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*****

ELIA

They had let her walk the miles to the Portal in silence, for which she was very grateful. But once they were in the right area and Gahrye had sniffed out the cave, it had hit her that she was about to leave Anima without knowing when she'd be back. She'd be at the mercy of a war, whether she'd even get word of what was happening here. And the two people with her would be her only companions.

Suddenly, silence didn't seem like the right answer.

While Gahrye sniffed out the portal, she'd babbled at Candace.

"You know, you might enjoy my world. At least, you could. If we have to stay in the city, that will probably be a bit of a drag for you. But I guess you can just shift into a bird and fly around if things start to feel too cramped, right?

"

Candace looked at her, patient, but worried.

"Elia, you can speak of—

"

"I don't want to talk about the past,

" she said hurriedly.

"Not now. Now I want to focus on the future. And our future is through that portal, at least in the short term. What do you think the Guardians will be like?

"

Candace eyed her skeptically.

"Elia, you know I have always been one to speak bluntly. I do not believe in dwelling unnecessarily. And you are right, we do need to focus on the future. But it honors your mate that you grieve the distance. You do not need to deny it.

"

Elia looked away from her, towards the cave where Gahrye had disappeared a few minutes earlier, frowning.

"I don't deny it,

" she growled.

"But I also can't allow myself to just… crumble. And if I focus on that right now, I will. So forgive me, Candace, but I need to turn my mind to other things until we're safe.

"

Candace drew in a deep breath, but nodded, and patted her hand.

"You are the only human I have met,

" she said quietly a few seconds later.

"I hope they will be like you.

"

Elia turned back to her friend, her eyes stinging.

"I should also say that you being kind won't help me either.

"

Candace smiled, and got the mischievous look in her eyes that Elia knew heralded a quip. But a whistle broke the forest calm and they both turned to find Gahrye in the cave mouth, beckoning them to come.

When they joined him there was a fierce light in his eyes.

"It's here,

" he said.

"I need to show you where to find it—Candace you'll need to sniff it out. It's… hidden somehow. I don't know how to explain it. But even when you know, you can't see it exactly.

"

Elia frowned, but they followed Gahrye as he picked up her bag and led them into the cave.

Near the front there were vines that crawled the walls, but as they got deeper inside and the light began to fade, so did the growth, until it was only rock and dirt, rubble, and the sense of something gray wavering on the ceiling that Elia didn't want to look at too closely.

They took only one turn in the cave after things got dark enough that Elia could only just make out the shapes, then Gahrye stopped and dropped the bag to the wet stone beneath their feet.

Elia couldn't see anything, but there was a prickling in her skin, and the smell of dank air—like a place that had been closed up for centuries was opened.

"It's really there,

" Candace breathed.

"Did you doubt?

" Gahrye asked her suddenly.

"No, I just… smelling it is very different to understanding that it exists,

" she said, her tone awed.

They all stood facing it. Elia could barely see the rock wall in front of her. She didn't know what the others saw, but whatever it was, it kept them silent for a time.

Then Gahrye turned to her.

"I should just go, I think,

" he said, and there was an edge of excitement in his tone. She put a hand to his arm.

"Please be careful,

" she said.

"I'm going to need you over there.

"

"Don't worry. I want to do this,

" he said, clasping her hand.

"Resist the temptation. Walk straight. I'll get there. And I'll take your bag for you—just in case. We don't know what it's like on the other side of this. Maybe it's heavier, or… or something. I'll take it. You just… you just wait here and then I'll see you on the other side, okay?

" he said, breathlessly.

"Yes, you will,

" she said swallowing hard.

"One hour.

"

He nodded. Then turned to Candace.

"Watch over her,

" he said firmly. Candace nodded and finally turned from the Portal to face him.

"Creator watch your steps,

" she said quietly.

"Thank you. And yours.

"

They all looked at it then, then Elia took a deep breath.

"Okay, Gahrye, give me a hug and please… be careful.

"

They embraced swiftly, then he hugged Candace too. Then he raised his hand to the wall and stepped forward.

Even in the near-black Elia gasped. She could see the form of his hand… disappear. Candace looked at her sharply.

"You can see that?

"

"Barely,

" Elia breathed as Gahrye swallowed hard then flashed them both a smile.

"I'll see you soon,

" he said, and stepped in, disappearing as if he'd slipped underwater. Except, there were no ripples.

For a moment, Elia and Candace just stared at the space where he'd been. Elia was tempted to reach out, to see what that space felt like. But she didn't know if that would be counted as two people entering at the same time and she didn't want to do anything to jeopardize Gahrye's traverse.

"I think we should go back out to the sunlight,

" Candace said a moment later.

"I'll be more accurate estimating the time until we can safely send you if I can see the sun.

"

Elia agreed, and they both walked out, deep in thought. It wasn't until they were near the mouth of the cave, under the vines, where she could see the sunlight and trees again, that Elia started to breathe easier.

Candace had stepped slightly ahead of her, more confident in the dim light than Elia had been. So she stepped out of the cave first, heading towards the tree under whose branches they'd been sitting earlier.

"Candace,

" Elia said.

Candace stopped and turned, looking at Elia—just as a wicked bolt of something thick and heavy shot through the place she'd been about to step.

Whirling, the bird woman crouched on the balls of her feet. Her eyes snapped to Elia's and went wide.

"Run!

" she screamed just as a dark shadow rose from behind a bush next to the path and something smacked her in the back of the head.

Candace dropped like a stone.

Elia sucked in, then froze, everything in her screaming at her to RUN! as her eyes scanned up from her friend, unconscious on the ground, up a thin-but-strong pair of legs, to the impossibly flat stomach, then blonde hair and wicked eyes set in the last face she ever wanted to see.

"Lucine,

" Elia hissed.