Chapter 19

Sylvi

It took all my strength to carry Cat’s limp body from the path and gently place her on the soft grass. She must have woken up, but she didn't say a word, and only curled into a ball and sobbed quietly as I lay down next to her and held her in my arms.

“Why do you care…?”, she whispered through her sobs. “Why? After everything I’ve done…?

She shivered, and her body tensed as if preparing to be struck, filling the air with the fear that had hunted her for so long.

I tried to sing for her, but my song faded, and instead, tears filled my eyes. The vision the forest had given me flashed before my eyes, making my heart freeze, yet I knew I had to push it away, even for a moment, and find the courage to feel what she had felt for such a long time in order to heal her heart.

The world was burning around us, and the air once again filled with screams and the smell of burning flesh. I knew I wouldn’t be left untouched if I dared to fight back, but what other choice did I have? The forest had shown me what would happen if I failed and hesitated to take action when my heart called me to.

I held Cat tight and pressed my wet cheek against her neck. I sang quietly at first, trying to gently quench the flames, as I used to do when someone came to me for healing. But my song faded once more, and a part of me died, consumed by the fire. I didn’t dare to scream, knowing that if I let my fear and pain escape my heart, it would find its way into Cat’s, destroying any chances she had to smile again when she looked at the starry sky.

She felt so fragile in my arms, so soft as she pressed herself into me in search of the warmth and comfort that would protect her from the dark shadow that lingered in her heart. I gathered my courage and sang again, putting everything I had left and held dear into my song. I asked the forest to lend me its strength, since I knew that if any doubt would find its way into my heart, we would be lost, consumed by the flames that burned the world.

When I opened my eyes again, the sun was slowly setting in the west. I shivered with cold and tried to get up, but my body was so weak I collapsed on the grass. Only then did I see Cat sitting on the riverbank, watching the bubbling water. She must have heard me because she turned and walked up to me, offering me some water before she sat down on the grass next to me.

“Are... are you okay?”, she asked.

Her voice sounded softer than I remembered it. Something had changed in her, but I was too weak to fully tell what. I smiled.

“How do you feel?”, I asked.

She avoided my gaze and stayed silent. I reached out and put my hand on hers and gently squeezed it. She ignored me, but didn’t pull away, and we sat in silence. The sun had almost set when she spoke,

“I will take you back to your forest, you don’t belong here.”

Her words brought tears to my eyes. I dearly wished to go back and once again walk between the ancient trees that had been my home for all my life, but I knew I couldn’t. She looked at me and tried to smile.

“You will be safe there.”

I shook my head.

“I cannot go back.”

“Why?”

She narrowed her eyes. I wished I could explain to her, but I had no words to do so, only the tears that now flowed down my cheeks.

“Fine.”

Her body tensed as she tried to find the right words that would express something she hadn't felt in a really long time.

“You saved my life, and I will protect you to pay my debt.”

Her words sounded harsh at first, but I could feel softness and care woven into them.

“We will go East, beyond the mountains, where the lands are free from the Queen’s rule. You will be safe there.”

I tried to smile, but doubt and fear crept into my heart. Her decision felt wrong, even if I didn’t understand why.

“What about Sarah? How will she find us there?”, I asked.

I watched with terror as Cat’s hand reached for her dagger when I mentioned the Unicorn’s name.

“She betrayed you”, she said coldly, and her voice sent chills down my spine. “If she follows us and tries to hurt you again, she will die.”