Rayne’s blood momentarily left her body, leaving her faint and nauseous. The conduit had led them into Nox’s castle, standing on the observation platform right beside Elden’s throne. Would this nightmare ever end? Why did Elden open the conduit to here?
Lightning flashed on the horizon.
Rayne couldn’t face Nox. Couldn’t think about him. Or think at all. The only thing Rayne could hear or see was her whimpers and the faces in the crowd who’d watched Nox decimate the existing trust and feelings between them.
It felt so long ago now. Living seven million years with Nox had extended Rayne’s understanding of a lifetime. She wasn’t the girl from that night, and he wasn’t that Icarus. Not anymore.
Rehabilitation required trust, and this Icarus with a broken past had earned his second chance.
With her heart racing, Rayne turned to face Nox and found him—
Mirrors. Nox’s Atramentous always transformed his eyes into mirrors, reflecting his victims’ last moments back at them. Elden’s throne was framed in Nox’s eyes. He’d clenched his teeth and fists so tight the striations and veins popped. Their shared heart rate pounded beneath the skin.
“I’ll regret it until I’m gone, until I’m dust, and long after.”
Rayne tried to keep her voice calm, despite the emotional storm inside. “Nox.” Thunder rumbled, echoing in the valley.
It drew Nox’s attention to her. She looked so small—scared—in the mercury of his eyes.
“We move forward. I haven’t forgiven you, but I won’t hold it over your head. I know your remorse…” Nox winced at the word and Rayne softened her voice in apology as she continued. “…is genuine—I’ve felt it.” She gestured at the throne, saying, “We leave this behind us and return to our mission.”
Strangled, Nox strove to say, “I…” He didn’t finish his thought. The former King of Cinder crossed the platform, lifted the massive symbol of so much wrong, and, with a great heave, hurled it into the valley below. Seconds later, a cacophony of exploding rock resounded.
Unable to stop herself, Rayne went to the edge and peered down. Stronger now, Nox had reduced Elden’s throne to rubble. The site of Silence’s introduction to Elden, where Umbra had raped Savis to conceive Nox, and—
Behind them.
Rayne put it behind them, and so did Nox, as he peered over the edge with her. Already more relaxed than earlier, his eyes had even returned to normal.
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Impressed, Rayne said, “I don’t even need to ask if that helped.”
Nox gave a single nod.
The lightning and thunder ceased, and Rayne knew it was time. She asked, “Nox, are you prepared to move forward and take to your task?”
Nox admitted, “I could use the exercise.”
Icari and their jokes.
“I’ll miss you,” Rayne blurted without thinking, and instantly regretted it. Her face went red before Nox glanced at her with brows raised. To save face, she stammered, “I mean. You’ve been good company, and I’ll miss having you around to talk to.” Was that really saving face if it was the absolute truth?
Nox conceded the point with a nod, but he also took in Rayne’s features before turning away. With another clearing of his throat, Nox promised, “We’ll see each other again. Soon.” He punctuated the last with a crooked smile in Rayne’s direction.
She marveled at the unpracticed expression, considering Korac’s words, “Nox actually smiled. That’s right. Take a moment to let that sink in. I think I can count on one hand how often that happened in those years. In public. Xelan would remember better.”
In Rayne’s brief life, she’d experienced more love and affection than Nox had received in his seven million years of existence. This lent to more smiles for her, but in the last two years with Nox, she was sure he’d smiled more worth her than in his entire lifetime.
“Rayne.”
Too long in her head, Rayne blinked at him. “I’m sorry, what?”
Was that the ghost of a smirk? Nox asked, apparently again, “Who am I investigating?”
A little ego looked good on the enormous Icarus, but Rayne rallied her dignity. “An apprentice of Pil’s head mechanized engineer, 2Lip. His former student had once helped package Progeny weapon designs for Celindria.”
“The Seamswalking capsules?” Nox had hit the nail on the head.
Rayne nodded. “Exactly.” She carried on listing off suspicious individuals and their alleged offenses per Razor’s handy notes. Now and again wondering what were the enigmatic Pain Curator’s true motivations? By the time she’d finished, Nox’s stomach had growled four more times. Rayne giggled after each one, ignoring her own hunger pangs. “Okay. Do you think you can handle it?”
Nox looked on the verge of asking her something, but instead, he said, “Most certainly, your majesty.”
Two conduits opened: one to Pil and one to L. Capra.
Alone.
They would go out alone, and only now did Rayne’s heart trip with anxiety. She’d never really traveled alone before and had spent the last three years with the constant presence of another.
Lonely.
Rayne would feel lonely without Nox.
Maybe it was a good thing to be on her own for a bit? Certainly, it would benefit Nox to live away from his obsession with her. This was the right thing to do.
Rayne smiled as she took up beside her exit, promising, “We’ll meet again in Ishkur. I’ll let you decide when. Who knows? It might do you some good being out in the world without an explosive nacre.”
There was… an anxiety in Nox. It tightened his shoulders and stiffened his speech as he stared into the conduit to Pil. “Quite,” he offered out of hand.
Rayne stepped up to him, making Nox look down at her. She put all her best optimism into her face, eyes, and voice. “You deserve this second chance, and I think you’ll find people will warm up to you as they did when you were younger.”
Love.
Their pulse pounded with it.
Nox couldn’t help how he responded to Rayne, and the devotion was in his eyes before he could look away. “I will find you when it’s time.”
There was no doubt about it. Nox would always find Rayne.
They stepped through and went to work. For the Shadow, for Elden, and for Iona Pax.
This would be the end.