also keen to find comfort in one detail of Kalon’s confession.
Kalon had refused to join the Darklings. It fanned the flames of my feelings for him, and it pulled me closer to him. I was relieved to have a clearer picture of his involvement, but I was also very aware that the war was not over, and that Kalon would have to tell me absolutely everything he knew about the Darklings. Every single detail, until there was nothing obscure left between us.
Kelara
It took us a while to find another set of ruins. Most of Cruor was so empty, and time had not forgiven a single piece of stone—let alone entire settlements—which were now nothing more than reddish dust scattered across the dry land.
We could see the patterns, though. The elliptical foundations at the center. Only a few chunks of white stone remained, but they were enough to make it clear that people had once lived here.
Morning was pale and generally sad. The sight of this place seemed to hurt her deeply. “My brother exists here, in this emptiness,” she said, leaning into Phantom.
“If wood nymphs lived here, then they must’ve experienced some kind of tragedy, much like that other place you and Kelara visited.” Widow looked at Soul, then me. “Think we can find another Beta element here?”
I shrugged, looking around. “We can certainly try.”
“Well, we can see the central structure here,” Soul said, pointing at the white stones. “Maybe someone left us a message from Night on one of these things.”
My stomach was churning. I knew Night had been here. I could feel his distant presence. This sensitivity was likely due to the first Beta element I’d broken. My entire physical form was suffering the aftereffects of that endeavor, but Soul had stayed close, frequently checking on me to make sure I was okay. I couldn’t help but find that somewhat endearing, especially coming from a self-described psychopath.
I checked the outward parts of the settlement first, but I soon realized the Night Bringer’s presence was fading. “How do you feel, Morning?” I asked, wondering if she could sense him like I could. She should’ve been able to detect traces of him already, given that they were twins, created by Death at the same time, much like Dream and Nightmare.
“Empty,” Morning replied, sitting on a square gray rock.
“You don’t sense Night at all?”
Soul eyed me carefully. “Do you, Kelara?”
“I think so… but I’m not sure what it means.”
“It means we’re onto something,” Phantom said, smiling as she settled next to Morning. “Go on, follow your instincts. Where does the feeling lead you?”
Closing my eyes for a moment, I tried to home in on the source of Night’s presence. The shape of every stone around me became clear in the darkness. Outlines spiderwebbed across my field of vision until one piece stood out, brighter than the others.
“Here,” I murmured, crossing the central arrangement and kneeling in front of a rectangular plaque. Most of it was buried, so I used my hands to clear the dirt away. Running my fingers across the smooth surface, I shivered as familiar sensations washed over me. My skin recognized the narrow carvings. I’d touched something like this before. “I think this is it.”
Soul walked over, while Morning, Phantom, and Widow stayed behind, watching us. “You know what you have to do.”
“I’m not going to like it, am I?” I asked as I glanced up at him. He shook his head, and I understood that I was in for a world of pain. Cruor’s memories were alive, the Night Bringer’s suffering embedded in them. He wanted us to find the truth, and there was no easy way to do so. “Okay… here goes nothing.” I sucked in a breath and placed both palms on the stone plaque, moving them across it until a surge shot through me like lightning.
I got dizzy, fast.
Everything turned white before the world came back into focus. I was experiencing everything through the eyes of another wood nymph, but I didn’t feel Night inside me this time. No, this was a simple soul, a creature in a time before the Elders had even touched Cruor.
I could see it all. The endless emerald woods. The perfect blue skies with cotton-white clouds and a sun beaming so bright, it made me smile. I could smell the spring blossoms’ sweet fragrance floating on the wind. I could hear the birds chirping, fanning their wings and spreading their rainbow tails as they danced on tree branches, courting