What Remains
Allison
We don’t speak much as we move through the trees. The earth is still settling behind us. Fine grit dusts the forest floor, and branches tremble now and then. My throat stings every time I swallow. The burn sits hot and raw against my skin, a tight ring of pain that won’t let me forget how close I came to nothing. Christopher stays at my shoulder. Close enough that his arm brushes mine when the path narrows, close enough that I can feel him tracking my pace without looking at me every second. The blue light under my skin hasn’t fully gone away. It flickers in my palms when my fingers flex. I try to keep my hands still. When we crest a rise, the wind hits my face. I breathe in pine and cold air until my chest stops tightening. My lungs still feel bruised, and my throat is rough. Once we're far enough from danger, Rhaziel lifts his hand, and we all step forward and let the shadows take us. The forest vanishes in a single step, and the air changes around us. The corridor of the shadow realm we land in is wide and dim, lit by low torches that cast soft gold over black stone. The silence here is different from the compound. It doesn’t feel like a trap. It feels like walls are doing their job. A demon waits at the far end of the hall. She inclines her head when Rhaziel appears, then her gaze locks on my throat.
“Healer,” Rhaziel says.
She turns and moves quickly without running. Rhaziel doesn’t take my hand, but his shadows slide around my feet anyway, and his tail snakes around my waist. My bonds hum under my skin, settled and present, each one a line that holds steady when I reach for it. Cassian’s is sharp and clean. Evander’s is warm. Kael’s is heat and teeth. Rhaziel’s sits heavy and endless. Christopher’s is the newest. It burns brighter than the rest, threaded straight through my centre, showing itself off. I test it without thinking, a small push of awareness. He answers instantly, feeling me there. His hand brushes mine, and he laces our fingers together like it’s always been this way. We pass through another archway and into the sitting chamber. The room smells faintly of herbs and clean linen. A low table sits in the centre, bowls already set out, cloths folded, instruments laid in neat lines. The healer returns with two others, moving quietly.
“Sit,” she says.
I sit. Christopher hesitates for half a second, then crouches beside my chair instead, one knee on the stone, his hand still holding mine. The healer tilts my chin, and the moment her fingers brush the burn, my throat spasms and a sharp breath tears out of me.
“Easy,” she murmurs, calmly.
She presses a cool cloth to my skin, and relief hits fast enough that my eyelids flutter.
Kael leans in the doorway, arms folded, posture casual but face drawn tight. “Looks nasty,” he says.
“Thanks,” I rasp.
He winces.
Evander steps closer and sets a cup on the table. “Water.”
I drink carefully. The first swallow burns. The second is easier. Cassian stands behind me, his hand resting briefly on the back of my chair.
“You did it,” he says quietly.
I don’t answer, mainly because my throat won’t cooperate, but also, I don’t want to try to shape words around everything anyway. The healer presses two fingers beneath my jaw and closes her eyes. Magic brushes my skin, light and cool. It circles the burn and sinks deeper. I feel the place where the collar latched on. The scrape of it inside my magic. The way it tried to hook in and drink. My stomach turns. Christopher’s thumb rubs slowly over my knuckles, grounding me. The healer opens her eyes and looks to Rhaziel.
“Suppression collar,” she says, clinical. “It tried to anchor into her channels. The burn is shallow, and there won't be any lasting effects to her.”
Rhaziel’s gaze sharpens. “And her magic?”
The healer looks back at me. “Her magic is carrying multiple signatures at once.”
Kael snorts. “She said that.”
Rhaziel steps closer, eyes on my hands. “Can you hold it down?”
I nod, but the blue glow flares faintly across my fingertips, as it heard him. I close my hand into a fist. The light compresses, tightens, and settles under my skin.
“Yes,” I manage.
The healer smooths dark salve over my throat in slow, careful circles. It stings, then cools. Christopher’s grip loosens when my shoulders drop.
Kael exhales and steps closer to the table, eyes on the broken collar pieces wrapped in cloth. “Can I keep it?”
Rhaziel’s gaze snaps to him.
“As a trophy,” Kael adds. “Or a warning. Or something I can melt into a knife.”
Rhaziel takes the cloth and folds it. The collar disappears into shadow.
“No souvenirs.”
Kael mutters and steps back.
The healer finishes and wipes her hands. “No speaking for an hour. Drink. Rest. It’ll heal quickly, but your throat needs time.”
I nod, and she moves away, already done with me. For a moment, no one moves. The room is quiet except for the soft crackle of fire. Christopher stays crouched beside me, and I look down at him. His eye meets mine, and I see just how exhausted he looks. He blinks once, then lifts his free hand and touches my cheek, light and careful. I lean into it as his breath shakes. He begins to speak, then stops. I squeeze his hand instead. I know he has a million things to say about what just happened, but I also need him to know that he doesn't have to. He nods in understanding. I feel Cassian brush my mind, quickly checking for fractures, and I let him. I know he needs to do that for his own peace of mind. I’m tired. My body hums with leftover power. My hands want to shake, but I’m here and so are they; that's all I wanted. Kael drags a chair closer and drops into it. Evander stays standing, arms folded, gaze drifting to my throat. Rhaziel stands near the doorway, watching all of us at once.
“We meet Vale at dawn,” he says. “Faction leaders as well. The world needs to hear what has changed.”
Christopher’s hand tightens around mine, and I lift my chin and meet Rhaziel’s gaze. I don’t speak. My throat agrees with the healer. I nod once. Rhaziel turns and leaves, promising to return once he has done whatever shadow kings do, and Evander nudges the cup closer.
"Drink for me, pet. You need to drink."
I drink another careful mouthful. The burn cools. My bonds stay steady, and for the first time in a long time, nothing is hunting us through the walls.