Three days later, Aven could walk unaided. The dizziness had faded, and the black motes in his vision only appeared when his mind was idle. They retreated when he focused. It was as if his thoughts, now stronger, could push them away. Now in the very heart of winter, the snow in the courtyard was piled high, but the sun on it was blindingly bright.

  It should have been frigid, and everyone else was walking around bundled in layers of fur and wool. Aven, wearing a light tunic and trousers, felt no cold at all. The healers had remarked that he’d felt even more feverish to the touch when first brought there.

  “Vis of higher levels often feel hot,” Logash remarked when Aven mentioned the temperature. “Why do you think I am fine wearing less than most?”

  “I assumed it was the fur.”

  Logash laughed, “I am hairy, but not hairy enough to turn back this cold.”

  Aven laughed with him, breath visible in the air. He wondered if it was imagination that found the mist of his breath laced with black mists of the void.

  The voidhunters had just returned from the field. Fewer in number now, even with some Rocksmasher ogorok’s already integrated among their numbers. No change in the voidpits, they’d reported. Quiet, for a relative value of quiet. The Rocksmashers (many of whom seemed to like that name more than Hellfrost locals stumbling through pronouncing Kvormskaja) had their tactics and practices for handling the voidspawn, and Ouron reported that the integration was...rough, but effective. Now that Aven could stand again, they’d already laid out plans to begin training as a combined company. Not today. Soon.

  Cheers greeted Aven from the hunters, as well as slaps on the back. For many of the company, it was their first time seeing him since waking.

  “When do we get to see what a third circle vis can do, eh?” One called out.

  “When I’m out of these bandages,” Aven indicated the wrappings that still held flesh together while black blood oozed from the cracks. “And when I’m allowed to train with you again. Healer’s orders. Don’t worry; I’ll put on a good show when the time comes!”

  More cheers before Ouron dispersed the crowd, leaving Aven with Logash, Ouron, and Katrin in the corner of the courtyard. All of whom glanced around as if checking to see if they were overheard.

  “There’s something we need to speak to you about,” Katrin began in a low voice.

  Aven gazed around at the three solemn faces, “Overthrowing me already, are we?”

  Logash’s smile came out more pitying than amused, and the other two didn’t change expression at all.

  “Regarding the reports of Wally’s death,” Katrin began.

  Aven felt the statement like a punch to the gut. Gods. Wally? He hadn’t seen the boy since waking, but he hadn’t thought-

  “Oh, hells, you didn’t hear the reports,” Ouron groaned. “He isn’t dead.”

  Aven slumped against the wall, “Paragons’ balls, that’s a way of giving the news.” No one had mentioned any deaths at all; the only news Aven had since waking was the peace treaty. And the looming Voidspawn threat. Sunshine had stopped by to give that report in far too chipper a voice. And danced off before Aven could give the slippery bastard the interrogation he deserved.

  “So...Wally’s alive?”

  “Alive and gone,” Katrin said. “Along with Iskir and Gretchen.”

  Gone. Aven stared, letting the news process. Along with two traitors. Ergo, Wally was also a traitor. Finally had made his choice, and it wasn’t the Empire’s. Aven ran his hands through his hair, trying to gather his thoughts. He wasn’t surprised. Wasn’t even angry, just sad. The boy deserved a chance to make his own choice. But it hurt to lose one of their own.

  “Well, good for them,” Aven finally said.

  Katrin relaxed. Logash smiled. Ouron scowled.

  “They’re traitors,” the veteran soldier said.

  “As I said, good for them,” Aven repeated. “We fought to get out of Hellfrost. We didn’t do all that just to get thrown back into a new cage of the Empire’s making. If they’ve found a path away from it all...good. I hope they find what they’re looking for. So, you falsified the reports to protect them?”

  Three murmurs of affirmation. Ouron’s distinctly more reluctant than the others.

  “Just as the reports of Sergrud’s escape were falsified,” Aven noted.

  “They are not Sergrud,” Katrin said quietly. “They do not desire conquest. Sergrud hated the empire because it limited his own power. Wally, Iskir, and Gretchen hate it for what it did to them. For what it is. There’s a difference.”

  “There’s a world of difference,” Aven agreed, “but the empire might not see it that way if it ever came out. It’s a risk you’ve taken. But I’m glad you did. Let them have their peace, as best they can find it in the wilderness. And may they not run into anything more dangerous than the empire.” He looked to Katrin, “Why didn’t you go with them?”

  Her eyes fell. The shadowy form of Vili fluttered around her head, cooing softly.

  “Sister, we should tell this cousin of our home,” Vili said. “What we have refused to say before. He will understand.”

  “I can’t promise I’ll understand,” Aven replied. “But if you’re ready to speak of your home, I’ll be glad to listen.”

  Katrin started, eyes widening. Vili froze, head jerking all the way around to face him. Logash and Ouron stared with puzzled looks.

  It took Aven’s mind a long second to realize what had just transpired.

  “You...did you just understand what Vili said?” Katrin asked incredulously. “Not the meaning from context. The words.”

  Aven replayed the moment in his head. The strange syllables the spirit spoke had echoed in his mind, but this time they resolved. In his head, the sounds were unfamiliar. But the meaning was clear.

  “I think I did,” Aven tilted his head at the strange little spirit.

  Vili threw up two fingerless hands, “Gods, it’s about damn time! Chattering with these muckeared idiots who can’t understand a thing I say is exhausting! Shit-eating pissdrinkers!”

  Logash looked at the spirit, “I do not understand this spirit’s words. But I am beginning to suspect the word ‘kuspa’ she keeps using is unkind.”

  Vili fluttered up and patted Logash’s head, “Don’t worry. You’re a nice shit-eater.” Her head spun a full turn about to see Aven, “But you, cousin! We can finally talk! You finally hear me! Katrin doesn’t nearly do me justice! She’s so nice. She never even told Gretchen I thought she was an inverted arsehole with a mug that turns wine to piss.” A giggle, “Katrin can do so much better than Gretchen, don’t you think?” The spirit turned to Katrin, “Sorry, sister. Had to get that out. I really just don’t know what you saw in her.”

  Aven stared flabbergasted at Katrin, “Is she...always like this?”

  “Always,” the word came out of Katrin’s mouth accompanied by a sigh of exhaustion voicing decades of acquaintance. “...with everyone else. She is more...selective with words when talking to me.”

  “You..also .didn’t sound like this when merged with Katrin,” Aven noted to the spirit.

  The shadow spirit’s arms clapped over her mouth, “Of course not! I could never make Katrin say naughty things! That would be so unladylike! And I would never call a dear sister a shit-eater; that would be rude! She has never once eaten shit in her life.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Katrin cleared her throat, “Regarding my home...there is little to see. The land we come from...was overtaken by the void long ago. We fled. We...left others behind.” Katrin’s eyes looked far away.

  Vili rested on her shoulder, “We did what we needed to. To survive.”

  “We fled because we thought we had no choice,” Katrin said. “We were children at the time.” Her face hardened, “We are children no longer. We will not run from the void. Not again. We will fight.”

  Aven clapped her free shoulder, “Damn right we will. You’ve heard the news, haven’t you?” He looked to others, “The next surge, I mean. Fifteen months.”

  “Fifteen months,” Logash repeated with a nod. “It is all anyone has spoken of since Executor Etrani made the announcement. If another deathsinger comes, or worse, we will be ready. With the Kvormskaja, and the Hravast, and more time to train and prepare.” The zhagra’s gaze drifted to Aven, “And with you at a higher circle of vis, we have more strength than ever before.”

  “You’ll tear the bugs apart!” Vili bounced up and down in midair in excitement. “It’ll be wonderful! There will be so much blood!”

  Shouts came from the walls.

  “Flier! Coming from the south!” the call rose.

  Aven groaned. Flier. Only one person that report could be heralding. His eyes turned towards the skies to see the dark shape rapidly approaching.

  “Speaking of blood,” Aven groaned as the winged form of Vestra vis Nightblood descended. Right towards him. Not again.

  * * *

  Aelia went over the ration plan again. If they did not receive additional shipments from Northstar, even half rations would be close...

  No, she’d made the numbers wrong. This draft used the previous census data for Hellfrost’s numbers. Between the prisoner revolt and Sergrud’s assault, the numbers were lower since then. Was it perverse to feel joy over deaths? Perhaps, yet those deaths may now prevent the living from starvation. A small mercy. She had figures for the numbers of deaths. Faster to check those records than conduct a new census-

  The door burst open, and Vestra vis Nightblood dragged Aven in, holding the hapless man by the neck.

  “Hello, Aeli!” Vestra cheerfully waved one wing.

  Aven gurgled, unable to speak with the hand around his neck.

  “Tetravis!” Aelia leapt to her feet. “What are you doing?! Unhand him this instant!” Aelia’s voice rose an octave. She’d been practicing an authoritative tone, but all that practice fell in that instant.

  Vestra chuckled darkly, “You’re not in a position to make demands. Governor Iraias is very disappointed things came to this. Letting Esharah get taken..Aven’s usefulness has run out. We might be able to salvage things for you. But for him...” her free hand brushed through Aven’s hair,

  “No!” Aelia’s heart hammered. How could this happen? Surely after Aven had killed Sergrud, all would be forgiven, surely-

  “Vestra, let him go!” Esharah’s mental voice echoed.

  Vestra froze, blinking in confusion. She turned, a second before Esharah flung the door open.

  “Esha...” Vestra gaped. “You’re...what?” She turned back to Aeli, “The letter said she was taken.”

  “And my next letter, only three days later confirmed that Esharah’s rescue was successful and that Sergrud fel-Maies was dead by Aven’s hand,” Aelia said. “You...did not receive it?”

  Vestra glared, her grip tightening around Aven’s throat. He struggled for air.

  Then she dropped him, head thrown back and howling laughter bursting out, “Oh, hells! And I was about to kill you! Can you believe that? What a mess!” She wiped tears from her eyes. “Well, that’s what happens when you have to rely on the imperial courier service! It’s worse than the voidspawn for spreading death and misery!” She gripped Aven by the collar and hauled him up, “Ha! When we got the first letter, Iraias was furious! Well, irritated, which for him is the same thing. Just gave me the letter and told me to ‘handle it’.”

  Aelia felt a chill. Giving an open-ended command like that to Vestra was unleashing a hurricane.

  Vestra continued on as if she hadn’t just been about to murder a man in front of them all, “I was all prepared to kill Aven, then hunt down Sergrud and kill all the...Vulgares, was it? Ha! Good to see you, Esha!” She marched over and threw her arms around her younger sister in a tight hug.

  A hug that Esharah did not return, Aelia noted.

  “As you see, I am well,” Esharah said stiffly. “You have no need to kill anyone on my behalf. Nor would I want you to.”

  Aelia fell back into her chair. Just a misunderstanding, born of a gap in communication. And that gap had almost turned deadly. The sheer arbitrariness of it all was nauseating.

  “My mistake,” Vestra said, finally releasing her sister. She looked back to Aven. “And you...” Her eyes widened, and an earsplitting grin stretched across her face, “I was so angry, I didn’t even see it before. You...you ascended, didn’t you?”

  “I did,” Aven rubbed his throat, body-language still guarded. Like a cornered animal.

  Vestra purred. Actually purred. “Mmm, I knew it. You’re third circle now. And you killed Sergrud. Did you bring back his head?”

  “We have retained his remains for proof of death,” Aelia managed, not happy at all with the way Vestra was staring at Aven. Like a butcher eyeing a choice cut of meat.

  Especially when Vestra’s eyes lit up further and she shoved Aven against the wall, ignoring Esharah and Aelia’s protesting shouts entirely.

  “Defeating two of my past men,” Vestra murmured, eyes locked on Aven’s grimacing, struggling face. “Erdrak. Sergrud. Reaching third circle. Bringing back Sergrud’s head for me. It’s been a long time since a man dared to tempt me like this. I’d take you right here if Esha and Aeli weren’t watching.”

  Aven only managed a choked protest in reply.

  “You will do no such thing!” Aelia rose to her feet again, in a stronger voice, anger overcoming her shock. “You will release Aven at once, and you will not touch him again!”

  Vestra paused, head turning from Aven to Aelia. “Now, now, calm down Aeli. I’m not going to hurt him. I’m just expressing my admiration that a man would do all this for me!”

  “Not...for you,” Aven choked out.

  Vestra paused, searching his face, “No? For yourself then? I can still admire a man of ambition.”

  Aven met her gaze, “For Aelia.”

  He took in a great gasp as Vestra’s grip slackened.

  Aelia froze. The entire world seemed to freeze along with her, with her at its center. The words hung in the air, a perfect, crystalline moment where everything depended on her response. Aven’s gaze found hers, and in his eyes, she saw exactly what she’d hoped for. And feared. They’d...never had the conversation that they’d promised after Rani and Tanya’s bawdy comments. There were simply too many things to do. Too many problems in Hellfrost to solve. Too many-

  Too many excuses. The excuses evaporated, leaving only the raw, terrifying reality of what he’d just said. And what her own heart was screaming in reply.

  “If you...if you continue to make such...claims upon Aven, I will take it as a personal offense,” Aelia pressed on, despite the heat rushing to her face. “He is not yours. He is...mine.” The last word came out as a whisper, but she held her ground. Oh, oh gods. What a terrible presumption to make. “If...he wishes to be.”

  Less than a second of silence, but enough time for her mind to conjure up wishes of suddenly turning to dust.

  “I do.”

  A silence fell over the room at Aven’s declaration. Vestra’s head swung from Aelia to Aven. Then to Esharah. Esharah gave a faint grin and a shrug, “Looks like you lose, sister.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Vestra stepped back. Then another laugh. This one sounding forced, a fact Esharah confirmed by sharing the anger rolling off Vestra. Or perhaps jealousy; even filtered through Esharah’s senses, some such emotions remained hard to interpret. “I had no idea you had it in you, Aeli!” Vestra clapped Aven on the back, her friendly slap harder than necessary. “Well, that settles that. I suppose I’ll have to look for my new consort elsewhere. Still, it’s a shame. A third circle voidtouched who can fight like a beast..I would have had a lot of fun with you.”

  “I’m sure it would have been fun for you,” Aven replied.

  Another demonstrative laugh, then followed by another slap on the back, this one hard enough to draw a pained grunt, “Well, take good care of Aeli, won’t you. I’ve already thought long and hard about how I’ll kill you if I have reason to.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Aven said.

  “If there is nothing else,” Aelia tried to recover some semblance of composure. “I can show you the treaty of surrender signed by the remnants of the Vulgares-”

  Vestra waved a hand, “Aeli, you know I hate politics. If there’s no one here I need to kill, I’ll return to the governor with the good news. But...” her smile returned. Aelia had never liked that smile. Despite how much Vestra insisted they were friends, it never seemed friendly. Like all of Vestra’s self-proclaimed friendship, it held not the slightest respect for the other party’s feelings. “I expect he’ll want to discuss things with you personally before long.” She turned to depart.

  Oh, but they needed to inform her about the coming voidspawn threat.

  “I’ll take care of it,” Esharah’s voice echoed in Aelia’s mind. “I’ll tell her everything she needs to know. You should stay here and talk to Aven.”

  Oh. Yes.

  Aelia cleared her throat as the door closed behind Vestra and Esharah. Alone with Aven.

  “I think...we should talk about...what we have not been talking about,” Aelia said. Why did words seem so difficult all of a sudden? Even though she’d held a hundred imagined versions of this conversation in her head over the past days.

  Aven seemed to be struggling with words too. He cleared his throat, “Aelia. The truth is...I am a monster. Made a monster by a mother who filled me with voidblood and a father...” He trailed off, but Aelia knew the rest. His own father had tried to kill him. “I am a patricide, a criminal, a rebel, and a monster. But if you can look upon me and see more than that...I would give all that I am to you.” He reached out his hand, and Aelia took it.

  “Aven,” Aelia’s voice was barely a whisper. “I...I see a man who risked his life to save me. A man who saved all of Hellfrost at the cost of his own life. I see a man who is kinder than he pretends to be.” She squeezed his hand, her own trembling slightly. “I see a man who wants to build something better. And I would like to build that with him.”

  Aven pulled her closer. His lips were on hers.

  Oh. Oh gods. She couldn’t breathe.

  An instant later, before Aelia even had time to process the sensations, Aven pulled away as if scared of hurting her.

  “I’m...sorry,” Aven said. “I know you don’t like to be touched. Was that-?”

  “I do not like to be touched,” Aelia interrupted, trying to catch her breath. “By people who I do not want touching me.” She blinked, “That was...not a helpful statement, was it?”

  Aven laughed. It was usually embarrassing when people laughed at her. This wasn’t mocking, though.

  “Just...if you are going to do such things...please warn me,” Aelia said.

  Aven touched her cheek. “Aelia, I’m going to kiss you,” he warned.

  And this time, she was ready.

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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