Page 155 of Earthbound

No one replied.

They crossed the Royal Woodland together. Once, Lettle would have remarked on the skeletal branches, but now they were the least of her concerns.

Or perhaps she had no concerns at all.

Jay was waiting for them by the Tree of Souls, holding gauze over Ajax’s wound. Pila and Amnan watched with worried eyes.

They lowered Rayan on the ground next to his obeah.

‘He looks so peaceful, don’t you think?’ Lettle said.

Again, no one answered her.

‘Ajax is not going to make it,’ Jay said quietly. The words sounded like a faint buzzing to Lettle.

‘Is there truly nothing you can do?’ Furi asked, her voice quaking as she began to grieve.

‘He’s lost too much blood. The wound has penetrated three major organs. I’m surprised he’s lasted so long.’

Lettle wandered a little distance away as though she could also distance herself from the truth. She circled the Tree of Souls until she found the words engraved in the bark. ‘Cursed to endure, cursed to survive.’

The fae always thought that was about them, but it’s a reminder of Afa.

Someone laid a hand between her shoulder blades, and for a second Lettle thought it was Rayan. ‘Lettle?’ It was Alder. ‘It’s time to say goodbye.’

‘I can’t,’ she said. Her breath caught in her throat and she struggled to breathe.

Alder wrapped his arms around her until her lungs steadied. ‘I’m so sorry, Lettle.’

She was too scared to face the lie she had told herself.

All will be well. All will be well.

‘He loved you deeply, and you him,’ Alder said. With every word he cleaved at the armour around her heart.

All will be well. All will be…

‘He would be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Helping me with my memories, the spell? You did it all, Lettle.’

All will…

The spell. The thought was lightning against her chest and she pulled away from Alder to remove the grimoire from her pack.

‘Lettle, what are you doing?’

‘We can save him, Alder.’ She clutched the grimoire to her chest and could feel her heart pound beneath the pages of the ancient tome.

Alder looked back at Jay and beckoned them towards him. ‘I really think you should speak to Jay–maybe there’s a tincture or something.’

‘No, Alder, I’m not insane. I’m talking about the spell Afa taught me.’ She was breathless, but not because of grief.

‘The one to bring back the humans? How will that help save Rayan?’ Furi asked. Concern had brought her and Jay to Lettle’s side.

‘The spell contains an unravelling of all of Hady’s bindings; it’s why it must be spoken by one of her descendants.’

Everyone still looked at her blankly.

‘And what did Hady make?’ Lettle said slowly. ‘The boundary and the binding to the obeah. It will unravel Ajax’s soul from Rayan’s so they won’t be joined in death.’