Chapter Eighty-Six

Avery watched in solemn silence as his mother braided Melinoe’s long white hair. She sat quietly, her hands working slowly, delicately. No one knew what to say – no one knew what to do. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Melinoe, despite her age and appearance, was in near perfect health.

Melinoe had been alive for eons, and while it was true that her hair had whitened within the last few centuries, her enthusiasm for life had not diminished at all. She would be seen going up and down the stairs that spiraled up the tree, dancing with the faefolk in the evenings, and on nights when the moon was full, she ran through the forest naked, fully embracing the Moon Goddess and Her blessings. Yet now she laid before them, her breathing slow and even as if she were merely sleeping.

“Who found her?” Avery asked softly.

“I was with her when it happened,” Aurora whispered. “I came to her to seek advice about something. We were in the middle of a conversation when she just…” She trailed off, her voice become choked.

“What were you talking about?” Armond asked from behind Avery.

“I – I can’t say. But I swear, it was nothing bad!” she explained when Avery shot her a suspicious glance. “She was fine, then she suddenly tensed up like she was being electrocuted or something. Her eyes glazed over and she just started mumbling things… Such strange things… Honestly, I don’t know what happened.”

Rayanna sniffled softly from beside Avery, and he instinctively wrapped a protective arm around her. She loved Melinoe just as much as he did. Melinoe was the only other person besides himself who treated her like she was normal. She never shot the girl looks of pity when she thought she wasn’t looking, and she certainly never treated her better than anyone else. No, to Melinoe, Rayanna wasn’t the ‘poor sickly princess.’ She was just Rayanna. And Rayanna loved her for that.

“She’s not going to wake up for a while,” Rayanna whispered. Her hands clutched Avery’s arm, her little knuckles turning white from her fierce grip.

“You don’t know that,” he replied softly. “Melinoe is a very strong, very stubborn, woman. She won’t leave until she finds a way to help you.”

“No… She’s going to leave us soon. She’s been having dreams of her family – the one from before us. She told me…” Rayanna trailed off, her eyes becoming distant. “A flower… She’s gotten the final flower…”

Avery felt the color drain from his face.

“There’s no way to know that, Rayanna,” Elvin said reassuringly from across the room. He had been standing in the shadows, watching the scene with a stony expression. Melinoe doted on Elvin almost as much as she had Avery, and he loved her dearly.

“No,” Rayanna said surely. “I can see it. Even now it’s being weaved by her loved ones. She’s ready to be with them… They look so happy together…”

The room was as silent as a tomb. Everyone kept their eyes on Rayanna, anxious and awed.

“How…” Armond whispered. Raynna didn’t respond. Her eyes stared blankly at something none of them could see, glazed and unfocused. For the first time she didn’t seem as sickly as she normally was. There was a power that radiated from the small girl, incredible and frightening. Her hands loosened on Avery’s arm and she smiled tearfully.

“She said the Moon Goddess took pity on me and gave me a gift. She cannot undo what has been done, but She can help me live with it.”

“What do you mean?” Avery asked softly.

“I am not the next, but I am the first… That’s all She can say for now. Melinoe will wake, but only after the Master is caught. She’s ready, and she wants to say goodbye.” The voice that came from the young girl next to Avery sounded so… ancient. If he hadn’t been looking at her while she spoke, he would have been convinced that they came from someone else.

But the thing that unsettled him the most about hearing Rayanna speak was how final her tone was. There was no way any of them could try to deny the words that came from her mouth. A stark, harsh truth rang in them.

Avery cleared his throat, fighting back his own tears. It hurt so much to know that Melinoe would not be here to see him and Ellie unite. She wouldn’t see him take the throne, nor would she meet any of his future children with Ellie. The thought pierced him in a way he’d never felt before. He glanced around the room, saddened by all the morose faces that stared at Melinoe’s sleeping form.

“Now, now,” he said gruffly. “We all knew she wouldn’t live forever. Melinoe has been very honest about her wishes to be with her family again. If this is indeed her time to part with us, then we should thank the Moon Goddess for the time She gave us with Melinoe. We all know she would be calling us fools for crying over her when she isn’t even gone yet.” Rayanna smiled and nodded her head. She wiped her face and took a deep, calming breath.

“Come, Rayanna. I’ll take you and your mother to prepare for today’s events.” Armond lifted the small girl easily from her place beside Avery and followed Faelynn out of the room. As soon as the doors were shut, Avery rounded on Aurora.

“What happened?” he growled. Aurora balked at his sudden change in attitude and unconsciously took a step back.

“Nothing! Honestly! We were just having tea and discussing your upcoming coronation ceremony. She was fine, brother! I swear it on my life!” Aurora knelt on the ground before her brother, bowing her head lowly. “I truly do not know what happened. I had her tea checked, I checked her body for any strange wounds or sigils, and I even checked her for any sign of magical diseases. There is no reason why she should have collapsed, unless…” Aurora gasped, her words becoming choked in her throat.

He knew what she meant to say without her even saying it. The Moon Goddess had decided to call her home. Melinoe was dying. The woman he had known for his entire life would just be gone. The Mouthpiece of the Moon Mother would return to Her and –

“Oh. Oh, no.”

Elvin, who had been listening quietly near the window rushed to Avery’s side.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“What happens when a Speaker dies?” Avery asked hoarsely. Elvin’s eyebrows knitted together as he tried to piece together what Avery meant.

“When the present Speaker dies, a new one is awakened. Melinoe said the one before her was… Oh.” Elvin sat on the bed where Faylynn had been, shocked. “Avery,” he whispered after a moment, “We have to find her – make sure she’s safe at the very least.” Aurora sat up, gazing at her brother with watery eyes.

“I will make sure she is found, brother. I will make sure she is safe.” Aurora had a hard glint in her eyes, and Avery realized that she must be blaming herself for what happened to Melinoe.

“Ro,” he said softly, sliding to the ground to sit in front of his sister, “This is not your fault. There was nothing you could have done to prevent this – it is the will of the Moon Mother.” He gently cupped his sister’s face and wiped away a few stray tears that had escaped her wide eyes. “Melinoe would be incredibly annoyed if she knew you were torturing yourself like this.” Aurora nodded and placed her hands on Avery’s. She closed her eyes and worked on controlling her breathing.

“That being said, you cannot go find her.” Aurora opened her mouth to protest, but Avery cut her off before she could speak. “You are far more precious than you give yourself credit for. I will need you by side when I take the throne. There is no one else in all the realms that I can trust the way I trust you.”

He could see the struggle within her. She wanted so badly to prove herself to him, but she also knew that she was the only one who would be able to truly help him when it came to running the kingdom. She had dedicated her life training to be his advisor. There was no way she would be able to survive outside the kingdom, let alone track someone down. After a moment of silent warring, she sighed heavily and nodded.

“I will stay. But we must make finding the new Speaker a priority.” Avery nodded and kissed his sister’s forehead.

“I promise. Now, you must go and prepare for the ceremony. The royal family must make an appearance for the opening ceremony, and I don’t want you going out there with a tear-stained face.”

He helped Aurora to her feet and guided her to the door. Elvin offered her his arm which she gladly took. He nodded at Avery, a silent promise to ensure he wouldn’t let Aurora continue to torture herself over the events of the day. Avery watched the pair until they both disappeared into Aurora’s room, shutting the door softly behind them. He closed the door to Melinoe’s room and returned to her side, placing a hand on her cheek.

“We will be fine; I promise you that.” He kissed the top of her head and smiled before finally gathering the courage to leave her. He paused at the door and took one last look at her. He wasn’t sure if it was the stress of the situation or if it was a sign from Melinoe herself, but he could have sworn that as he was closing the door, a soft, peaceful smile graced her pale face.