Land of Light and Shadows

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The night before they were to leave Arloerin, Jai and Lyv sat on their bed, door locked, the obsidian stone vessel nestled in its open box between them. All of the light in their room seemingly disappeared inside it, just as it did in the council room. Both had their eyes on it, almost like they were expecting it to suddenly light up in their presence, especially when the dark magic it used to contain was inside of them, but nothing happened.

"I don't even know where to start," Lyv said then, reaching over to grab her bag from where she'd placed it beside her. She dug around for a few moments before pulling out the grimoire. "There's nothing in here about it, only that it exists. Nothing on how to transfer the magic back into it or..."

"We start slow," Jai told her. "Test out a few things, like allowing the darkness to wrap around it, find any weaknesses. There's got to be something, whether we find it doing just that or somewhere within the pages of the grimoire you missed before."

"I just don't want to exhaust us trying to find it. I would do anything to rid us both of it. You know that."

"That 'anything' better not be burning out all of your magic trying to do just that."

"Never. We have too much to live for, too many people we love counting on us. But what about...?"

Jai sat in silence as she continued on, staring down at the stone.

"Jai?"

But Jai barely heard her. He tried something he'd only done before with Lyv – allowing his magic, both light and dark, to ease toward the stone and link himself with it. Hands held out over it, his shadows wrapped around his wrists, twining through his fingers, before gradually reaching out to touch the obsidian stone. He tried to leave behind even the smallest kernel of dark magic, but the problem was it didn't want to leave him. It was totally and completely integrated with his light, so it was all or nothing.

There was no way in hell he was going to give everything up, not when he knew he and Lyv had so much more to live for. Because transferring all of his magic would cost him his life.

And he'd sure as hell not let Lyv do the same.

"Are you with me?"

Jai's eyes lifted to Lyv's face. "What?"

She smiled softly, reaching up to cradle his cheek in her palm. "What were you trying to do?"

He scoffed as his shadows disappeared and he ran a hand through his hair. "You know what, but it's obviously not going to work."

"Jai..."

"We need to keep trying. Every night, just you and me. We try anything we can. We'll need to read through the grimoire again and see if you didn't catch something, especially since I can read it now, too. We need to...we have to..."

The closing of the box's lid snapped Jai out of his Elys-like ramble. Even more so when Lyv's hand moved to his neck and she pulled him forward to kiss.

Too soon, Lyv stopped and leaned her forehead against his. "We'll figure it out, Jai. You know we will."

He nodded against her. "Just like everything else, we do it together."

"Together. Always."

After securing the box back inside Lyv's bag, they were quick to change and, after going to Elys's room to kiss him goodnight, found their bed once more. Jai held Lyv tight against him as she pressed her cheek against the crook of his shoulder.