Bleeding Ink

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

She didn't have to run for too long, though. With her magic flowing full force through her, something happened that never did before. Instead of creating a portal in front of her, she was able to redirect her magic to surround herself instead, allowing her to practically jump from one area of space to another. Within the time span of one blink, she found herself going from the archway leading into the palace from the training courtyard and in the library.

With her sudden appearing, her parents practically jumped off the sofa in front of the hearth. Jai had been stretched out and half asleep with his head in Lyv's lap while she ran her fingers through his hair, but both of them shot up, eyes wide as they stared at her.

"Dessa," her mother breathed, still feeling the air charged with her magic. "What in the world...?"

But Dessa wasn't going to let her finish, not when the sight of them both, healthy and alive and right there in front of her made her immediately burst into tears. Rushing forward, she collided with her mother, curling herself into her just as she had not a half hour before in the Keep's dungeon.

"I'm sorry!" she cried against her shoulder. "I'm so sorry!"

Lyv stood frozen for only a split second before securing her arms around her, one hand on the back of her head. "Oh, sweetie, it's all right," she told her, turning her head to kiss her temple. "You don't have to..."

"I do, though. I never thought...gods, when I saw you and the only thing keeping you alive was your magic, I..."

When they pulled apart, confusion knotted her brows together...until realization lit up her eyes. "You went back," Lyv whispered. This time, her eyes filled with happy tears. "You went back to when I was in the Keep."

A laugh somehow found itself bursting from Dessa as she nodded. "You told me the story a thousand times and yet never told me who helped you get out. That who was me."

She pulled her forward again, giving her a tight squeeze. "Now I can officially say thank you."

When she let her go, Dessa still kept hold of her hand as she turned to look at her father. Jai seemed to have cooled down after what happened a few hours before. Before he could even open his mouth to apologize for going off on her, Dessa shook her head and stepped into his open arms.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him. "I'm sorry for being such a pain lately. I'm sorry for what I said to Momma in anger and frustration with myself. I'm just sorry."

Kissing the top her of head, Jai held her tight in his arms. "It's all right...just never do it again, all right?"

"Being a pain? I'm just like you and Momma, so you know that won't happen."

His laugh had her snuggling closer¸ her ear right over the strong beat of his heart.

But that laugh cut off when she told him what she did next.

"Thank you for coming back to us," Dessa whispered. "I never want to know what would have happened if you didn't."

Jai's breath hitched in his throat. "You know I could never leave you, Dessa Jai. I couldn't leave any of you."

Sniffling, she pulled back to look back and forth between her parents. Even within those fleeting few minutes with them both during a time she'd only heard about, she felt as if she understood their hesitancy more than she ever had. She wasn't the only one, though. Both Lyv and Jai knew they couldn't hold her back from learning her magic more extensively.