go into them willingly, not caring that I am not the woman he wishes to hold in his arms, knowing that he needs human comfort wherever it may come from.

“Thalia, oh Thalia,” he cries into my hair. “I am sorry. I am sorry I couldn’t save you both.”

“It is not your fault,” I say. I don’t know whether he can hear me. I have no idea whether the words I am saying are filtering into his consciousness or not. Whether they would make any difference to the grief he feels, the torment, but I continue anyway. “It wasn’t your fault. You are not to blame.”

Ezra is crying in earnest now, the sound he releases from his chest is the same as the sound he made the day his wife and child were turned to ash and dust. It tears me to shreds, but I don’t break. I don’t cry. I just hold onto Ezra as tightly as he is holding me. It is strength he needs right now, and I am determined to give it to him. “You couldn’t save them, Ezra. Nothing you could have done would have made any difference. You would have perished too. You are a good man. You are not to blame.”

“All these years, my love. I never got to say goodbye. I miss you both so much it hurts. I am sorry,” Ezra mumbles into my hair. His hold on me lessens as he falls into a deep sleep, arms slackening as his body relaxes, the tension finally releasing from his muscles.

As he lies within my arms, I wonder what on earth I can do to make him change his mind. I don’t want to lose him to the light now that he has begun to brighten my life with his.