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AFTER DINNER, FERRIN led the group to his study, having bid farewell to his mother and sister for the night. Only, just before he closed the doors, Valynce slipped through.
He sighed. “What is it you need, Val?”
“I’m here to help,” she said. “I know how mother feels about all of this, and I know you know some things regarding Wil, but you haven’t been here or around him as much as I have.”
He looked over at Arnes, who had leaned against his desk, clawed hands resting on the head of his cane. He set the cane aside to check his astrolabe, and then nodded.
“You may join.”
Ferrin could see the smug look in his sister’s eyes as she clearly fought back a smile of triumph. He frowned in return. She just gave him a shrug and walked past him.
“So, tell me what your plan is,” she demanded, putting her hands behind her back.
Arnes looked over at Evyn, whose eyes widened. Ferrin went to stand near her, sitting on the edge of an armchair close to the settee she sat in.
“So, as most of you know, my powers heal people,” she began, her eyes settling on him. He nodded in reassurance, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Well, I’ve recently learned much more about it through—experimenting with it.”
“From what I’ve seen, it’s quite powerful as a shield, not only healing,” Valynce added.
Ylid nodded. “You were amazing in training today. I’ve never seen you move like that.”
Evyn grinned and his heart swelled at the sight. “I’m sure I’ll be feeling the effects of your volley tomorrow.”
Ferrin put a hand to his mouth, his mind thinking of what else her body might be feeling the effects of, and her gaze met his again. He smirked from behind his hand and saw her blush before looking away. Biting his lip, he folded his arms, trying not to laugh, or drag her away to his rooms for more.
“But the plan for tomorrow, hopefully, will have nothing to do with my shielding,” she said, clearly trying to stay focused, despite the pink climbing across her cheeks and bridge of her nose. “What I need to do is win the king’s trust.”
Arnes seemed nonplussed, crossing his arms across his chest. “Do you plan on healing him?”
Evyn nodded. “Yes. Not his body, but his soul.”
Silence fell for a long moment and then Arrius shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”
Valynce grimaced, however. “I’m not so sure how you plan to accomplish that, or what it’s meant to accomplish?”
“By healing his soul and his brother’s soul,” Evyn began. “I’m hoping they’ll let go of the idea of a possible war against each other altogether and call an eternal truce.”
She hadn’t mentioned the truce to him before, but that was a wise addition. He still didn’t like the idea of her winning Wil’s trust, though. The thought of what that might entail made him irrationally angry.
Valynce’s brows drew together slightly and she frowned just a little. “You really think you can do that?”
Evyn grimaced this time. “I don’t know how successful I’ll be. It’s why I need to win their trust first. My soul healing abilities... require a certain amount of willingness to work properly and sustainably. And it’s not really something that can be done all at once, either. I’d have to hope that the first time I do it, or even with luck, the second, that it pinpoints the right wound on their soul.”
“Evynria,” Arnes cut in. “I see the merit of your plan, but that’s a lot of unknown factors to hope for.”
Ferrin had to agree that Arnes had a point.
“Well, what do the stars say?” Otsana asked. “If Evynria was chosen to be our healer, it has to be for a reason and the stars would have known she’d have magic like this. We could’ve had an Aenil-blessed witch heal our wounds, but instead we were led to a Celestial.”
Valynce whirled on Evyn. “Celestial? You mean like the Seraphim?”
“Yes, Val,” Ferrin filled in. “It’s her soul’s origin.”
His sister bit her lip. “I... I worry about Wildrameth learning that. As mother said, he’s a collector, and I’ve never heard of a Celestial witch before.”
“We won’t let that happen,” Ferrin said fiercely, clenching his fist. They all looked at him and he sighed. “Sorry. He just gets under my skin.”
Ylid coughed and it sounded slightly like they called him mooncaught yet again. He gave them his most unamused look and they looked back, pretending to be innocent, giving another gentle cough. They weren’t wrong, though. Not this time.
“Well, I hope you’re right,” Valynce said. “But remember, he’s our king, and a powerful one. Not only did he manage to split our court with ease, but since you’ve been out gallivanting, there have been... whispers.”
Ferrin scowled, about to argue that they weren’t gallivanting, but Arnes cut in. “Whispers of what?”
Val looked down, crossing her arms around herself as if to stave off a chill. “That he’s been experimenting on himself, using very ancient, dark magic to do so... and that’s not all.”
“How could there be more?” Arrius shouted, his feathered arms flying up.
“There are rumors of a creature across the sea,” Valynce said softly, her face paling with what looked to be terror. “Chosen twice by the divinity of darkness—Vaarin or Ybris, I’m not sure. But the Akaron court had to call upon the Ancients just to keep an eye on them.”
The hairs on Ferrin’s arms lifted and he barely suppressed a shiver of dread. He’d known about his cousin’s experimenting, but the rest...
“What does it mean to be chosen twice?” Otsana asked, fear in her eyes.
Valynce swallowed visibly, holding herself tighter. “A Vampyr... while still a Necrana.”
Everyone went still and the room filled with an ominous silence.
Necranae weren’t common in Avene, so they rarely had to deal with the existence of witches who practiced darkness and death magic, but the thought of a Vampyr, already a fearsome creature, having the abilities of a Necrana—
Ferrin swallowed.
He felt Evyn’s gaze on him and looked up to meet it, but he found no fear there, only what looked to be an idea forming.
“What is it?” he asked her.
“It’s just... this creature is Darkness chosen, and I am, in a way, Light chosen. The timing of us both being alive right now feels... Xedara-touched,” she explained.
Arnes nodded. “The stars have been speaking of balance being restored for quite some time, but if this darkness chosen creature is to balance you... I wonder what that will mean for us all.”
“And what does it have to do with Wil?” Ferrin asked, looking back at his sister.
She pursed her lips. “A little while ago, one of the Ancients visited us. It’s how I learned about the Vampyr Necrana. I don’t know if the Ancient agreed to it, but I did overhear Wil trying to persuade them about... joining his side when the time came.”