ICE

152. Answers

WAVE AFTER WAVE of emotions swept through Ravenna, crashing into her like an angry ocean beating against weathered rocks. As the sun lifted higher into the air outside her window, the ocean calmed. She slowly became hyper-aware of the arms wrapped around her. The hand gently stroking her hair.

Ravenna pulled back, away from Caelan. She stared at him, her eyes heavy. "I'm sorry," she told him with every fiber of her being.

His eyes were soft. "I know," he said. "I am sorry too."

Her gaze lowered to the stone floor beneath her. It took a moment for her brain to process everything, to accept everything that had happened. It was hard. It was overwhelming to see the person that she'd agonized over killing the most.

"How?" she heard herself ask. "How did you survive?"

Caelan's expression was void of any emotion. He watched her cautiously. "As you may remember, I had left town to track down a special ingredient. One of my contacts from the village alerted me to what had happened. I sent a clone to help guide you."

"So I did not actually kill you?" she whispered.

He nodded. "Had I actually been there in person, you would have. The talisman had a very strong effect on your emotions. It had also been spelled to react negatively to any magic that was used directly against it. The moment I noticed the talisman, the moment it decided to kill me, through you."

"But it did not react when you used the spell to transport Eoin and I here," Ravenna pointed out.

"The potion was not used directly against the talisman. Had I added a spell to remove the talisman, or anything of the sort, then you would have attacked me immediately."

"Ah," she muttered, nodding to herself.

Her palm lightly pressed against her chest. It created a weird, empty sensation. It felt strange to her, not having the talisman resting in between her chest and hand.

She frowned.

A startling realization surged through her — her anxiety, her stress had all vanished. It left behind a strange sense of calmness. She was not entirely at peace. There were still snippets of worry that ate away at her heart. However, the twisted ball of anxiety that normally knotted her stomach had unraveled. The unbearably heavy weight that usually rested atop her shoulders had lessened.

"I had heard reports that you had lashed out at several villagers," Caelan remarked, drawing her attention back. His gaze remained focused on her face. "That you had even killed a few at night."

Her heart sank low inside her chest. Absently, her fingertips brushed against the lightly scarred skin of her forearms. She squeezed her eyes shut. The image of her torso flashed across her mind's eye — of the bloodied gashes that had stretched from the left side of her ribcage to her lower right hip. "Oh," she whispered. Her voice sounded broken.

"I had a feeling that something was strange," he explained. "I did not start to worry, however, until you stopped bothering me and begging me to teach you. I should have known that you'd found a new teacher."

Ravenna grimaced. "I just felt like I was not learning anything," she told him earnestly. "You were so wrapped up in your study, trying to perfect that servant spell. We rarely actually trained. I think that I may have learned maybe two new spells the entire time that I was under your tutelage."

Her fingertips traced small invisible patterns into the stones beneath her. Her lips tugged downward in a frown. "I was frustrated," she admitted. "Looking back now, I should have expressed how I felt. Or at least found some other way to communicate my feelings better."

A small crease formed between his eyebrows.

"I do admit that I was not the best teacher," he said. "Old habits really do die hard."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

"I am sure that you have figured out my relation to Vyses," he responded. "I am the one that taught him everything that he knows. I am also the one that failed him — that allowed him to turn into the dark creature that he is today."

He stared at the wall behind her. His eyes were distant, unfocused. "I am a selfish creature, I must admit. I was very focused on my own progress. I did not listen to his concerns. Had I actually paid attention, he would have never attempted the spell that killed that little girl."

Ravenna winced. Caelan chuckled darkly. "It was an accident — but it reshaped his view on the world and sorely corrupted him. He never recovered. I also believe that the spellbook that he was reading played a part in the negativity that consumed him. Ancient spellbooks often have a mind of their own."

"Like the one that you gave to me?" she questioned.

He nodded. "It actually was the same spellbook," he said.

"Why did you allow me to read it then?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "Especially if it caused Vyses to become so evil."

"I did not connect the dots until after the first few murders had occurred," he said. He heaved a quiet sigh and slightly shook his head. "I also just simply was not as observant as I should have been. And I apologize for that."

Ravenna frowned at the floor.

Caelan stared at her for a moment. "Had I realized that Vyses had returned to the village," he said softly, "I would have never let you go."

"I did technically kill...a version of you," she muttered under her breath. "So maybe we can consider ourselves even?"

He laughed. "I basically ruined your life and you killed a well-timed clone. We definitely are quite the pair."

Ravenna couldn't help but smile. "We definitely are," she agreed. She met his gaze.

"I am just glad that you are safe," he whispered. His expression took her off-guard. It was soft, gentle, and filled with warm emotion. He lifted his hand, his palm lightly grazing her cheek.

Ravenna forced her gaze to the floor. A swarm of fluttering butterflies had invaded her stomach, making it hard for her to think. Her eyebrows furrowed together. "We need a way to stop Vyses," she said. "It won't be long before he realizes that the pendant has been destroyed."

Caelan lowered his hand. He nodded. "How do you think we should proceed?"

She heaved a sigh. Her hands lifted, fingers rubbing at her temples. "I'm not sure," she muttered under her breath.

Her fingertips brushed against her crown.

A gasp escaped her. She bolted upward and rushed toward the massive glass wall. As she approached, her reflection appeared, staring back at her with wide, concerned eyes.

"It's changed," she murmured under her breath. Her fingertips traced the edges of the crown that adorned her forehead. Her brow furrowed with confusion. It no longer appeared jagged — its edges were softer and its design was more pronounced. It was dainty, as if a fine craftsman had created it for a member of the royal family.

"It may have been affected by the talisman," Caelan remarked. He stood behind her, visible in the reflection of the glass. "The talisman amplified very strong negative emotions within you. It is possible that any spells that you performed were afflicted."

"Wonderful," she grumbled. She turned back toward him.

Caelan lifted his hand, lightly touching the crown. "I do not sense any bad energy from it," he remarked.

She opened her mouth to respond, but a gentle knock against her bedroom door interrupted her.