Chapter 38

When I tried to step into my demesne, I met resistance.

I’d never tried to bring seven people with me at once. It was like dragging a bag of stones through molasses. Hands slipped in mine, fingers threatening to let go. I tightened my grip, clenched my teeth, and pulled with everything I had.

With a sharp pop, we broke through.

I collapsed the moment we landed - panting, drenched in sweat. Something inside me flared with pain, something I couldn’t name. It felt like a muscle I’d never known I had, stretched past its limits and tearing. I coughed, tried to stand, failed. On the second attempt I made it upright, legs trembling beneath me.

The children stared at me, wide-eyed and afraid.

We were back in the empty school, at the intersection where the hall split left and right. The mist was thin here, stirred by a breeze I could actually feel against my skin. I couldn’t hear the whispers over the hammering of my heart.

“Where are we?” the goblin boy asked. He was the smallest, but seemed to be one of the bravest.

“Someplace they can’t hurt you,” I said. I leaned against the wall until the world stopped tilting. “This is just a pitstop. I’m taking you somewhere safer. I’ve got a friend there - she’ll help protect you.”

I pushed off the wall and **** myself straight. “I can’t take you all at once. I barely managed to get you all here, so we’re splitting up. I’ll take one group, then come back for the rest.”

Fear rippled through them immediately. They’d been left behind before. Probably more times than they could count.

“Torvek,” I said gently, “I need you to stay with the ones I leave here. You’re in charge. Don’t go far. This place is safe as long as you stay together and don’t leave the building.”

His eyes narrowed, anger barely held in check. Around him, the others reacted in their own ways - some crying, some bristling, some folding inward. I did what I could. I reassured them. Promised I’d return.

I wasn’t sure it helped.

I chose the dwarf boy, a naga girl, and an orc girl for the first trip. They were the most shaken, and I hoped being back in the world - with Ashlara - would steady them.

We joined hands. I opened myself to the Faith-scape. The familiar constellation - red with flecks of gold - came easily.

Then I stepped.

And something was wrong.

The constellation of lights at home was two, not three. My Will slipped and we were pulled in two directions at once. For a terrifying heartbeat I thought I’d tear myself, and the children, in half. I **** my focus back onto Ashlara and the world snapped into place.

We hit the ground hard.

The children cried. I scrambled to check each of them - bruised, shaken, but whole. The rough passage hadn’t helped.

Ashlara was already moving, steady hands guiding them to a fallen log and settling them there.

I stood - and nearly fell again. “I’ve got one more group,” I said. “Please help them. I need to check home. Something’s wrong.”

Before she could respond, I stepped back into my demesne.

When I reappeared in the school hallway, the remaining children jumped - half from my sudden arrival, half from the fear that I’d left them for good. I took a moment to breathe, then gathered them close and pulled again.

The pain in my - whatever it was - flared as I pulled the children with me. I didn’t know how much more I had left. But stopping wasn’t an option.

We made it.

I helped settle them with the others. “This is Ashlara,” I said. “She helped free you in the sewers. She’ll protect you while I’m gone. I need to check on some people. I’m sorry - I don’t have more time. But I’ll be back. I promise. Listen to her. Do what she says. She'll keep you safe.”

They watched me with confusion and fear written plain across their faces.

“The city’s right over there,” I added, pointing south, toward the walls. “They won’t look for you out here. And Ashie’s the toughest warrior around. No one’s going to hurt you.”

I turned to Ashlara. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I kissed her quickly and stepped into my demesne before she could say a word.

* * *

By the time I reached Mirri, I was running on fumes. I stepped into the house and my legs gave out beneath me. I dropped to my knees, lungs burning as I fought for air.

“What happened?” I managed. “Where’s Serah?”

Mirri was at my side in an instant, hauling me up and easing me into a chair. “She’s gone,” she said quietly. “Dragons came. Two of them. I think it had something to do with her family. She didn’t wanna go, but… they convinced her. I don’t know what they said, but she went with them.”

“When?” I asked.

“Last night.” She looked me over her brow creasing with worry. “What happened to you?”

I took a few more breaths before answering. “I found some of the kids from the ritual,” I said. “Guards came after them. I got them out. Took them somewhere safe.”

She gave me a complicated look - part worry, part anger.

“I didn’t do anything stupid,” I said in my defense. “I took them through my demesne and left them with Ashlara. It was just… harder than I expected to move seven people at once.” I met her eyes. “I’m fine. They’re fine. We just need to make sure Serah is too.”

“You’re exhausted,” she said. “You need to rest. You won’t help anyone if you’re dead.”

“I know,” I said. “I’ll rest here for a bit. I just want to see if I can figure out where she is. Once I’ve got some strength back, I’ll go check on her.”

I closed my eyes and opened myself to the Faith-scape. It took some time, but eventually I found it - that familiar flame of purple shot through with red. Judging by where Ashlara was, and where we were, Serah was far to the east. And moving. Assuming direction and distance meant anything there. I still didn’t know how the Faith-scape lined up with the real world.

I told Mirri what I saw. She nodded. “They flew off in that general direction.”

“What’s out there?” I asked.

“Humans,” she said with a shrug. “We’re right on the border. Human lands south, goblins north. The human territories stretch east a long way. A month, maybe more. I’ve never been to the far edge. There are other kingdoms, though. It’s not all Arvellia.”

“Arvellia,” I repeated. “That’s where Northgate is?”

She nodded. “I think one of the others is Morentis. Or something like that. Not sure if it’s south or further east.”

“What’s the land like?”

“Plains at first,” she said. “A few days’ worth. Then forests and mountains. Past that? I don’t know - other than more humans.”

I nodded. “Alright. I’ll rest for a bit. Then I’ll go find Serah.”

I reached for Lilae, lifting her into my lap. She curled against me easily, like she’d been waiting for it.

“In the meantime,” I said softly, “I think I’d like to hear a story about finding medicine in a cave.”

* * *

After listening to Lilae read to me and stealing a short nap, I felt considerably better. The pain had faded to a dull, distant ache in my soul - something deep and bruised rather than sharp - and the fog of exhaustion lifted with it. I had enough energy again. Enough will. Whatever came next, I could face it.

Mirri filled me in on what I’d missed. The dragons had arrived loudly, roaring as they came in low. Their landing had flattened several trees around the house. Serah had gone out to meet them alone. Though Mirri couldn’t understand the language of dragons, she said the exchange was heated - raised voices, sharp movements. Eventually Serah had relented. She’d removed her clothes, handed them to Mirri, and said she needed to speak with her father. Then she’d transformed and flown off with the other two dragons.

I didn’t know the full story, but one thing was clear: Serah was afraid of her father. The way she’d reacted to the trolls made that obvious enough. If my own experience was any indication, fear like that didn’t come from nowhere. He was likely her greatest fear.

I closed my eyes and looked into the Faith-scape, searching for Serah’s unmistakable light. Now that I knew where to look for it, I found it almost immediately. It was no longer moving.

That left me with a choice. She’d only just arrived. She could already be standing before her father, having a private family moment. Did I give her time? Let her settle? Let her handle it on her own?

She had gone willingly - or at least of her own volition. That had to count for something. But the terror I’d seen her display… that couldn’t be baseless.

No. I couldn’t leave her there without checking on her. If he was cruel - if he was abusive - there was no telling what he might do once she was within his reach.

I hugged my two favorite goblins, promised I’d be back the moment things turned dangerous, and stepped into my demesne. From there, it was only a single step to reach Serah.

* * *

The air was warm and stale, the chamber sunk in shadow. Even so, I could see Serah clearly, her massive form cramped into a space far too small for her. Her claws were buried in the stone floor, sunk deep as if the rock had been soft when she was **** down and then hardened around her. A heavy slab of shaped stone lay across her neck and shoulders, pinning her in place like a set of dragon-sized pillory. Her eyes were closed, her breathing slow and measured.

“Serah,” I called softly.

Her eyes snapped open.

“Seth,” she whispered urgently. “You can’t stay here. If my father finds you-”

“Shh,” I said, moving closer. “I’m not leaving you like this. We’ll go. We’ll hide. We’ll find somewhere he can’t hurt you.”

“No,” she hissed, panic bleeding through the word. “You don’t understand. There is nowhere he can’t find us. And if he finds you here, he will kill you.”

“I’m not leaving,” I said, my voice firm. “I just need to figure out how to get you out.”

“Seth, please,” she begged. “My father is… he is Pyraeth Vorthuun. The First Flamefather. He Who Burns the Weak. He is-”

Something heavy shifted behind me, like stone grinding against stone.

“-the god of dragons,” she finished, her voice barely a breath. “And he is here.”