The Oath
trying to distract herself from the dragons. It did not work, despite the weight of her Day of Age—the fact that it was only a little over a week away. And the weight of knowing that, unless the others did decide to follow her to Ea, she had no way of getting her wings back. Those should have been easy distractions, but every time she tried to imagine her family, her mind morphed their faces into dragons, hungry and terrifying, gaze flitting across her body as if she was their next meal.
When minutes turned into hours, and they could no longer ignore their rumbling stomachs, they took out food and water from the bags. Given the treetop roof, they did not dare to start a fire, but there was plenty of food from Gereon that did not require cooking or warming. They ate in silence. No one expressed their fears about the dragons who might find them after all, or their worries about escaping the forest prison. The trees had moved with magic—would Pyrros be able to break them out? Maybe, or maybe not. They did not want to try yet.
“So.” Pyrros broke the silence, but only audible enough for the others to hear him. “Should we discuss Ea?”
Moira looked up, surprise bursting through her like flowers of the spring. She thought they had all pretended to forget about Ea, and momentarily, she criticized herself for doubting them. They had come this far because they cared for her and wanted to help. But expecting them to risk their lives for her in a crazy fatal quest felt like stretching the blankets too far.
Carefully picking her words, she said, “I thought you thought it too dangerous.”
Pyrros’ eyes filled with something she had not seen before, a gleam of determination and pride. He gazed at her with a depth she did not know was possible from him.
“Don’t you want to anymore?” There was a challenge in his voice. “Are you having second thoughts?”
“Of course I want to.” She wrapped a lock of hair around her index finger. “But I didn’t think you’d…”
“I don’t speak for the others, only for myself.”
He looked away, towards the tree trunks, as if he could see through them. Evidently, something had changed after their meeting with the dragons from Dragondale. Moira wondered what it was like to have a brother who would not mind tearing him to pieces. Pyrros had protected them—Moira, Nerida, even Ever—against his own family. She would be an idiot to doubt him now.
“And you’re coming with me?” she asked, and his head turned towards her in a slow, perceptible motion. When she met his gaze, she tried to decipher all sorts of thoughts swirling in the blackness, emotions she had no words for.
He nodded.
Moira closed her eyes, and tears bubbled into an intense burn behind her eyelids. Regardless of what the others said—if Nerida said no, or if Ever had changed his mind—she had this. She had Pyrros. If the lack of wings forced her to stay on the ground, she would not be alone.
“Thank you.”
It was nothing more than a whisper.
Ever broke the moment, shrugged his shoulders, and spoke casually. “Yes, I’m in, but you already know that. We had this discussion in Gereon already, remember?”
Moira nodded. He was going for his aunt’s sake, not for Moira’s, but it did not matter, because he would come along. When she turned her gaze to Nerida, Nerida met her stare with calm gray eyes, her back straight with her long hair falling like a white waterfall. In her lap, her hands lay clasped together.
“You’d get in trouble if you went there on your own,” she said, as if she did not consider Pyrros and Ever to be competent enough. “You usually do.”
It was no jubilant “yes,” but it was so much more. Nerida would come along to take care of her. Because she cared about Moira, possibly because she liked Moira. Heat spread within her, somewhere deep inside her chest, and something unfurled.
Ever took out the map. “Then it’s time, if you’re all in?” Ever held out the paper so they could all read the spell.
Pyrros shook his head. “You’ll have to read it for me. I can’t read.”
Nerida looked at Ever. “If I read it line by line to him, will that be all right?”
Ever nodded. “It’s fine. We’ll have to do it together to activate it, according to the instructions. So anything before doesn’t matter.”
Nerida read out the words to Pyrros, who memorized them within a few tries. When he was sure of the words, the four stood together and read aloud.
We four look for Ea, the island of dreams
We enter together and know what it means
We swear to each other until our last breath
If not together, the island shall be our death
Water, earth, fire, and air
Each element will find us there
With this incantation, we all agree
Our lives are promised to Ea
Wind swept past them and pulled at Moira’s hair. Within the walls of their forest room, there was no wind, so it must have been magic, and her skin tingled with cold goosebumps. Her breath stuck in her throat as the map shimmered and a new dot became visible out in the Okea ocean.
It worked.
Briefly, she closed her eyes, and a feeling of success whizzed through her body, bubbling under her skin.
“West, in the sea.” Ever pointed to the mountains. “That’s where we met Rile. We flew towards the sea, so we are somewhere around… here, though I’m not sure exactly where.” He pointed to the extensive forest area shaded in on the map. “But we flew in the right direction, lucky us.”
Shimmering light embraced Nerida, interrupting Ever’s monologue, and with a couple of heavy breaths, her fins became legs. It did seem easier for her with every time it happened, and Moira was glad it was no longer painful enough to render Nerida unconscious.
Nerida stood up. “We’ll rest here for a while since our night’s sleep was interrupted. Once we’re sure your brother and his friends have left, we can try to break out of here. Then we travel to the sea.”
Leaving no room for further discussion, Nerida crossed the grassy space the trees had left and laid down among the grass and moss. Pyrros wandered over and settled next to her.
Torn between wanting to follow, to be part of the trio they were before, and staying with Ever, Moira remained sitting where she was. They could have a few minutes, just the two of them.
Ever leaned his head against hers and whispered, “They don’t seem to like me.”
Quietly, she replied, “Pyrros likes you, I think. Nerida… she takes time. She doesn’t trust people.”
“Yes, I got that part, loud and clear.” Ever’s tone was dry as he sat back against the tree trunk.
“I’m glad you’re coming along,” Moira said, hoping she did not come across as too needy.
He gave her a warm smile. “You know, it was for my aunt—but I’ve found I have more than one reason now.”
Heat spread over her cheeks, and she took a chance, leaning against him, resting against his shoulder, and could not keep the grin from spreading across her face when he wrapped his arms around her, safe and comfortable. When he exhaled, his breath tickled her throat, and his fingers touched hers. Gazing into his deep brown eyes, she felt a palpable fluttering inside, like a hundred butterflies trying to find their way out. His fingers were rough against her cheek as his hand cupped her face. Moira knew what was about to happen, and she wanted it.
His warm lips pressed against hers in a light touch, careful to ensure she wanted it, too.
He broke the kiss and looked at her searchingly.
A smile played on her lips. Her first kiss. Sudden energy vibrated through her, dizzying and warm, and she felt the elation of flying, despite her lack of wings. Was it possible to stay on the ground with such elation filling her?
He drew her to him again.
Something pulled at her, disturbing her pleasant dreams. Back pressed against Ever, she could hear his deep, slow breaths, still asleep. Something quivered deep in her stomach when she recalled the previous night. Her first kiss, well kisses, because one had turned into many. His soft lips against her own, so lovely—perfect even. There could be no other word.
But the weird poking that had woken her up was back again. She opened her eyes to look around and found no one. Carefully, she got up without waking Ever, still sitting against the tree where they had cuddled.
Looking up, she expected to find the treetop roof from the previous night still obscuring the view of the sky, but it was no longer there. Judging from the brightness of the sky above, it was still daytime.
“Nerida, Pyrros.” She turned around. “Ever. We can leave.”
Were the dragons still looking for them? Or had the forest removed its protection, knowing the dragons had left? Had it even been the forest protecting them in the first place?
Something poked at her again.
Was there an invisible being in the forest teasing her?
“Do you feel that too?”
Moira jumped at the sound and looked around.
Nerida sat up with a frown. “It’s like something’s nudging at me.”
Moira nodded and walked toward her at the other end of the clearing. The pull became more intense—and when she turned back towards Ever, it lessened.
“It’s magic,” Ever said, suddenly awake and standing up. “The magic to find Ea. It’s reminding us of our promise.”
Moira pondered over it. Nerida and Pyrros had slept farther from the Okea ocean, while she and Ever had slept at the end of the clearing, in the direction of the ocean. The magic did not want to let her go in the wrong direction. They had to move; they needed to continue towards Ea. The page in the spell book did say Ea would punish them if they moved too slowly towards the island.
Nerida rubbed her hands across her legs, and Moira knew they needed to find water for her.
“I really don’t understand,” said Pyrros as he looked at the trees. “How did they revert back without us noticing?”
Moira shrugged. “We need to continue.”
Ever walked to them, fighting against the magical pull, and stretched his body, limbs cracking with relief. “Glad we can get out.”
He put his hand on the small of Moira’s back. It felt like it belonged there. Nerida’s eyes narrowed, but Moira could not bear a fight, so she ignored her.
“We’ll stay close to the ground,” Ever said. “This magic seems to point us in the right direction.”
They climbed onto Pyrros’ back, and he walked. Pyrros had told them the previous night that it would take an hour to fly to the sea, but it would take longer on foot, even with a dragon’s feet. But they were so close now, close enough they might even reach Ea before nightfall.
Could she be on her way back home the very next day? What if they found Ea, passed the trials, and she got her wings back?
What if?
Her fingers wrapped around the stone in her pocket. Earlier, she had forgotten it, but now it comforted her, strangely calming her inside.
With each step, Pyrros took them closer to Ea.
Soon enough, they located a water body large enough for Nerida to swim in. She slid into the water with a relieved sigh, and Moira worried about the pain she must have endured until then. Moira swung her leg over Pyrros’ back, sliding down and landing on firm feet in the grass. The water tasted cold and fresh when she crouched and drank.
She glanced at Nerida, who had sunk completely into the water, only her head remaining above the surface. Her eyes were closed. Whatever she was thinking, she was far, far away. Was she reminiscing about her family, the life she had left behind?
Perhaps she regretted going on this crazy journey. Had someone presented Moira with such a choice, where she had nothing to gain herself, she would have never come along on this craziness—or would she?
With the lessons she had learned, the friends she had made, it might have been worth it anyway, regardless of whether she got her wings back or not.
But Nerida might not think the same. Since Moira returned from Gereon, their relationship had been frosty, and painfully enough, Moira admitted that part—or a lot—of it was her fault.
Nerida opened her eyes and looked at her. “I can practically hear you think.”
Moira bit her lip. “I’m sorry for what I said after Gereon.”
Nerida raised her eyebrows before lowering them, a familiar wrinkle masking her forehead. “Oh?”
Moira sighed. Nerida did not intend to make it easy. “I just like him. And it was difficult when you—it didn’t turn out as I had imagined.”
“No, it didn’t turn out as we’d planned, either.” Nerida turned her gaze away, settling to stare into the flames of Pyrros’ fire. “Or, well, we had no actual plan. We just agreed that we couldn’t sit by the lake and wait any longer.”
“You seem to have become friends,” Moira said. “I thought you were going to fight if I left you two alone together.”
Nerida blew air through her nose, an inaudible laugh, and smiled faintly. “We fought in the beginning, but we worked it out. He’s good, but lonely, too. Neither of us fit in. I guess we found our common ground in that.”
Moira put her hand on Nerida’s, and this time she did not jerk it away. “You’re good, too. I’m sorry I was so—”
“Vile?”
Moira’s cheeks heated. “Yes. I guess so.”
Nerida scrutinized her again. “I’ve seen you look at him. Is it wonderful to be in love?”
The question burned inside of her, and the heat in her cheeks expanded to cover her neck as well. She looked away, unable to meet Nerida’s gaze.
Was she so transparent, so easy to read? She looked towards Ever on the other side of the fire, where he sat talking to Pyrros.
Nerida followed her gaze. “Be careful.” She held up a hand before Moira had time to break in. “I won’t say anything else. Just be careful.”
Moira nodded.