I watched as a brief look of sadness flitted over Will’s face. I knew he was on our side when it came to our suspicions about Nyalla's intentions, but he still cared for her. I knew he was praying her traitor status wasn't true.

  When he caught me watching him, he smoothed his expression, resuming his usual cocky attitude. "We should go. Would you like me to do the talking? I'm quite popular with mothers."

  I rolled my eyes. I had discovered near the beginning of our friendship the more deeply he felt something, the more likely he was to try to put on a show of being an irritating, arrogant person. But he was far from it, deep down.

  We all had armor. His just happened to be his mouth.

  As we followed Sel toward my mother's chambers, it felt strange pretending everything was the same.

  He seemed to be picking up where he’d left off in his role as servant, and once again was attempting to fade into the background.

  I hoped it was just an act for the others in the castle because I would regret if our relationship changed back to what it had been. Losing what I’d found with him would devastate me. Other than Gwen, he was my best friend.

  He knocked quietly on the ornate wooden door as an unfamiliar nervous energy flooded me. I'd never felt like this when going to see my mother before, but my dad's chilly reception made me wonder if it would be the same with her.

  To my relief, when her servant opened the door she was there, as beautiful as ever. The moment she saw me, she rushed to gather me into the warmest, most loving hug I could remember receiving from her.

  For a moment we stood there—silent, motionless.

  I could feel her small, fine-boned frame holding me tighter than I believed possible. Her hair was drawn back into an elegant silver coil of braids and loops and tears sparkled on her cheeks. She looked older and frailer than I remembered.

  It wasn't until Will cleared his throat, breaking the moment, Mother pulled back. Her eyes had a sheen of moisture and her smile wobbled slightly as she looked at me. Until she noticed what I was wearing.

  The warm, loving expression transformed into one of dismayed disapproval. "Rhiniya, I am grateful you are alive but what are you wearing? I provided you with something different for today."

  The corner of my mouth twitched before I could restrain myself.

  She arched an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I understand what's so amusing." Her tone was mild, but I heard the warning hidden within her words.

  I shook my head, allowing a placating smile to spread across my face. "It's nothing, Mother. I’m just so happy to see both you and father looking so well. I had worried…" My words trailed off. I cleared my throat, which had become tight with emotion. "It's just as lovely as the dress is, regrettably it is not practical for our mission."

  She searched my eyes, resignation replacing her initial joy as she crossed her arms. "So, you are not returning home permanently."

  She looked at the others, then with a wave of her hand turned toward the seating area. When my friends paused, I added a jerk of my own head and followed her. Once seated, she called for the maid who darted out of the room and returned moments later with a glass of warm cider for each of us. Thanking her, my mother dismissed the woman and turned back to us.

  "It is as I feared. During your travels you've discovered something of importance, haven't you?"

  I nodded, leaning forward so our knees almost touched. "Yes, Mother, I have. I went to the Library, as I mentioned in my letter.” I smiled at my friends, including them in the conversation now. "Sel accompanied me from the castle, as his loyalty was too great to stay behind, and Gwen agreed to accompany me when I travelled first to the Low Forest to ask her."

  I shrugged, looking down for a moment before warily regarding my mother through my lashes. "I know I’ve been sheltered here at the castle, but I like to think I have a modicum of good sense, which I’ve inherited from you and Father. I knew if I hoped to make it to Abrecem Secer through the challenges of the Low Forest and the grasslands beyond, I needed help from someone who knew the area."

  My mother inclined her head regally, taking in both Sel and Gwen. "Then I must give you both thanks, for returning my daughter to me in one piece. I am certain you are leaving much of the story out?" She looked at Will, her voice raised in question.

  I nodded. "Yes, but we don’t have time presently to give you all the details. We’re in a bit of a hurry." My smile tight and apologetic this time. "Will is a soldier from Sunglen, who has been invaluable in our travels from there to the Dragon Dominion, the Northwestern Lands, and back, but we’ve also picked up another member of our group, which is why we are here now. We need your help with her."

  She narrowed her eyes as she looked him over.

  He gave her a rakish smile in response.

  I was stunned to see my generally implacable mother blush ever so slightly. Apparently, he did have a way with mothers.

  Not wanting to get into a discussion about him, I pressed on. "She, the other member of our group, has been nothing but helpful since we arrived in the desert lands. She’s arguably saved our lives more than once. For all of that though, I—well, we have reason to believe she is in fact none other than Yserra."

  My mother's head jerked up at the name. Her eyes locked with mine. I could see from the way she watched me she knew who I was talking about.

  Once the shock sank in, she shook her head and stood up. "How can that be? I was merely a child during the Dark Wars, but from what I recall, she was lost over two centuries years ago, presumed dead in the battles. What makes you believe your companion could possibly be Yserra?" She looked down at me, head tilted to the side as she rubbed her arms.

  I surveyed my friends. Will’s downcast expression at the conversation was understandable, but Gwen and Sel nodded for me to continue.

  I replied as honestly as I could, finding it hard to distill the thoughts of the last few weeks into a quick answer. "It started as the feeling something was off. But twice now, our companion, Nyalla, transformed during the night into another person. Each time it happened, she called herself Yserra. The last time, she warned me Nyalla would betray us and steal the Heart Stone."

  My mom's eyes narrowed as she looked at me with confusion. "The Heart Stone? I'm sorry, I haven’t heard of it before."

  I brought my mother up to speed on both the Soul Goblet and the Heart Stone, glossing over many of the details of our search. I knew it was important for her to understand how important our mission was and what our concerns were if she were going to help us.

  "The Library sent me to look for the stone. It turns out the spell Onen Suun used to lock up Dag’draath was only a temporary measure. It was never meant to last forever, which I believe is why the prison is failing now. This is the reason we’re seeing so many ur’gel in the area. Suun had sent Beru to retrieve it right before the last great battle, when Beru was lost."

  This time, my mother blinked and began to pace. She strode back and forth across the rich carpet, her feet silent as she processed my words, still rubbing her arms absently. It was several moments before she stopped and faced me again. "You're saying this stone is what Onen Suun needed to make the prison last?"

  Gwen interjected before I could speak, her voice soft but carrying in the silence. "No. The stone was never meant to put Dag’draath in stasis. From what Rhin discovered in the Library, we think Suun meant to send him somewhere completely different forever. When Beru was lost, thought a traitor, Suun lost faith in his supporters and produced another plan instead."

  "Don’t forget, Beru wasn’t a traitor,” Sel said. “He just got caught in the prison of Suun’s design."

  I was both surprised he’d replied directly to my mother without being asked, but proud as well. He’d spoken as an equal and from the expression on her face, my mother had noticed the change as well. For a moment, I worried she’d be upset but instead of admonishing him as I expected, she smiled and relaxed, her arms swinging free.

  "Oh, my." She finally replied. "You’ve clearly all been busy. So, tell me. If you aren’t here to stay because you have an important mission to accomplish, how can I assist you? Do you need me to find this Heart Stone? Or is there another reason you have returned to ask for my help?"

  This is where it got tricky. For moment, I contemplated on how best to ask for something I wasn’t sure existed. Finally, I blurted, “Is there any way to heal someone like this? Someone who has two people within one body. I had hoped you or the healer would know and be able to help us or at least tell us what to do next. If we can heal her, perhaps she’ll no longer be working toward the destruction of our world."

  My mother sighed as she began to walk around the room at a less agitated pace, pausing at a particularly beautiful tapestry. I’d never noticed it before, but now I could see it depicted a battle I was unfamiliar with.

  "I'm sure you remember before I married your father, I was a powerful healer myself. While that time has passed and another holds the space in our village, I still know many things about healing the body. What you are describing is a grave illness of the spirit however and is not something that can be easily corrected. If I am correct, this is an extremely rare occurrence, and typically is only created when someone has experienced great trauma at an early age."

  She came to stand beside me again and I stood up, hope coloring my voice. "Can it be fixed?"

  She looked at me sadly, reaching a hand out to stroke a piece of flyaway hair.

  In that moment, I felt connected to her in a way I hadn’t while I’d lived there. The feeling unsettled me and made it hard to concentrate as she answered my question, causing me to almost miss her reply.

  "I think the local healer might be able to help your friend. There's no true cure for this disorder to my knowledge, only a way to heal the mind to allow the two personalities within the body to live together in relative peace and awareness.

  “I do not know if it will change anything in the long run, or merely be a distraction to your mission. If you truly are looking for the Heart Stone, it may be wise to leave your friend here. At least that way, you will be safe of them as you continue your search."

  I glanced at Will, wondering what he thought of my mother’s harsh but true words.

  He stared at the floor, unmoving except for the muscle working in his jaw as he ground his teeth. I imagined myself in his position and wasn’t sure I could have been so self-contained.

  The key throbbed against my skin, and its sudden warmth was reassuring. I had no way to know if I was simply being naïve or stupid, but I wanted to at least try to fix Nyalla. It felt like the right thing to do, and the key pulsed in agreement with my decision. I planted my feet shoulder-width apart and crossed my arms, letting Will have his privacy. "It may not work, but we want to try. If something severe enough to fracture her psyche in such a rare and horrible way happened to her as a child, she’s already been punished long enough.”

  “If we can end the war, we all know is coming by getting her on our side with kindness and succeed in keeping the Heart Stone away from Dag’draath at the same time, it will all be worth it."

  My mother exhaled, closing her eyes as if looking for guidance. When she opened them again, they were dark and full of shadows. "If you are certain, meet me at the healer’s cabin behind the castle. It is best not to bring your friend here if she means to betray you. I will have your sisters reinforce the protective spells on the castle in the meantime, so she will not be able to attack with magic or otherwise."

  I waited as our group stood. "Thank you. I'm hopeful we are right, and this will work."

  She exhaled again. I realized I'd never seen such sadness on her face. "I hope you’re right. Please, be careful. If she truly is who she says she is, I doubt she will come with you peacefully.”

  Chapter 3

  I don't think any of us knew what to expect when we returned to the campsite. It was only about an hour by horseback from the castle but it felt worlds apart. After my return home, I was having a rough time reconciling how I'd been living the last few months with how I’d lived my entire life before setting out to find answers.

  It wasn't something I’d focused on other than at times when the discomfort of life on the road had made me long for the luxury of my bed and bath, but being home had brought the differences fully into perspective, and I realized how much more than mere comfort I had given up.

  Now, as I looked around our modest campsite, the lean-to tents rigged for protection from the elements underneath the fragrant pine trees, the small campfire which we’d damped down, unsure how long we would be gone, I was startled to realize I preferred this life over the more ornate one I’d lived before.

  It wasn't until a flicker of movement caught my eye, I realized Nyalla had returned. I forced a smile, waving to her as I dismounted the horse with a grace I hadn’t possessed the first time I’d ridden one. If I remembered correctly, I'd almost fallen flat on my face after we’d exchanged the camels for horses, even though I’d ridden as a child.

  "How was your hunt today?" I deliberately kept my voice bright and breezy, waiting to see her reaction.

  Her eyes shifted as if looking for what she’d say before quickly returning to mine with an equally false smile upon her face. "Okay but disappointing. Just as I was about to take down a deer, something moved in the trees beside me causing it to get away. Sorry." Nyalla cocked her head to the side, gesturing at the four of us. "How was the trip back to see Mommy and Daddy?"

  I gave my horse a quick pat as I walked over to join her, glancing at Sel, and raising my eyebrows.

  Nyalla sat beside the fire and began to stoke it.

  Sel nodded and dismounted, taking the reins from me. Without asking, I knew he’d take care of my horse while I chatted with her.

  "It was … interesting I guess you could say." I wasn’t sure how much to tell her. I wished I’d thought to discuss how to proceed with the others before we’d returned. Why did I always end up being the mouthpiece? Was it because of who I had been? A princess in a life which now seemed so remote from who I was now?

  Or was it because of the key I wore around my neck that pulsed continually, as if reminding me we had an important mission to get on with.

  Nyalla nodded and dark emotion flitted across her expression, which could have been sadness. "I can imagine. Going home when you’ve been away for a long time is always challenging. I’m sure your family was happy to see you."

  I exhaled, thinking about my father's cool reaction, my mother's happiness tempered with disapproval and worry, as well as the siblings I’d yet to be reunited with who I’d been assured were healthy. "Yes, they were. But we’ve been talking." I drew out my statement as I waited for Gwen and Will to sit.

  Will chose the spot beside her while Gwen sat beside me, directly across from her.

  As they got into place Nyalla’s eyes narrowed. "Oh? Sounds ominous." Her tone remained light, but her eyes had hardened.

  I had the familiar sinking feeling in my chest telling me this was going to be more difficult than I'd hoped. She wasn’t going to go along with our request easily, but we had to bring her to the healers if there was any chance at helping her.

  "I want you to see the healer in Cliffside."

  Nyalla shook her head, her eyes now wide. "Why would you want me to see your healer? I'm not injured."

  I paused, searching for the right words.

  Will jumped in. "We know there's something wrong with you, Nyalla. We just want to help. Yserra made another appearance recently. She told us we couldn’t trust you."

  His voice was quieter than I'd ever heard it. I knew this was killing him.

  Nyalla didn’t seem impressed by his internal struggle. She jumped up, balling her hands into fists which she jammed into the dip at her waist. With her jaw clenched and the fire of fury rising in her cheeks, it was easy to tell she was livid even before she spoke. "There's something wrong with me, is there? How long have you been planning to betray me like this?"

  "Betrayal is a strong word. We’ve known we needed to help you since Yserra appeared on the journey from the Northwestern Lands to the Low Forest and told us Nyalla was the dangerous one, the one who’d betray us to Dag’draath in the end.”

  Nyalla laughed, a scornful, harsh noise, completely devoid of humor. "And you believed her? Remember, she’s called the Great Betrayer for a reason. Has anyone ever heard the name Nyalla? No? Perhaps because I'm not the problem here. Even if I am Yserra, which I don't think I am, she's the one who’s kept me locked up all these years."

  Although her anger was real, her words felt false to me, almost off in a way I couldn’t put my finger on. A quick look at the others told me they didn't believe her protestations either. "If that's true, why are you the only one we saw most of the time traveling? We’ve been together almost two months and we've only seen Yserra twice."

  "It's because I'm stronger now. She can’t come out anymore during the day. She can only get out now when I’m sleeping and even then, hardly ever. It took me a long time to get this far."

  I winced and shook my head, my unease growing. "See, that is huge part of why we can't trust you. When you first told us about Yserra, you said you felt you were sharing dreams. Now you're telling us the reason we've only seen her twice is because you're becoming stronger. Which one is it?” I looked at her resolutely, knowing I couldn’t trust anything she said. “We need to take you to the healers, for your own good. We can find out what’s truly going on and save you from yourself, if possible."

  Nyalla sputtered, too angry to find the words.

  Sel approached carefully from behind and moved in front of her, just outside the fire circle. "It's not that we don't believe you, we just don't know what to believe. If Yserra truly has kept you locked up for all this time, surely going to see the healers is a good thing. What if they can rid you of her forever? Didn't you say you were worried she was going to get out and do something without your knowledge to hurt others? Wouldn’t it be nice not to always worry you’ll lose control of who you are?"

 

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