Chapter 396 (1/2)

Chapter 396

Chapter 394: What Makes Ho in a fa-space stretched away into infinity in every direction The absence of anything real and tangible was si within it, I felt like a child huddled within my blankets, afraid of a monster under h to let the fear fade

Not that I’d ever had a childhood like that, but here, in the aether realht have had

For the first tiined a life in which I’d known ht I have been, then, if I hadn’t grown up as an orphan with that desperate need for attach desire to prove my worth so that someone would care for me?

I saw a life in which I’d never met Nico or Cecilia, or Headmaster Wilbek or Lady Vera I would have learned a trade, ran a successful business, started a fa been happy in my one peaceful, unimportant life

“No,” a soft voice said, a physical thing that was y than noise

I rotated around in the void In the distance, a star burned bright white against the dark purple

“Even if you lived a thousand lives, not one of them would be ‘unimportant’”

My chest constricted, and I willed ht It radiated a silvery warmth that made me feel confident and afraid and protective and loved all at once, and these feelings only grew more potent and corew and solidified, beco a silhouette, which in turn irl with hair and eyes identical in color toin the sight of her, whole and unble out tentatively, I poked the tip of one horn, and she stifled a delighted laugh

“Sylvie…”

My bond s warmth

There was so rateful I was, howthat had happened, how much I , and I could sense in her the understanding of everything I was thinking

“It's still nice to hear those things said out loud sohtly to the side as she exa, aren’t I?”

“Yes”

“Still, it’s…good to see you, Sylv” I rubbed the back of my neck, a movement my old companion watched with clear a you back”

“Don’t worry about ot all the time in the world” Her s she found very humorous

“I will rescue you, Sylv”

“I know For now, though…” She reached out and poked er As she did, a dull an to intrude on the dream “It’s time to wake up, Arthur”

My eyes blinked open I was lying on a hard bed in a s

“Ouch! da voice of Gideon exclai the old inventor with his back tohim with the unique blend of amusement, fondness, and exasperation reserved for the old inventor She noticed the s into a look of pure relief

“Aren’t you supposed to be soh out of Eave me an affronted look, the effect of which was so on his index finger like a wounded child Relared at the dot of blood that immediately welled up, then at me instead

“About time you’re awake It’s been a day and a half, boy Aren’t you supposed to be some kind of unkillable uber hero” He scoffed “Our last conversation was very rudely interrupted by a bunch of Alacryans dead set onus all, if you remember”

I pushed myself up onto ainst the wall

The first thing I noticed was Valeska’s horn resting on a stand next to the bed

The second thing was that everything hurt

Looking down at es frorown to the wrist, but my hand hadn’t fully fored, just low on aether Being unconscious for such an extended period had no doubt hampered my ability to collect and purify aether effectively Considering that, I had actually healed a lot quicker than I should have

So wason when I’d woken up on the ground in the tunnel to the portal cha that he wasn’t dead yet I’d barely had the ithal to conjure le God Step, but that alone had pushedpoint If the Scythes hadn’t fallen for st leaped up onto the bed, glaring atthis really nice dreais’s puppy-forht you were done for”

Regis huffed as he plopped down and rested his chin on his overly large paws “I could say the same for you Really went full nova back there You were so dry on aether I haven’t been able to incorporealizeup too much, and I orried you’d shrivel up like some mana-starvedis replied before closing his eyes and iain

“You two are so cute,” Eis “I have to say, I like him a lot better this way” She eyed Gideon carefully “Arthur, do you think there is soirl!” Gideon snapped, crossing his ar very huffy “And anyway, all these tedious feelings are starting to give me a rash Arthur, we need to finish our conversation so I can get back to work”

I looked at hi moment as I searchedimmediately came to mind “I’m sorry, it’s been a busy couple of days…”

“The fire salts!” he exclai his hands “The cannons, the…the…all of it!”

The moments before the Wraiths’ attack solidified in my mind, and the idea I’d had rushed back in, alht Your weapons Actually, I did have a thought”

Gideon’s eyes lit up, and he flapped a hand at Emily “Girl, write this down”

Her eyebrows rose indignantly, but she pulled a scroll, pen, and ink out of a shoulder bag and lares at Gideon’s back every few seconds

“So, here’s the thing,” I began, knowing I was about to crush the old inventor “No cannons”

His face fell, vacillating between confusion and disappointave hie soldier’s fighting capabilities, and the technology that you’ve been working on is the foundation for hoe’re going to do that”

Although hesitant at first, as I explained my proposal in full, Gideon’s frustration transforht excitement Meanwhile, E ere discussing, only occasionally throwing in a suggestion of her own

“This…well, it can definitely work!” Gideon said as he stared down at the long scroll full of our notes “Not as flashy or ierated shrug—“it is a little more practical, I suppose”

“But the priority re how to operate the bestowal artifacts—”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Gideon said, not looking at uidly toward the door, his nose still in the scroll Consequently, he was also not looking at the open door and ran face first into the still form of Bairon, who had stopped in the doorfra rod than a door, Lance,” Gideon gru a sour look from Bairon The broad-shouldered Lance didn’t h the narrow opening to leave Emily curtseyed aardly in front of Bairon, who shi+fted, allowing her to hurry after Gideon

Bairon watched the pair go, then looked at ood to see you’re awake, Arthur We orried”

I eased ht “Worried? Aboutained consciousness “Just a couple minor flesh wounds”

Bairon’s mouth twitched, but his brows turned down, as if he couldn’t decide whether to smile or frown “I won’t pretend to understand what has happened to you, Arthur, and I doubt even you yet know the full capability of your powers What I do know is that Dicathen is fortunate that you returned when you did, and that, after everything, you’re still willing to fight for this continent”

I looked down at my feet, unsure what to say My relationshi+p with Bairon had always been hostile, and I wasn’t yet sure how to process this sudden change in the dyna, Arthur” I looked up to see Bairon ringing his hands, his gaze ascanse “Maybe this won’t carry ive you…for my brother For Lucas” Finally, heyou, for”—he looked away again, so your family”

“Bairon, it’s—”

He raised a hand to forestall my response “My pride blinded e wasn’t even about Lucas, but your insult to our house I was a fool, Arthur And I’m sorry”

I waited a , then said, “I accept both And I stopped blao The way you reacted, it wasn’t any different than what I did to Lucas I thought it was justified in the s, it ically”

Bairon watched me with a distant, detached wariness, and there was a cold formality in his expression that reminded one “Even Lances, it appears, make mistakes But…that is not why I’ a figure that had been hidden in the hallway behind hiht of fire salts and weapons and even the bestowment artifacts fledone old, tired hand on Bairon’s arm for just athe door behind him

Virion pulled a wooden chair away froaze roa seconds before settling on me He cleared his throat

“Virion, how are you feel—” Read first at l i gh t n o v e l r e a de ro r g

“Listen, Arthur, I needed to—”

We had both started speaking at the same time, then both immediately stopped Virion leaned forward, his fists clenched together, and stared at the floor in silence, his body tense, a si animosity evident in each still e I was, too Taking a deep breath, I forced is rolled over and continued sleeping At least, I thought he was sleeping until one eye peeked open a slit, caught ood to see you, Gramps How…are you?” My tone was hesitant, almost aard There had been no time to address it since my return to Dicathen, but it was clear that Virion was keeping his distance from me, and I wasn’t sure why

Virion stared down at his hands for a long moment, then said, “I’m sorry, Arthur”

I opened htfor Virion to continue

“I’ve been avoiding you Because…” He cleared his throat, and his gaze began to wonder again, almost as if he didn’t want to look at h that portal, alone, all I felt was the bitterness of knowing that Tessia wasn’t with you You were returned froed and pulled across Alacrya like a marionette And…I didn’t want to hate you for that”

I sed hard