It wasn't until after we'd walked for at least an hour that I began to stress about abandoning the safety of the palace. Fortunately, the path remained underground and lined in ravenstone. The light I had spied belonged to the glow of glimmer grubs, small worms that lived far below the surface in tunnels and caves. I'd seen pictures of them once in the library in Edresh, and though they were far from cute with their long, ribbed bodies and sharp teeth, I was grateful for the little bit of light they provided.

Firelight wasn't an option. Not only because we didn't know what creatures it might attract down here or if there was anything flammable, but because I couldn't have conjured a flame if our lives depended on it. The rush of euphoria I'd felt after Remiel came through the door had long since faded, and every step forward took a concentrated effort.

If Remiel was aware I was flagging, he hadn't mentioned it. In the few brief glimpses of his face that I gathered in the dim light, he looked pensive and uneasy. He held his scythe in one hand. The death magic in the weapon soothed me, though I suspected it would not be of much help in the small tunnel. Here, we needed a weapon more suited to close range fighting, like daggers.

"Shoot," I muttered, pitching forward as my toe tangled in a root. If I had lifted my foot higher, I would have missed it, but by this point, I could do little more than drag my feet.

With a muttered curse, Remiel put his scythe away and helped me up. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." I patted his arm, took a step, and cried out as my ankle rolled.

Remiel muttered something that sounded a lot like 'stubborn ass female' before scooping me up in his arms. As he started walking, I threw my arms around his neck to minimize the jostling and debated arguing with him to put me down. In the end, I was too tired to fuss, and it felt nice to lay my head against his chest.

It wouldn't hurt to close my eyes and rest. Just for a little while.

I jolted upright with a gasp. Soft blue light bathed my pale skin, and lush, long-stemmed grass cushioned my body. Overhead, through slits between tree branches, stars twinkled. Their silver flickers made me miss Astreia so much I ached, but panic soon overwhelmed the hurt.

No matter where I looked, I could not find Remiel.

"Remy," I whispered as I rolled to my knees. Again, I said his name. Louder this time as fear outgrew my common sense. "Remy!"

He burst into the small clearing, his cloak billowing behind him. It settled heavily around him as he came to a sudden halt in front of me. A cool breeze carried the metallic scent of blood to my nostrils.

"Are you hurt?" we said together. Then, "I'm fine."

"You smell like blood."

His nimble fingers worked at a knotted string tied to his belt, and he raised the still steaming corpse of a hare into the air. My lips pursed in revulsion, but my stomach rumbled in approval, clearly in favor of sustenance, regardless of what it looked like.

"I thought you might be hungry when you woke," he said, setting the hare aside as he built a fire.

I watched him as he worked. First, he arranged the wood he'd gathered. Then he knocked two stones together to create a spark. In no time at all, a strong flame danced over the logs.

"You could have asked me to do that," I remarked as he drove two limbs into the ground on either side of the fire.

Spearing the gutted hare with a third stick, Remiel rested it across the two vertical limbs, creating a simple spit roast for the meat. Dusting off his hands, he stepped back and admired his work.

"I could have, but you're dead on your feet. Could you even summon a flame?"

Exhaling, I settled back on the grass and drew my knees to my chest. My ankle twinged a bit, but it didn't throb. Sleep had driven the worst of the fog from my brain, but exhaustion weighed heavily on me still.

"Probably not."

He sat beside me and curled his arm around my waist. "I am good for something now and then."

That sounded almost bitter. I tensed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I just meant–" The muscle in his jaw bulged as he clenched his teeth together. "Nothing. It was just a joke."

"No, it wasn't."

I pulled away from him, flattening my palm on the ground to steady myself as I stared at him. The grass felt so cool and silky against my skin.

Wait. Grass?

"Remiel, where are we?"

He plucked a blade out of the earth and spun it between his fingers. "Just now noticing this?"

"But how? We're not underground, and we aren't surrounded by ravenstone? How is this place unburned?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. We came out of the tunnel about an hour ago. The sun hadn't set yet, and as far as I could see, the land was untarnished." A wistful note crept into his voice. "It looks just as it did before the war."

"I'd almost forgotten what it was like to smell fresh air. To move without kicking up ashes. Even in the temple, the scent of smoke hung heavy. There is nothing here but the smell of sweet grass and moonflowers."

"It smells like home."

We smiled at one another. A bubble of giddiness rose inside of me, growing bigger and bigger until it burst forth as a giggle. It must have been infectious because Remiel laughed, too. Softly at first, but then harder until he held his stomach. Falling backward together, we laid on the carpet of grass, our hands joined between us as we caught our breath.

"See those stars?" He pointed to the sky with his free hand. His fingertip followed a long line of stars that turned into a spiral at the end. "That is the pendent of Nebet, the first and only Deathsinger queen. Legend says that her pendant was forged in Other Realm flames and quenched in the River Sylla. As long as she wore it, no harm could come to her. To see it in the sky during travels is a good omen."

"Why was she the only Deathsinger queen?"

Something stirred in my mind. A faint prickle I was beginning to associate with a memory as it resurfaced, but I focused too hard. It slipped away.

"Because the High Elves in the other lands were afraid. Deathsinger magic was created to keep the balance when the veil was gifted to the High Elves. True immortality was meant only for the gods, and even they grow weary and fade. To save Araphel from war, Nebet stepped down from power, and the Deathsingers found a safe place to live. Far away from those who would persecute them. They found and nurtured elves with Death magic. Elves that eventually became Reapers, and in thanks, Reapers dedicated their lives to protecting the Deathsingers."

I rolled to my side, propped my head on my hand, and listened intently to his words. Kuga had told me so little about what life actually looked like for Deathsingers, and what she had told me was peppered with bitterness. The world Remiel painted wasn't perfect, but it didn't sound so bad, either. They had a community. A life. A purpose. Something I couldn't remember having.

"What happened to Nebet?"

"No one really knows. Those who like happy endings say she fell in love."

"And those who don't?"

"That she was assassinated." He twisted so he faced me. His brown eyes reflected the firelight. "What do you think?"

"I'd like to think she fell in love."

"That's what I like to think, too," he whispered.

His gaze turned heated, and his eyes dropped to my lips. My heart stuttered to a stop as he closed the distance between us, and only when his mouth covered mine did it beat again. Fast and out of rhythm and so loud I wondered if he could hear it as he deepened the kiss.

He rolled me onto my back and covered my body with his. We were fully clothed, but never had a position felt so intimate before. All at once, I felt completely safe and completely exposed.

Clasping my hands around his neck, I opened to him. This kiss differed from the ones we'd shared before. It was demanding, and I could do nothing but surrender. For the first time in my life, not a single part of me wanted to be in control.

"Morana," he panted against my ear as he pushed my hands above my head.

My back arched, earning a sharp moan from him as my nipples scraped against his chest. Wanting to see his expression, I opened my eyes, but instead of warm, dark brown irises, I was met with a set of flames burning bright enough to blind.

"Mara!" I shrieked, bucking up with my hips.

Remiel pushed me down, his palms flattening against my shoulders while he squeezed his legs around mine to pin me in place. Not a hint of lust lingered as he looked down at me.

"Wake up, Morana. It's just a–"

"I'm awake," I said, scrambling out from under him and jumping to my feet. My ankle protested, but I ignored it as I stared down the moonlit path.

Remiel shook his head in confusion. "Then what happened?"

"Mara. She's not in my head." My heart thudded for an entirely different reason now. "She's here."