Aligning the Forgotten ✓

Chapter 42: Renit

The last time Renit felt this type of ache, he was leaning over Darlene's body, trying to revive her. Oisin was lying mere feet away, bleeding out onto the cobblestone in the courtyard, and after realizing there was nothing he could do to save him, Renit focused his attempts on the woman he loved instead. In the end, that hadn't worked either.

That was the last time he felt this way. Something tears open inside his heart as he hears the words over and over again. Roux is fighting in the war. The witch of ground, the one he never appreciated from the second she arrived and realized too late that she was his revival, she's gone. They're not in the castle like he, and the rest of the rebels, believed going into this.

They're hundreds of miles away, fighting on a battlefield that holds more death than life. In the warm camp he visited hundreds of years ago or dying out in the middle of the battle, Renit doesn't know. Once the truth soaks its way into his body, no way to ignore it, he stands. His breathing comes in rasps while he tries to figure out what needs to happen; they're gone, have been gone for a while, and there's no telling if she's still alive.

Renit hates not knowing. How could his father do something like this? After the success of the potion, he was supposed to protect her as his prodigy; the one true symbol to the kingdom that would instill fear in those worrying for their innocence. To take her to war means he's risking her life, the same for his own, but death will never reach the king.

If the leader of Esaria decides who is to die, whether himself or his third hand, he will choose her. Something could have shifted in the war already, and no one in the kingdom would know whether she's dead or alive. Renit drags a hand through his hair and attempts to calm his nerves—his hands are shaking, same as the witch of flame across the small room.

"I have to do something," Renit mutters. All eyes turn to him. "I have to know whether she's alive or not."

He moves towards the door without a plan, and Tesha steps in front of it to block his path. A bold move for a human, considering his power is roiling with rage and fear as it searches for her. But she's too far; his freak-out directly results from his power experiencing the same terror. The powers of ground and storm join at the hip; upon hearing she might not be here anymore...it's death for them both.

"There is nothing we can do." Tesha presses a hand against his chest to gently push him back. "By the time you get there, it'll be too late. She's gone already—there's no getting her back."

Renit stares her down and isn't sure whether he should challenge her or not. But, to clear it up, Alaric says, "She's right, Renit. There's nothing we can do for her now. All we can do is plan out what it's going to take to get her out of the castle. That's it."

"Fine, new plan." Renit moves back to his cot and forces himself to sit down. Otherwise, his body will lose all sense of control. Where could she be right now? Is she alive? Is she breathing? Or is she lying somewhere, cold and alone, waiting for someone to help? Gods, he can't think right now. "We take two trips to the castle. One to get her out and the other to kill the king."

"No," Tesha barks. "No, I didn't come all this way for you to be heartbroken over some witch that is too far gone to help." She sticks a callused finger in the air. "We have one plan, one goal. Kill the king. Nothing more."

The only silent witch in the room, the one fighting back tears in remembrance for his best friend since childhood, the one that showed him everything there was to learn about the world, wipes at his nose and swallows down his emotions. Even without hearing him speak, Renit knows Bren's change of heart as it's loud enough to cleave through the room.

"I agree with the prince," Bren discloses.

Tesha nearly rips out her hair. "You two are fools. I can't believe you're giving up everything for her. It's a lost cause, the king has her, she's not coming back."