Beyond Nothing

Chapter Ten

We sit together in silence for what must be hours, until the sky is lilac above us and the lights have settled, the pool returning to normal. Even if the magic is gone, the area is still beautiful in the daytime. Massive blossoms rest among the leaves of the trees, and the fish are jewel bright, moving in lazy circles beneath us.

In the early morning, I begin to shiver, and Kea draws me close to him, an arm around my shoulders, his wings spread to curl around us like a feathery blanket. The blue-green feathers shine under the pale sun, kingfisher-bright.

Eventually, he speaks. 'We should get back. The others will be ready to leave by now.'

I nod.

He flies me back to the edge of the pool, and we make our way through the trees and back to the camp. He holds my hand the whole time, fingers twisted together.

Silva is just stirring when we get back, but the Umbra is already awake. She sees our clasped hands, raising an eyebrow, and I feel my cheeks flush. Kea stares her down, and she shrugs, moving to climb onto Silva's back.

Kea leaps onto her back with a quick burst of flaps, leaning down to help me up. He pulls me up in front of him, wrapping his arms around me. The Umbra watches us, a strange look on her face.

We talk throughout the journey, with me telling him about my life, about my struggles to succeed. He calls me brave and strong, igniting a warm glow in my chest.

I begin to recognize our surroundings. We are back in the rolling hills, passing tiny pale ponds.

'The Skylights are just the other side of Avet,' Kea explains, 'We'll pass it on our way there. We won't stop, though. There's no time.'

True to his word, we pass through Avet.

At first, everything seems to be normal. The buildings loom around us, and from a distance, the streets appear to be filled with people.

We draw closer. It is only then, with the sun throwing their long shadows down the street, that we realise just how still the people are. As if they were made of stone.

Then comes the awful, lurching jolt of realization as we get close enough to see that they are.

Silence reigns the dead town. A solitary crow stands at the peak of a roof, dark feathers blowing in the breeze. It calls out, long and hoarse, echoing down the street.

Silva pauses, letting us slide to the ground. She changes back to her almost-human form, confusion and grief wrought on her face. She walks to the closest statue, almost stumbling in her hast, reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder. With a flash of horror, the crags and dips of rock slide into place to form a face in my mind.

Haggerd.

A tear slides down her cheek, soon followed by another. I walk to her, enfolding her in a hug, her tears wet against my shoulder. Her narrow body shakes with violent sobs.

Kea is equally upset, although he expresses it differently, his face set in anger.

Silva calms after a few minutes, and we continue to walk. Now she has lost her Ursta form, she won't be able to regain it, so we will have to walk the rest of the way.

The silence scares me, if I'm honest. It seems as if, at any moment, the statues could come to life, converging on us. Tearing us apart.

The next familiar face drives a needle of pain into my heart. Novo, standing just outside his open front door. He faces it, as if he had just turned to go back inside. The four armed girl I saw on my first visit is facing him, one arm raised in a wave. They must have been talking.