“Did he give you the chant?” Killian asks, stopping in the middle of forest. It’s the same place I’d fallen when I came to Vakeeli. The path looks different this time of day. Light filters through the leaves, not as yellow as the sunlight, but more like a brighter moonlight.
“Yes.” I pull it out of my bra and unfold the paper.
“Right. Go on then.” Killian takes a few steps back, folding his arms.
I look Killian up and down, and ask, “Is there a reason you don’t like me?”
He frowns then blows a breath, clearly annoyed. “It’s not that I don’t like you. You’re just a distraction we can’t have.”
“Excuse me?”
“To Caz, having you here is a distraction.”
“How?”
“Because all he sees is you. He’s blind to everything else.”
“That’s not true.”
Killian raises a brow, pressing his lips.
“He’s sending me away. That’s not true,” I tell him.
He sighs. “Just read your chant and go.”
“Do you know that we’re Tethered?” I ask.
“I’m aware,” he replies dully.
“So, then you know that when I leave, he’ll probably be in pain.”
“He’ll get through it, just like he does everything else.” Killian shifts on his feet. “Pain is what keeps Caz going. Without it, he wouldn’t be Caz.”
“That’s an awful way to live.”
“It’s the life he was destined.” Killian’s eyes flicker to the paper in my hand. “Read the chant.”
I drop my eyes to the paper. Wow. Just four little lines and I’ll be home, back to reality. It’s what I wanted all this time, so why am I struggling to leave right now?
“If you stay, you’ll become his weakness, Willow, and not having any is what keeps him in control here. Do you really want to become his burden? Because that’s what you’ll be. His burden. Think about that.” Killian has dropped his arms and is rubbing a hand over his head. “I love Caz like he’s my own brother and I always want what’s best for him, but for the sake of his sanity and his life, you can’t be here any longer. He knows this. I know this. It’s what’s best, and if you also want the best for him, then go. He’ll be all right.”
His words bring tears to my eyes, hot and thick. He’s right, I guess. And it seems he and Caz already have it rough. I don’t want to make things worse.
I draw in a breath, exhale, and read the chant.
The time has come.
Be removed as one.
Tether and pain.
Break away again.
There’s a crackle in the air as purple light surrounds me. I notice Killian backing away as I’m lifted off the ground, and beside him, Silvera appears, barking as I’m taken higher into the air.
It’s just like the first time it happened. Purple everywhere and then complete darkness. Quiet. I close my eyes. Breathe in deep. Exhale. And when I open them, I’m staring up at the ceiling fan in my bedroom.
I sit up slowly, in the quiet of my apartment. The sun sits on the horizon, rays sweeping across the room. It’s so quiet.
The purple light above me fades, and I glance at my nightstand, at my phone perched on a stack of books where I last left it.
I pick it up, but the battery is dead, so I plug it into the charger, then I look back up, and the purple light is completely gone. An ache clings to my chest, and the urge to cry is strong, but I keep the tears at bay because this is it.
I’m home, and I won’t ever see Caspian Harlow again.
