Rise of the Phoenix (Return To Avalore #2) (33 page)

The brightness intensified to the point she should have guarded her eyes, but she didn’t. Why had they ever considered death as darkness? Such serenity had never been hers while in life.

In the blinding light a lone figure stood, gliding closer and closer. Holding her breath, she waited. Words jumbled in her mind. She had to convince Evan she loved him and would never willingly leave him. That even now, she’d chosen to follow him when he’d left her.

Slowly, murmurs intensified around her, and the coldness of the ground seeped into her body once more. Pain stabbed at her knees where she still knelt on jagged stone. This wasn’t right. If she’d left her body behind in Avalore, she wouldn’t feel physical pain, would she?

Closing her eyes, she willed herself to leave this plane, to let go of the suffering and pain, but when she opened them again, she was still in the courtyard. The same grief-stricken faces looked upon her, and the same defeated beasts stood nearby.

A tall woman with long, blond hair came to her then, gazing deep into her eyes. So beautiful was the woman that Brienne struggled to keep her eyes upon her. Shimmering light emanated from her very pores as though the sun shone through her soul to bless anyone near in its brilliance.

“Brienne, you’ve suffered enough. It is not your time to leave this world. Surely you know this.” The woman’s melodic voice slid over her—through her. “You have yet to see the fruits of your labor.”

Unable to keep the woman’s gaze, she bowed her head. “I cannot stay. Even if I did, I’ve not accomplished what I set out to do.” She stroked Evan’s hair, letting it slip between her fingers.

The woman’s smile radiated through her, brightening everything around her. “Not yet, no.”

Wesken still crouched next to her, his eyes rounded in wonder, but he was still a beast. Behind the row of Coalition men, the remainder of her pack had yet to transform.

The woman took her hands and tugged her to her feet. She didn’t want to leave Evan, not for a second, but the woman’s will overtook her own. “Your sacrifice, dear child, is not enough. Take the pain in your heart and look at those you’ve given so much of yourself to. Tell me. Are they truly deserving? Are they worthy of redemption?”

She thought of the infant she’d help bring into this world. She thought of Argram, giving her a home when she’d had none. Wesken, who’d risked his life on too many occasions to count, for her and his packmates, and the answer was clear. “Yes, they are.”

The woman reached out, bringing Rhiannon to stand next to her as well.

“Rhiannon, sweet, sweet child, you’ve also endured much heartbreak, have you not?”

Rhia blinked several times, her gaze riveted to the woman. “No more than others. I have a wonderful mate and am very happy now.”

The woman smiled again. “I’m pleased to hear it. It may surprise you to know that there is much we can do to help from the other side, but we cannot see or feel what happens here. I will assure your mothers, both of them, that you are well.”

“My mothers? Can they come to me as you have?” Rhia’s eyes widened, and she blinked fast.

The woman shook her head, a note of sadness in her eyes. “They cannot, but know they are with you.”

Rhia’s chin wobbled when she tilted it up. “Is there anything I can do to keep my brother to me? I’ve only just found my family. I don’t wish to lose him.” Her lip quivered, but she didn’t back down.

The air rushed from Brienne’s lungs in a long hiss. Was it possible that this woman could bring him back? Her heart raced, and her knees shook as she waited for the answer.

When the woman glanced at her again, Brienne’s heart plummeted.

“Such a question cannot be answered so easily. Each action has a consequence. Each decision affects all those around us. It is the way of the universe in all planes of existence. In order for him to stay, a great sacrifice is required.” She gazed upon the faces of all those present, lingering on the Erritrols before looking at Brienne, then Rhia once more. “Are you both willing to accept the sacrifice, knowing it will affect those around you?”

In that instant, Brienne knew what the sacrifice was, and hearing the responding gasp coming from Rhiannon solidified it. She could save her mate, but in doing so, she condemned not only her packmates but every Erritrol to a life of misery. The curse would not be broken. Avalore would never be completely safe.

Shaking her head, she tried to ignore the anguish rising inside her. How could she choose between the two? Her pack deserved freedom, they did. They were good men who deserved a chance at happiness, but how could she turn away from the other half of her soul?

Wesken grunted before speaking. He didn’t address the woman, or even Rhiannon, didn’t even look at either of them. His eyes trained on hers. “Take your own happiness, Brienne. Worry not for our species, we will overcome. We will find a way.”

As much as her spirit wanted to agree and take what the woman offered, she couldn’t utter the words to make it so.

“Evan believed in you. He believed in what you were doing even if he didn’t agree with your methods.”
Even in her mind, Rhia’s voice sounded heartbroken.
“More than anything, he wanted to keep Avalore safe. Do we even have a real choice here?”

Brienne fell to her knees at Evan’s side. “Forgive me, mate.” She uttered the words, knowing the worst condemnation would be her own.

Murmurs of outrage rose all around her, but she didn’t hear them. The people of Avalore wouldn’t understand her decision, but Rhia was right. He wouldn’t condemn an entire species to save his own life. He wouldn’t endanger Rhia or any Avalorian to save himself.

“Please, free the Erritrols of their curse so that they may truly live again.” Her whispered words ripped the last shred of hope from her soul.

“So be it.” The woman lifted her hands, her voice overshadowing even the loudest of murmurs. The ancient tongue of the Avalorian people floated on the breeze, as ancestors of long ago joined in her ritual.

The air whipped around them, crisp and clean, pinching at her skin with its sharp bite. Time stood still as the woman turned in a slow circle, an ethereal glow emanating from her skin. It could have lasted moments or days, Brienne couldn’t tell. Once the ancient ritual was completed, try as she might, Brienne couldn’t recall a single word.

The woman turned to her, laying a hand on her head, infusing her with warmth and light, restoring the life energy she’d purposefully released. “I cannot let such great selflessness go unrewarded. As with each of your decisions come consequence, so do mine. I accept this as you must accept yours. I defy the will of the ancients with my meddling, but I cannot allow your sufferance. Be warned, however, I cannot make him come back. Even I am not so powerful to be able to place my will upon his soul. He will make his own decision when the time is right for him. That time may never come.”

A small beat bounced beneath Brienne’s palm where her hand rested against Evan’s chest. Gasping, she stilled, uncertain if she’d actually felt the stirring. She half expected him to be there, eyes open, waiting for her to look at him, but he wasn’t. The weak pulse beat again, and again, picking up speed and strength. His chest rose in shallow breaths, but not enough to take the blue tinge from around his lips.

“What do I need to do? Please, tell me,” she pleaded with the woman. She’d do anything to keep him with her. Energy swarmed to her from all around, each person present wanting to assist in any way they could. Somewhere in the background, she heard deep, guttural groans coming from her packmates, but none of that mattered. She had to find a way to bring Evan back.

“There is nothing for you to do, child. He must come to his decision on his own. If your bond is strong, he will find his way.” The woman’s eyes flashed pale blue as she intoned words Brienne couldn’t hope to understand. Then in a moment of brilliant blue light, the form of the phoenix burst from Evan’s body, its loud screech piercing the air. It flew high into the sky, climbing and dipping in a joyous dance only a bird could ever hope to experience.

No one spoke as he flew higher and farther, his fiery form getting smaller the further he went. As awed as she was by the sight, Brienne’s heart pounded. She wanted to take off after him, to hold her to him, but this version of Evan wouldn’t accept her as she was, and she couldn’t become what he was. Sorrow beat down at her, making her want to weep all over again, but she held her head high. She had a chance at happiness, and however long it took him to come back to her, she’d be there, waiting.

Only when she couldn’t see him at all anymore did she bring her attention back to what was going on around her.

“Rhiannon, blood of my blood, change is coming, but be warned, only those worthy of redemption have been thus blessed. The enemy has yet to be defeated. I’ve already stayed far longer than I was granted. But do not despair, you are never alone.” With one final, brilliant smile, the woman retreated, her form shimmering, before disappearing as though she’d never been.

One moment the woman was there, the next, she was gone. Still kneeling on the ground, Brienne looked down into the still face of her mate, not quite sure what to expect. How could things have changed so quickly, have gone so horribly wrong? He was alive, yet not. His short, shallow breaths gave his skin a hint of color, but didn’t quite take the blue tint from around his lips. The beat of his heart beneath her palm remained weak and slower than it ought to be, but at least it was beating. There was hope.

At once, the agonized groans of her pack filtered through her stupor. Blinking fast, she glanced around. Her packmates were on the ground, writhing in pain. Their bodies thrashed and convulsed as the Avalorians looked on, worry etching their faces.

If Wesken’s partial shift in the Dark Lands had been painful and gruesome to watch, her pack writhing in pain was ten times worse. Every muscle tensed and contracted in sharp, angry spasms. She had to do something to ease their pain. Surely, something was wrong. The change shouldn’t have been so painful after the curse was broken, should it? Rhia’s pure energy would aid them more than anything she could ever provide, but her packmates wouldn’t be comfortable taking it from her, and even if they were, the Coalition would never allow her to get so close.

“Guard Evan while I help them.”
She sent the words to Drake, more a command than a request. The battle was over, and as far as she could tell, none of their enemies had survived, but she wasn’t taking chances. Drake’s jaw worked from side to side as he ground his teeth, but he nodded once and came to his friend’s side.

She didn’t have to explain herself to him, or anyone, but she did just the same.
“They came to my aid when everyone else was otherwise occupied. They kept the palace from invasion and our people from being brutalized. They deserve some measure of comfort.”
She turned, not caring if he accepted her reasoning. In the end, it wouldn’t matter. She’d help her pack get through this just as they’d stood by her when she’d grieved.
“If he twitches, even a little, call for me.”

Wesken was closest to her. As before, spasm after spasm clenched his muscles into tight balls, clamping and releasing in violent bursts beneath his quivering fur. His eyes rolled back so that all she could see where the whites. Deep moans and rumbling growls vibrated in his chest. What in Goddess’s name was she supposed to do to make this easier for them? Drawing a deep, shuddering breath, she knelt on the ground and centered herself as well as she could.

The heat radiating from his skin had her pulling her hand away when she first put it onto his chest. Pooling cool energy close to her, she drew upon the well to soothe the burn in her friend’s body. The moment it reached him, his back arched off the ground and his body tensed in one last, long convulsion before relaxing completely.

Brienne’s heart stuttered. For a moment, she thought she’d killed him, until his eyes finally opened. Gorgeous brown eyes shone with pain and hope. Another deep moan slid past his lips, and she barely kept from crying out when his body contorted and snapped. If she hadn’t seen the transformation with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed it. But when his body settled, a man lay on his side on the ground. His skin prickled with gooseflesh, and he shuddered incessantly.

“Get him a blanket.” She shouted the order to no one in particular.

Coming around front, she knelt beside him. Resting her hand on his shoulder, she provided him with a little extra boost. “Don’t try to move, just rest. I’ll take care of the pack.” She took the blanket handed to her and covered him. As warm as the day was, he was used to a thick fur covering. Without it, he’d be cold and vulnerable. “I’ll be back. I’m going to see Argram.”

Before moving farther away, she glanced at Evan’s still body and searched the skies for any sign of him. When he returned, and she refused to consider the possibility that he might not, she’d leave the rest of the pack to fend for themselves. Until then, she’d do what she could and trust Drake to take care of Evan for her.

Argram crouched on the ground, growling low and mean, fighting the change. Michael and Sebastian took a step toward her as though to stop her from reaching him. “Don’t even think it. He won’t hurt me.” The way Argram was behaving, they thought him mad, but she was safe.

Both men scowled but then glanced where Wesken lay and let her through.