Page 103 of House of Ash and Shadow

I shrugged. “All I know is that one second I was healing Ariyon and the next his body was in the Realm of Eternity, and the Grim healed him.”

There was hope in her gaze. “You are saying that my nephew is alive. In the Realm of Eternity?”

“Yes. The same place you just sent my familiar. Yanric saw Ariyon there just now. Getting arrested.”

The color bleached from Queen Solana’s face. The sword began to shake in her hand as she slowly turned her head and looked at her guard. “Get Master Clarke. Now.”

“Why do you look scared?” I asked her, my eyes narrowing. Did she know what this arrest thing was all about?

She looked at me with the same suspicion. “My magic is too strong for you to be lying to me. You’re not powerful enough yet.”

It was like she was talking to herself, convincing herself that I was in fact telling the truth.

“His body burned. You must be mistaken, Ariyon’s body burned, and his soul is with the Grim,” she declared.

“No!” I cut her off. “Ayden will testify. I took his body to the Realm of Eternity. I saw the Grim and begged him to save Ariyon. He said he would take it up with the Light. Then I was…ejected.”

She was silent, a scary silent that frightened me.

“Why would Ariyon be arrested in the Realm of Eternity? Isn’t that where we all go for eternal peace?”

“Not all of us.” She looked down her nose at me.

Nightlings. Nightlings didn’t go there?

Suddenly, Master Clarke was there, looking like he’d seen a ghost. He’d seemingly heard the last few things we spoke of.

I looked at one of the few people I trusted here and tried to hold back tears. “Master Clarke, why would Ariyon be arrested in the Realm of Eternity?”

He peered down at the tops of my hands and then looked at the queen in resignation. “When someone from the House of Ash and Shadow dies, they are able to be resurrected. They are first arrested, transferred to the Realm of Rebirth, and then challenged in a series of fights. Winner gets to be reborn…as a Nightling.”

Realm of Rebirth? I’d never heard of it.

I blinked rapidly, wondering what this had to do with Ariyon. “But Ariyon isn’t from the House of Ash and Shadow.”

Master Clarke nodded. “But you were. And it is said that Banes have the power to switch magic with another.” He pointed to my hands. “And apparently you gave your magic to him…”

My mouth popped open as my heart sank into my stomach. “No.”

The queen tipped her head back then and screamed, a horrifying sound that echoed on the walls of the small space.

What was he saying? That Ariyon now carried my magic? That he was going to have to survive a bunch of battles in the Realm of Rebirth only to come back as a Nightling? A blood drinker made of shadows?

He’d never forgive me.

I’dnever forgive me.

I fell to my knees then and put my head in my hands.

I’d ruined his life. I tried to help, and I ruined everything.

The queen dropped the sword, letting it clatter to the floor, and pointed at Master Clarke. “Youteach her how to fix this. She has to go back down there and take Ariyon’s place. No nephew of mine will be a Nightling.”

No truer words were spoken. There wasno wayI was allowing this to happen to him. But I had zero clue on how to fix it.

Light help me.