It was him. That voice. I pushed away the scythe and threw myself in the general direction of his body, and to my great relief, his arms swept around me without hesitation. It had to be my imagination that he trembled and breathed deeply as he pressed his nose into my hair.

We clung to one another until the last battle cries faded, and without speaking, he led me to the edge of the camp and into the forest beyond it. I stared at him, searching for the familiar outline of his jaw or nose, but the longer I focused on him, the more blurred his shape became. Finally, I tore my eyes away, afraid of going cross-eyed.

Once we were in the trees, he didn't slow, pulling me down a steep hill and into a shallow ravine. There, he released my hand and rummaged for something on the ground. Stone struck stone and orange sparks flew. Moments later, our refuge glowed with torchlight and at last his face came into focus.

"Remiel," I whispered, exhaling through my nose as I bit my lip to stop the sudden urge to cry.

All these weeks, I would not let myself think of him any more than necessary because I had not been prepared for the great grief the loss of him had brought. It was unexpected and perhaps a bit unwanted.

"You're bleeding," he said, fastening the torch to the tree behind me. Cool fingers moved over the deep gash in my arm. The scythe must have cut me when I knocked it away because I didn't remember being cut by the two soldiers.

"You're different."

Remiel paused. Amber irises skated over my face and down to the place behind my ear where the white patch was hidden by the rest of my hair. Then dark lashes fell over his eyes like a curtain, hiding his thoughts from me as he replied.

"You as well." A deep sigh. "This really needs a healer. The wound is deep, though not to the bone. Why would you do something so foolish as to touch a Reaper's blade like that?"

"Why did you have it at my throat?" When he didn't answer, I pressed. "Did you not see me? Does whatever strange magic you now possess mess with your vision as well? What is that, by the way? You've never done it before."

"Because I couldn't do it before."

Remiel moved closer and touched my face. There was no imagining the trembling this time. I wanted to sink into his hand, let the weight of my head settle into his palm, but I resisted. I'd been used once by a man. It would not happen again.

Clearing my throat, I pulled away. "Is that something all Reapers can do?"

His arm dropped, and his fingers flexed at his side. "It's...complicated, but the short answer is no. Those who can are called Shadow Brothers."

I rubbed my arms to ward off a sudden chill. "Seems apt. Is that who attacked tonight?"

Remiel flipped a log over and patted the flat surface. "Let me clean this, and then we can get going."

"Going? Ouch," I gasped as he poured something cold and stinging over the wound. "Where are we going?"

"Morana." The exasperation in his voice was such a welcome sound that I smiled, grateful he could not see me with his head bent over my arm. "This wasn't some random attack on Edresh. We came here tonight to rescue you."

"And where will we go?"

"The Reapers have a haven in the city state of Thana. It's on an island about a hundred leagues from Araphel. It will be the safest place for you while we figure out how to stop the burning in Araphel so we can relight the portal. The stories of monsters and souls wailing in the night grow more and more numerous every passing hour."

Anger churned in my stomach. It was just like him to show up and issue orders. To make plans without taking my own into account.

"And why would they let me come to their island?"

"Because you're their queen."

I shoved him, catching him off guard and sending him flying backward into bushes and rock. The sight of his boots going over his head would have been comical if I wasn't so mad, and I gave no notice of the blood dripping down my arm as I stood.

"You told someone else who I am? We don't even know that for certain."

"You and I both know that's not true. Why are you being like this? I thought you would be glad to be freed." A thunderous look stole over his face as he got to his feet. "Unless you're quite content to be held captive by the prince?"

"That's not it, and you know it."

"No, Morana. I don't know it. What I do know is that I've spent the better part of a month searching for you. Not sleeping. Barely eating. And when I found you, I went straight to the Brotherhood and brought them here to save you. Only to find out that you have joined our enemy."

We were toe to toe now, and if the man wasn't so damn tall, I suspected we would be nose to nose. Not used to being dwarfed by others, I resisted the urge to raise on my toes and poke him in his broad chest. It helped that my anger had dwindled some, mostly because his voice had cracked with emotion in the middle of his tirade. Almost like he really cared about me and not just what I could do for him.

"Perhaps if you would ask me why rather than issue orders, I might explain myself."

Surprise flickered across his features. "Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"Isn't it?"

"A little. Maybe." Remiel chuckled weakly. "Yes. But I–I have spent countless nights thinking of what I would say to you when I saw you again, and unfortunately, I forgot to include your propensity for getting in trouble into those scenarios. When my Brother told me he found you, I came to you as quickly as possible, and I thought for a moment I was going to be too late."

"Hey, I saved myself."

Remiel pushed back my hair and brushed his thumb over the prickly white strands. "You almost didn't."

"Rem–"

"Would you please just let me keep you safe? For once?"

I looped my arms around his waist and rested my head against his chest. In less than an hour, I'd touched him more than I had the entire time I'd known him, but it felt so good to be held by someone who didn't hate me. Who had seen the worst of me and accepted that.

He exhaled and put his hand on my head, resting his chin on top of it. "Will you at least tell me what has been happening?"

And so I did. Starting with Tievel's madness and moving on to King Brinley and Kuga. Remiel tensed at the mention of the Winter Woman, but he didn't interrupt. At last, I reached the events of the dinner, revealing the queen's pregnancy in a rushed sentence.

"He says that's why he wants the portals relit, but I'm not sure I believe him. Either way, I have to stay here to learn everything I can from Kuga. That's the only way I'm going to survive Araphel."

"She's dangerous, Morana. She will lead you down a path you can't walk back from. With every soul you take, it will become harder and harder to stop yourself. You almost took that elf's soul just now."

"I know."

Shame washed over me. Not because I felt as though he judged me, but because what he said was true. If he hadn't come along, I didn't know if I could have turned away.

"Then let's figure out another way."

"There isn't one. Unless you have another Deathsinger in your back pocket? She might be the worst of my kind, but she is one of them. She's taught me how to control my magic. A Reaper can't do that."

A clear, trilling whistle came from the ridge of the ravine. Remiel whistled back in response. Two sharp bursts of sound.

"They're going on ahead."

"Will you be going with them?"

"No. My priority is to stay here with you. To keep you safe."

Warmth spread through me. "Good. You'll have to stay hidden, though. King Brinley will kill you."

"I'm not worried about the king coming after me. It's the soldiers attacking you that concern me."

"I can protect myself."

"Yes, you can, but I think it's time for you to resume learning how to defend yourself without magic. The more tools you have at your disposal, the less likely you'll find yourself in a place of desperation that requires you to use your Deathsong."

"You're right."

Remiel smirked. "Those are words I never expected to hear from your lips."

"Don't get used to it. I only wish I had someone proper to teach me how to fight. Like Yoko," I teased.

"You little wench." I ducked out of the way as he tried to tickle me.

"I suppose you'll do in a pinch." Gods, it felt good to laugh, especially with him.

"Meet me here tomorrow. Once darkness falls."

"And where will you be?"

He smiled, then slowly disappeared into the shadows. "Never far from you."