Blade shook his head and turned to Manlius.
“I’ll announce the news to everyone,” he said, walking to the center of the courtyard. Those gathered in the field moved closer to hear him.
“Firstly, I want to thank you all for coming. I know this wasn’t easy, especially considering the pain many of you still carry,” he said. “We managed to help Blade have another vision.”
“Is it really happening? Are we going to have another war?” Killan asked.
“Yes,” Manlius said. “As we speak, the veil is halfway open. The demons are using their own magic to force it wider.”
“When will it be fully open?” the high priestess asked.
“I can’t be sure, but by my estimation, it will be open by tomorrow morning,” Manlius said. “We must prepare as best we can and hope for the best.”
Murmurs spread as people began returning to their camps. Sadness hung over the field, faces drawn with worry.
Alexander rubbed the back of his neck, feeling hopeless. He’d known it was bad, but this…
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath.
“We won’t be able to fight with the sun out,” Greer said beside him.
“I know,” Alexander replied quietly.
A heavy silence settled over the field as everyone seemed to accept what might come. It was thick and oppressive.
Then suddenly, the silence broke with a scream.
“Yes… yes, I’ll marry you.”
Alexander turned toward the commotion and immediately wished he hadn’t. Across the field where the fae had set up camp, a young fae with blond hair was looking adoringly at his partner as he spun him around. Their laughter and tears blended into something both heartbreaking and beautiful.
“Damn, now I wish I had someone,” Greer said, shaking his head as he walked back toward their camp.
Alexander stood still, watching the couple a moment longer, his chest aching. Then he turned away and went in search of Manlius.
He found the sorcerer speaking with the high priestess in the courtyard.
“Can I have a word with you?” Alexander asked.
“Sure,” Manlius said. “We’ll talk later, Melanie.”
Alexander made his way down to the cellar. The damp, stale air filled his lungs as he descended the stairs. The metal coffin was still there, leaning against the wall.
He wondered whose idea it had been to put him inside it.
When he had first woken up in that coffin, he had wanted nothing more than to kill whoever was responsible. Now, though, he found himself wanting to thank them.
Watching the couple earlier had made something clear. He had been given a second chance. And even if it was about to end tomorrow, he would never trade the time he had spent with Boaz for anything.
Alexander turned to face Manlius.
“What would it take for you to get your powers back?” Alexander asked.
He walked over to the coffin and ran his fingers over the iron, pulling them back to find them coated in soot. He tried to rub it off, but the smell of fire and smoke clung to him, reminding him how close he had come to death. “Your silence is going to get a lot of people killed. We can’t fight what we can’t see. Everyone needs you.”
Manlius sighed. “Do you think I haven’t tried to get my powers back?”
“I’m sure you have. But it doesn’t hurt to try again,” Alexander said. “What is it going to take?”