to determine if he had lost any of his power, so he had gone out of the camp earlier that day. He practiced everything he had learned. He remained more powerful than before he had obtained the status of Gatekeeper, but he still felt drained and weak when he had finished. The flames had been just as hot; the quakes shook the ground just as violently, but he was no longer without limits.
He had completely exhausted his magic after an hour; something he hadn’t had to fear before.
It did not seem so far-fetched to imagine himself dying after the destruction of the Red Gate. He knew his power derived from the medallions, but he didn’t really believe that they had been fused to his life. On the other hand, perhaps that was the only way it could work. Maybe Silandrin never told him about this because he thought Silas would have too much fear to move on.
But that wasn’t how it would happen. Silas would go on. Even if it killed him. Even though he almost knew it would.
He sat against a large rock at the top of a hill. The camp beneath him seemed so alive, the people so happy. It almost felt ironic.
Silas had thought he would be left alone on the hill since it was so far away, but Inga must have spotted him as he made his campfire. She slowly walked up the hill alone.
For the first time since he had met her, Silas didn’t want to be near her. She had been with him every step of the way. He loved her. He loved being near her. But after tomorrow, they may ever see each other again. He had to tell her the truth. That’s why he didn’t want to be near her.
Her smile and her beauty quickly pushed aside any negative feelings, however. When she came near, they said nothing at first, and Silas scooted over to make room for her next to him in front of the small fire.
“They’re pleased with you,” she said after a full minute of silence. “They’re excited to follow you. And whether you are angry with the Anwyns or not, they’ve inspired some extra confidence. It really feels like we can win this war.”
“I shouldn’t have told you that I love you,” Silas blurted out. The sudden change of subject caused Inga to turn sharply toward him.
“What?”
“I should have kept my mouth shut.”
“Why?”
He briefly told her about the dreams he had been having. He told her about his father and about how he thought Silas would be killed. At the end of his story, Inga was at a loss for words.
“That’s why,” he said finally. “I love you and tomorrow, I’m going to leave you forever.”
“But you don’t know that,” she said.
“My magic isn’t as strong as it was in the beginning. I’m not sure I was meant to survive this at all.”
“So that’s it then?” she said. “You’re just giving up?”
“Of course not. I told you all of this to let you know that I’m going to the Red Gate alone tomorrow.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Well, if what you said is true, then you’ll need me and Kaden.”
“You’ll only be putting yourselves in unnecessary danger.”
“Unnecessary?” she said as she stood from her seat on the ground. “I’ve never known a more necessary reason to face danger. You and I both know you could die before you get to the Red Gate tomorrow. I intend to make sure that doesn’t happen, with or without your approval.”
Silas sighed heavily. He didn’t know what to do. He would be facing a threat tomorrow that none of them could fathom. They didn’t know what kind of power Anithistor could conjure. They didn’t know what kind of force would be guarding the Red Gate. There were also two Sleepers that were probably planning a final attack, according to Julian. Silas didn’t want Inga in the middle of it.
He was confident in her ability to live through any battle. She could always throw up her shield of green and escape if she had to, but he wasn’t so sure about her facing Anithistor. He had to come up with a way to make her stay away from him.He might be destined to die tomorrow, but he didn’t want any of his friends to suffer the same demise, nor did he wish any of them to see him die when the Red Gate came crumbling down.
“You’ll be too much of a distraction,” Silas said.