He’d had to put up with my somber mood, but he’d done his best to soothe me. He knew I needed time to process such a loss, and he didn’t push me in any way. I was lucky to have come across Caspian in this lifetime and was a much better person for it.

“Brendel won’t go unpunished. You know that, right?” he said.

“I guess.”

“You gave Derek and Sofia everything you remembered from your mission with Ramin, including Yahwen’s location. Tebir is helping them. They’re going after the Hermessi children next.”

I looked up, surprised I hadn’t heard this sooner. Then again, I’d been dozing on and off since the afternoon. Ramin’s loss had taken its toll on me. Caspian smiled gently.

“Tebir came to Derek and Sofia, in The Shade. He offered to help them snatch the children,” he added, just to confirm. “They’re planning the details as we speak. Phoenix told me over the comms line a little while ago. You were finally asleep… I didn’t want to wake you.”

“It’s okay,” I said, sitting up. Glancing down at him, I remembered how he’d snuck into my heart so quickly, the moment we’d met. Those broad shoulders, the dark hair, and the jade eyes were a breathtaking combination, especially when coupled with the enticing shape of his lips and his firm jawline. I was falling in love with Caspian all over again, harder than before, even. I should leave my body more often if that’s how the return feels. “It’s a good plan. Taking the kids, I mean. It won’t do much for Ledar, but… I don’t know, I guess him taking over is better than Neraka freezing to death before the game is over.”

“I get it. He’s scum, and he betrayed Ramin. I wouldn’t welcome him with arms wide open, either,” Caspian replied. “No one wants him here, from what Zane told me. But you’re right. Better than planetary death.”

“I’d do anything to bring Ramin back, but I don’t even know if that’s possible, or where I could start. On Strava, once the flames dimmed, only hours passed before they died out completely. Brann was destroyed, and I suppose the same happened to Ramin.”

Caspian frowned, checking the grandfather clock across the room, beautifully sculpted with obsidian and gold. “Wait, babe… Hold on, when did the attack occur?”

I followed his gaze and did the math in my head. “Eleven hours? Maybe more? I don’t remember when I got back, exactly.”

He nodded. “Yeah, something like that. Yet the fire hasn’t died out completely.”

“Oh…” I murmured, realizing the implication. “For Brann, the demise was much quicker.”

Something scratched against the stone, somewhere by the window. We turned our heads to find an Ekar bird settled on the windowsill, looking at us with its big, beady amber eyes. Its plumage was superb, a fiery red that fanned out with a pair of majestic wings. These were rare creatures, mostly used by Manticores to send out messages.

“Maybe Pheng-Pheng sent him?” I asked, my voice barely audible, unable to take my eyes off the Ekar bird. The Manticore princess had once had an Ekar named Ramin—who’d later turned out to be the Fire Hermessi, and what a revelation that had been… I’d thought she’d raised another Ekar by now, and I figured this might be it, but there was something oddly familiar about it.

The way it stared at me was eerie, causing a strange tickle in my throat.

“There’s no message strap,” Caspian replied, pointing at the Ekar’s talons. Normally, there would’ve been a leather strap with a small cylinder in which the Manticores placed their message scrolls. He was right, this Ekar didn’t have a message for us.

For a moment, I wondered if my wildest thought had come to life, somehow. Could this be?

“Babe, I think it’s—” I tried to say, but Ramin’s voice in my head made me freeze.

It’s me, Harper.

Caspian gave me a worried look, as I’d gripped the blanket beneath us tight in both hands. My knuckles were white, my eyes widening as I continued to stare at the Ekar bird. “Harper?” he asked me, pushing himself into a seated position next to me. “What is it?”

It’s me. I’m still here, Ramin said.

“Oh my God!” I blurted and jumped out of bed. My feet almost burned with excitement and relief, and I hopped around as if the floor had been covered in hot coals. I squealed like the most delighted little girl in the history of ever. “It’s Ramin! Caspian, it’s him! He’s alive! He’s still…” I came to a sudden halt, realizing something. “But the flames are down, and he’s in Ekar form… He’s not… I don’t think he’s okay.”

Caspian frowned at Ramin. “You can hear him?” he asked.

“Yeah, in my head. Our connection is still here, I guess,” I replied, nodding energetically.

I’m not well. Ramin sighed.

“This is some twisted miracle,” Caspian muttered, understandably astonished.

We need to talk, the Fire Hermessi of Neraka added.

“Tell me about it,” I whispered.

A flurry of emotions stormed through me, mercilessly confusing me. A thousand possible scenarios about Ramin and his potential demise went about, toying with my attention. Was he really here? I wasn’t imagining this, right? How come he was still alive? What was he doing in Ekar form? Was Ledar still coming to take his place?

Most importantly, what would Ledar do once he figured out that Ramin had somehow refused to die? So many questions that I was about to bombard Ramin with, until I smiled and breathed an honest sigh of relief. The questions could wait another moment or two, because I was positive Ramin would tell me all I needed to know.

For the time being, I was just thankful to have my friend back. Happy that a powerful ally had not been lost—at least not yet. Eager to do whatever it took to make sure Ramin stayed with us, too. To make sure that his death would no longer be a possibility.

Neraka needed him. GASP needed him. Above all, I needed him.

Harper

Fiona and Zane were close by, as the daemon king’s mother was looking after baby Sophia. They were quick to join us once they heard about Ramin. The four of us sat on the edge of the bed, while Ramin kept to his windowsill, occasionally using his beak to clear out some of his molting feathers. We waited patiently for a few minutes, as he seemed quite busy preening himself—a side of him I hadn’t seen before. It made me smile.

“Is he saying anything?” Fiona asked, watching him carefully. It turned out I was the only one who could hear him in this form of his, not that it had come as an absolute surprise. Our bond had made any form of communication between us quite normal.

I shook my head. “Ramin, how are you still alive?”

“A little-known fact about Ekars,” he said to me, raising his head, “is that they were first made from the pink waters. They reproduced on their own afterward, but the powers of the pure, primordial fluid flows through them.”

“He says Ekars were initially made from the pink waters,” I relayed his words to Fiona and shifted my focus back to him. “Like the Shills, you mean?”

“Yes, but not for that type of purpose. I made the Ekars shortly after I came to be, and I understood what the pink water did. My bond with them transcends time, space, and biology itself. They’re like little living batteries for my Hermessi nature, hence why I am able to nestle inside them for years on end.”

“Whoa…” I managed. “You knew you’d need them to fall back on or what?”

“Not at all. I just wanted to see what I could create from the primordial liquids of Neraka. Their ability to hold my fire is a fortunate coincidence.”

I repeated his account to the others and found myself wondering, “Ramin, did you know you had this Ekar thing as an option? You must’ve, right?” I asked him.

“I did. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It was better if everyone thought I was dying, but I’m here now,” he said. “I sought refuge inside the bird after the Hermessi attacked me. They don’t know about the Ekar birds’ ability. They can sense me, but, since they think I’m close to the end, they won’t bother looking for me… someone else will.”

“What do you mean?” I replied.

“I’m weak, Harper. I’m still alive, but I have no way of returning to my full form. Ledar will soon come to replace me, and he will have to find me and kill me in order to inherit all my knowledge and become the next Fire Hermessi of Neraka.”

Upon hearing this from me, Caspian frowned. “So, how do we save you?” he asked Ramin.

“I’m not sure you can,” the Fire Hermessi said to me. “I came to say a proper goodbye.”

I shot to my feet, anger coursing through me. “Hell no! You’re not dying on my watch!”

“It may be inevitable, I’m afraid. I am powerless against an attack, especially one coming from the Hermessi and my son. They will eagerly support him in delivering the final blow to secure his inheritance.”