Maybe it's the liquor, or the disaster of an evening, but his words break me. She sacrificed her heart to do what she thought was right. I can't even imagine the strength it took.
I stand, excusing myself from Durk, and walk over to Madrid. I sit across from her, at a table full of uneaten food, stained with spilled wine.
"Hello, Ari," she says, forcing a flat smile onto her tired face. "I'm sorry tonight didn't go as we'd hoped."
"Don't worry about that," I say. "Are you okay?"
She looks about to answer with a polite yes, but then her face collapses into grief. Her eyes well with tears and she takes a sip of her glowing blue drink. "I apologize for showing so much emotion. It's unseemly."
I hold open my hands, an idea forming in my mind. Yami hops into them. "I think we can help her, Yami, what do you think?"
Yami looks over at Madrid, then back at me. Hoping he understands, I focus my intent on what I want him to do. "Let's give her some love."
Yami hops off my hand and walks slowly over to Madrid. He studies her face. He glows brighter, his body more clear.
And I know he has shown himself.
Her eyes widen and all the pain and sadness is erased from her face. "I… I can see him!"
Yami reaches for her hand and licks her fingers. He climbs onto her shoulder and purrs in her ear. Madrid's face is euphoric. Tears fall from her eyes, but they are tears of joy as she gently pets Yami's back. "Thank you. Thank you, Yami." She looks up to me, her eyes full of wonder. "And thank you, Princess Arianna."
***
The next day, my training begins with the world's worst hangover. I blame the glowing silver stuff Durk served me. Or maybe it was the glowing blue drink I shared with Madrid. Either way, lesson learned. Don't consume beverages that glow.
Since we are no longer in the Air Village, we have a new training location: a bridge of black stone spanning an underground chasm. Deep below us, magma floats in a river of red.
Varis sits across from me in lotus, drawing symbols into the dirt with a stick. "You look tired. Go back to your room, rest."
"I'll be fine," I say mid-yawn.
"Leave. I have no time to train someone unprepared."
I straighten my back, crossing my legs into lotus. As much as I would like to sleep, I would like to learn Illusion more. I need to before I can return to the Seven Realms. "I'm not going."
I expect Varis to bark more commands, but instead he grins. "I am glad to see you are committed." He whispers something, and the symbols he drew between us turn into a pool of water.
I gasp, seeing my reflection in what was just dirt a moment ago. "How?"
"You will learn in time. First, the illusion. Do you remember the incantation?"
I nod, closing my eyes and focusing. With my thoughts clear, my senses heighten. I hear Yami licking his claws, hear the magma groaning below. And I feel the aches in my body. My head pounds. My limbs are tender. I am not strong enough to do what Varis asks. And if I fail… I remember Lucian, how he sneered at me last night. I haven't seen him since—
Zyra swats my face with her wing. "What the—"
"She wants you to focus," says Varis. "And so do I. Clear your mind."
I sigh, take a deep breath, and speak with conviction. "Celare!"
Nothing happens.
"Concentrate," Varis says.
"Celare!"
Nothing.
"Celare! Celare! Celare!"
Nothing changes. I groan. Varis insists I keep trying. We spend the next hour practicing, but all it accomplishes is a sore throat.
The Druid paces at my side, his brow furrowed. "I am missing something…" he mumbles under his breath.
Zyra frowns, shaking her head.
I feel like an utter failure.
"Yes…" Varis mumbles. "Perhaps…" He sits beside me. "Let us try something different. Why do you wish to hide your Fae features?"
I think about it a moment. "Because the vampires don't like Fae."
He shakes his head. "You don't care about their opinion of the Fae."
"The contract," I say. "I have to fulfill my contract. I must hide my knowledge of the Fae."
"Only because the contract forces you. Go deeper."
I nod and focus inward the way he taught me, closing my eyes, shifting through my thoughts. Yami perches on my shoulder, his breathing calm. He seems to understand that we have to make this work. We are running out of time. Asher has told me Fen is growing more and more desperate to find me. If we do not return soon, he will find Avakiri and bring war upon these lands.
I must go back for the Fae.
For Fen.
I don't know how far his betrayal spans, if at all, but I owe him a chance to explain. And I miss him. I miss him more than I can think about.
"Celare," I whisper.
I open my eyes and suck in my breath.
My reflection has changed. My ears look human and my hair is black. I touch the tip of my ear, and it doesn't even feel pointed. Amazing.
Varis smiles. "What did you think of?"
I look to the distance, where an opening in the stone leads outside, where snow and wind dance. "Someone I care about. He is on Inferna, and if I can bring peace between our two lands, then I can keep him safe."
***
I walk through a dark cavern, heading to my room, Yami perched on my shoulder. A cold draft blows past my dress, the chill seeping into my bones. And I feel that sense of dread again.