A note from the author:
Is anyone still out there? If so, please accept my deepest apologies for taking so long to update. Shortly after my last chapter was published, I had an accident and my recovery (and the depression that followed) was painful and long. I've missed this story so very much and returning to update was an absolute comfort to my soul. I have such an amazing story planned, but I've been pretty discouraged lately by how quiet it has been on the review front. Regardless, I'm going to finish telling this story no matter what, but I do wonder if anyone still reads, and if so, what their thoughts may be. Enjoy the chapter, guys!


After hours of intricate navigation through the complex tunnel system running deep below the palace of Samarkand, Evelyn, Ben, Lailah and Omari finally emerged above ground. The narrow opening was well concealed by an overgrowth of prickly plants, making for an even trickier final escape. Evelyn hacked through the tough thickness with a dagger, taking care to create an opening wide enough for Ben to carry the fallen prince through. The group made it out just as the sun began dipping into the horizon. Though it was a long awaited relief to see the vivid, fiery sky and breathe fresh air into their lungs, they could not relax just yet.

Evelyn pulled a map from Ben's pack as he stood with Omari draped over his arms. She flipped the map around a few times, looking up at the horizon and back down before finally getting her bearings. She quickly pointed toward a narrow path that cut through the mountainside. "This way," she told them.

Lailah appeared utterly drained and shell-shocked as she weakly raised her hand. "Wait," she requested, her voice weak and monotonous. "It has been nearly an hour," she continued, turning to Ben and Omari. "He needs healing."

With a solemn nod, Ben laid the ailing Prince down on the ground in a practiced manner. In order to keep Omari's life sustained this long, the group had to stop repeatedly to aid him over the course of their journey. At first, they administered one healing phial every hour, but when those were depleted, Lailah had to take over and channel her healing each time. Standing in the light of day, now, it was clear that this task had taken a severe toll on her. Her naturally pink complexion had turned pale and grey, and she could no longer hold herself up straight, slumping forward as if the weight of the world were pressing against her back.

Ben stood up and glanced down at Lailah before locking eyes with Evelyn, his gaze full of doubt and regret. Omari's life was fleeing from his body at a much more rapid pace than they could keep up with, and it had become apparent to them both. Not wanting to upset Lailah any more than she already was, he spoke vaguely to his wife as the healer worked.

"The sun," he started off, his eyes darting down to Omari to emphasize that by 'sun', he was referring to the Prince. "Will be setting soon," he advised her. "We're going to have to move faster if we want to make it before we lose the light."

Evelyn pressed her lips together knowingly. She looked up at the sky, her eyelids fluttering as she blinked away the moisture forming in her eyes. "We can still make it," she replied, not out of denial, but rather to call upon the last shred of hope that remained deep within her soul.

"It is done, for now," Lailah told them as she struggled to rise from where she knelt over Omari.

Evelyn swooped in to help her up, her brow knitted with concern as she studied the fatigue written all over her face. "Lailah, please let me share in this task," she pled with her. "You don't have to do this alone."

Lailah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "We can not risk losing you," she responded. "I have been doing this for years, and you have only just begun." She opened her eyes, looking at Evelyn through heavy lids. "Without proper training, you could harm yourself...or worse."

Evelyn placed her hands on the other woman's shoulders, steadying her as she helped her stand. "What do you mean?"

Lailah's swollen red eyes pooled with tears, and she gulped deeply before offering an answer. "I have seen it first hand… and I will not allow it to happen ever again."

Willing to do just about anything she could to ease this woman's suffering, Evelyn nodded. "Okay," she agreed, "but at least take some water." She reached across to retrieve a small canteen from Ben.

Lailah reluctantly sipped from the container as Evelyn turned up a hand and summoned her Will. A light sheen of frost glittered over her palm as she conjured the beginnings of an ice spell.

"Here," she spoke softly as she pressed her palm against Lailah's forehead, then gently moved it over both her cheeks. "This will help."

The healer's eyes lazily closed, and she let out an instinctive sigh of relief.

A soft smile crossed Evelyn's lips. "Better?"

Lailah opened her eyes and the corners of her mouth tugged ever-so slightly into what would likely have been a smile, had the woman not been so overwrought with grief. "Thank you," she replied.

Evelyn nodded, satisfied to have—at the very least—been able to provide Lailah with a small measure of comfort. Looking over at Ben, she said, "Okay, we're ready now."

Ben wasted no time in lifting Omari back up from the ground, and Evelyn stepped ahead to lead them the rest of the way home.


Under the deep velvet canopy of the midnight sky, the group finally found themselves standing before the gates to Reaver's desert estate. The trek had been grueling, and after countless hours, the heroic constitutions of both Ben and Evelyn had been tested to their absolute limits. The weight of the unconscious prince had caused Ben's arms to burn and quiver as what little strength he had left was sapped from his body. Evelyn's Will had become severely depleted after she took over healing Omari when Lailah had fallen too weak to dispute her. Evelyn refused to let her friend perish in the desert, and she was also not about to let down the woman who risked everything to save him.

"Wait here just a moment," Evelyn whispered as she unhooked Lailah's arm from around her neck and carefully propped her against the stone wall beside the gates. She moved sluggishly to swing open the gate, and found herself struggling with the weight of the wrought iron. Looking back at Ben, she gave a nod of assurance before pulling it the rest of the way open.

It was eerily silent, so much so that the creaking of the gate jolted them into a guarded state. After a quick visual inspection of the courtyard, they let out a collective sigh. Ben gritted his teeth as he hiked the slumping prince back up into his arms, and Evelyn hooked her arm behind Lailah before they made their way up the path.

Once inside, Ben grunted as he put Omari down on the lounge chair—the first surface he saw where he could deposit the man without dropping him. "Stay here with him," he told Evelyn.

Lailah leaned against a nearby wall for a few moments before her legs gave out and she slid down onto her backside. Evelyn kneeled beside Omari and placed two fingers just under his jaw before looking up at Ben, eyes wide with alarm. "Hurry," she urged him, her breathing now labored.

Ben moved as swiftly across the foyer as his body would allow. He placed his hand against the far wall, steadying himself in front of an elaborate hall clock. Propped against the foot of the clock was the large pack they'd brought with them from the ship. He leaned forward, flinching away a dizzy spell as he reached inside to grab a handful of the restorative potions they'd packed ahead of the trip.

"Ben!" Evelyn cried out in a panic. "He's not breathing!"

Ben bit down on the cork of a healing phial and pulled it out with his teeth, spitting it onto the floor as he shuffled over to them. He fell to his knees beside them with a hard thud and quickly administered the liquid. His movements were uncharacteristically erratic and unbalanced. His hand pinched Omari's nose while the other rubbed at his throat in an attempt to force the potion down.

As Ben worked feverishly to revive the Prince, Evelyn reached into his pocket to retrieve another potion. "Drink," she ordered him, pressing the open vial to his lips. "I can't lose you, too." Her voice was shaking. For the first time since they set out on their quest, she looked as if she had lost all hope.

He swallowed the bitter elixir and almost instantly, his eyes grew wide with alertness and his posture straightened. "I'm not going anywhere, love." He pulled two potions of Will from his pocket with his free hand. "And neither are you," he assured her.

Evelyn drank the Will potion and took the other to Lailah, who still sat slumped over on the floor behind her. The young woman devoured the elixir and gulped deeply before gasping for air. As her faculties rapidly returned, she looked over Evelyn's shoulder and saw Ben pumping on Omari's chest. Her expression shifted to one of horror, causing Evelyn to look back, and together they both scrambled to help Ben.

"Stop," Lailah calmly requested, holding a hand out over Ben's.

Ben shot her a look of utter confusion. "Stop?" he huffed between chest compressions before looking over at Evelyn. "Evie, if I stop—"

"His heart stops," Lailah finished.

Evelyn locked gazes with Lailah and a dead silence fell over them, the only sounds filling the room were those of Ben's fervid resuscitation attempts as they grew increasingly more desperate and violent. Each moment felt like an eternity until Evelyn's eyes finally widened and her jaw hung slightly agape. "Only surrender, or...death," she began reciting what Lailah had previously told them in the dungeons when they had first found Omari.

"Will free him from the dark affliction," Lailah finished, bowing her head.

"So...we can bring him back?" Evelyn asked her nervously.

Lailah's eyes burned with newfound determination. "You cannot," she answered. "But I can."

Evelyn shook her head. "Wait!" she shouted as the other woman positioned herself beside the Prince. "You told me you needed me in order to save him. I will not risk his life over your lack of confidence in my abilities!"

"I would never risk a life over such things...his or yours," she calmly assured her. She placed her hands over Omari's chest, looking up at Ben expectantly.

Ben paused a few moments before he reluctantly pulled his hands back and stepped away from the other man.

In a panic, Evelyn rushed over and knelt across from Lailah, her hands outstretched, already glowing with restorative magic.

"No!" Lailah shouted, her eyes slashing over at Ben. "If you want your wife to live, you must not let her do this!"

The healer's words struck Ben with an immediate state of worry and he rushed in with lightning speed. Evelyn was strong and determined, but her physical strength was no match for his as he wrapped his arms around her, and with a bear hug, he pulled her away from her dying friend. The momentum of his actions brought him down to the floor on his backside, her along with him. Sensing her pain, he squeezed her tightly and rocked back and forth as they both watched the healer attempt to revive Omari.

Lailah held her hands out over the lifeless Prince, drawing in a deep breath before locking eyes with Evelyn. "If I do not survive this, please tell him that he must finish what we started."

Evelyn struggled from within Ben's hold on her. "No, please, Lailah," she begged. "You don't have to die."

Lailah's eyes glazed over and she softly smiled. "And I will certainly try not to," she replied. "But if I do, then I will be at peace with Sadir." She closed her eyes and readied herself, holding her hands out over Omari before exhaling and telling Evelyn one last thing under her breath. "No matter what, you must not intervene."

Having finally claimed the life of its victim, the inky tendrils of Bakari's corruption dripped from Omari's body when his heart stopped beating. Evelyn sobbed as she watched his complexion turn blue. All of the things she could have done differently—should have done differently—played over in her mind. She stopped struggling against her husband and clung to him with all of her strength as she continued to watch helplessly as not one, but two innocent souls fought for their lives.

Lailah placed one hand on the Prince's forehead and the other over his heart. A radiant, almost blinding green glow emanated from her palms, spreading slowly up her arms and into her chest as she channeled life into him. Her expression contorted with agony as the power of her spell forced an inner struggle to maintain the delicate balance between life and death for them both. Her breathing became labored and she let out a yelp as she fought to maintain her connection.

Overcome by shock, guilt and grief, Evelyn turned to bury her face into Ben's neck.

Ben rest his chin on the top of her head as he held her close. "Shh," he whispered. "Don't give up hope now, love."

He was right. Though Lailah was attempting to do something unthinkable, and though Omari was—for all intents and purposes—gone, Evelyn had to have faith in their strength and will. If that was all that she could do in this moment, then she would not be as powerless as she thought. Despite never being the type of person to leave anything to fate or the gods, she raised her head, and with eyes still closed, she whispered a prayer.

Ben let his eyes close as his forehead touched hers. Evelyn's breath ghosted across his lips as she called for help from the beyond. He could not make out all of her words, but he distinctly heard her whisper the names of her mother and Walter. After a few minutes, they were both quickly jolted by a loud thud and a ragged gasp.

Evelyn quickly sprung into action, rushing to her friend's side. Omari had drawn a breath, but Lailah had fallen. Ben swooped in next to the healer and checked for a pulse.

"She's unconscious, but she's alive." He nodded. "Is he—"

"He's breathing!" She sobbed tears of joy, cradling the Prince's head in her arms.

"I've got her, Evie," Ben said, lifting Lailah up from the floor. "You should stay with him until he's come about."

"A-are you sure?" she stammered, still in a state of disbelief over what had just taken place.

Ben smiled, reassuringly. "She's probably going to need all of the potions we have left and a good bit of rest, but I think she'll be alright. Besides, I'm quite certain the Prince would much rather see your face than my old mug when he comes to."

Evelyn smiled back at him, nodding in agreement, and he took the healer to a nearby room for rest and replenishment.

"Ari?" Evelyn whispered, gently touching Omari's face as she scanned his features for signs of life. She could not be sure that he was out of the woods until his mind awakened. "I'm...I'm so sorry, my friend," she whimpered. "I could have prevented this all. I should never have let you come back to this place. I should have protected you."

Omari's eyes squinted as he strained to open them. He mumbled and grumbled incomprehensibly as his head turned side to side, as if he were waking from a nightmare. "Evelyn," he rasped.

"Yes!" she shouted, a bit overzealously. "It's me, Omari!"

He winced in pain at the volume of her voice. "Ah, ow…"

"Sorry," she whispered, her eyes full of regret though her smile spanned from ear to ear now knowing that he had been saved. "Forgive me."

He struggled to open his eyes and focus on her face. "There is...nothing to forgive."

"Not my shouting, Ari," she replied, looking down at him with remorse. "You nearly died… You did die. And it was all my fault."

Omari reached a hand weakly to touch her cheek, softly skimming his fingertips across her tears. "No," he replied, the strength returning to his voice. "Never say that again. Never think that again."

Evelyn bent forward and embraced him, grateful for the second chance they'd both just been given. "Never leave again," she said.

Omari returned her embrace. "You know I had to, Evelyn."

"No," she argued, leaning back to look in his eyes. "You promised me that it would not be goodbye forever and nearly got yourself killed fighting your brother."

Omari smiled at Evelyn as he pushed himself upright, taking her hands into his. "Have you not also nearly given your life for what you believe in?"

Evelyn slowly shook her head as a grin crossed her lips. They were more alike than she had ever thought before. Deep down, she understood why he did what he did, but selfishly, she wished he had never left Albion. Hugging him tightly, she replied, "This is our fight now. You won't be risking your life alone ever again."

Omari hugged her back, a few moments later asking, "Where are we?"

"I'd be happy to bring you up to speed, mate," Ben interjected as he came back into the foyer. "But you'll have to stop putting the moves on my wife first," he joked.

"Ben!" Omari smiled, relinquishing Evelyn and holding out a hand to shake the other man's. "Wife? I suppose congratulations are in order, my friend."

"Thanks, brother." Ben gave Omari a gentle pat on the shoulder before crouching down next to him and Evelyn. "You gave us all a good scare. It's good to see you back."

Omari looked around, for the first time since regaining consciousness. "So, where are we?"

"This estate belongs to Reaver," Evelyn answered. "But we are still in Samarkand. We barely got you out of the palace alive."

Omari's expression fell. "Sadir...and Lailah?"

Evelyn looked down into her hands and Ben responded, "Lailah is here and she should pull through just fine, but Sadir..." he trailed off, shaking his head.

Omari brought a hand to his mouth, his thumb and forefinger tracing his chin as he sighed. "He was so young. So strong willed. One of the good ones."

"He knew what he was fighting for. He fought until the very end to give us our escape," Evelyn added.

"Tell me how it all happened. Please," Omari asked her, his voice laced with sorrow.


Later that night, after Ben and Evelyn helped Omari into a nearby room to get some much needed rest, and after they'd checked in on Lailah who was still in a deep sleep, they made their way to the main bedchamber.

Utterly exhausted, Evelyn fumbled through the darkness toward the bed and conjured a small orb of flame in her hand to find an oil lamp on the nightstand. She tipped her hand down, allowing the fiery orb to trickle down her fingers and onto the wick.

With the room now dimly lit, they both looked up at the massive headboard: lavish cherrywood intricately carved with golden accents and a double "R" in the center. Most of the furniture around the room had been covered with dust cloths, and the area rugs had been rolled and propped up against a wall. It was clear that this old estate belonging to Reaver was not abandoned, it was vacated with thought and care.

While Ben dressed down for bed, Evelyn pulled the dust cloth from the mattress. As she reached under the mattress to untuck the taught sheets, she felt a folded piece of parchment with the back of her hand. Quietly, she pulled it out and her heart jumped when she recognized the handwriting on the outside. She desperately wanted to read its contents, but for fear of what it might say, she decided to tuck it discreetly under her pillow instead.

Ben smacked his pillow a few times to fluff it from its flattened state, and he slid into bed. He reached across, stroking Evelyn's back as she sat on the edge of the other side, still fully clothed. "Come now, sweetheart. You need to sleep."

Evelyn kicked off her sandals and removed the pieces of her jade-adorned jewelry one by one. The clinking sound that each piece made as she placed them on the wooden nightstand was a relief from the deafening silence inside the room. She felt an overwhelming sense of grief and sorrow in this place, and it was not limited to the estate. From the moment she arrived in Samarkand, she sensed the pain and death spreading across the country like a plague, and an unfathomable evil at work.

"Sleep, my love," she replied, turning to him for a soft goodnight kiss. "I will join you soon, I just...my mind is too full right now."

Ben lifted the sheet and beckoned her to him. "I thought I lost you today, Evie. Please just let me hold you close and I'll help you quiet your mind."

Evelyn nodded silently, biting her lip as a wave of emotions came crashing over her. They had all nearly met their ends that day, and she realized that they were up against a much more sinister darkness than ever before; one that she was no longer certain she could defeat. She slid back into Ben and he pulled her tightly against him.

Ben drifted quickly to sleep, but Evelyn could not stop thinking about the letter she'd found. It was haunting her. Good or bad, she could not rest until she knew what was inside. Carefully, she wriggled out from Ben's arms and reached for the folded parchment under her pillow. Feeling an overwhelming need to read the letter alone, she very quietly got out of bed and tiptoed out of the room.

Inside Reaver's old study, she found an upholstered chair next to a large window. She tugged the curtains back, letting the blue glow of moonlight cascade inside. Curling up into the chair, she pulled out the letter. Her heart began to race as her fingers traced the author's inscription: Reaver.

She drew in a deep breath and unfolded the parchment.

Reaver,

After all these years since you left and never came back, I write with hope that you have not forgotten me. We had both said and done hurtful and destructive things. I do not know how one could forget, but I imagine the centuries may have taught you things that even I might think impossible.

If it is not enough that long ago, against my better judgment, I saved you from a fate worse than death, than perhaps remember how I came to love you despite knowing the truth of your past. I tried so hard to be the person who would make you realize the value of life and the connection we had forged, but in the end, I was not enough.

I blamed you for a long time after Evan died. I had always known that you did not want marriage for yourself, and I suppose I should have known that you did not want it for me, either. I guess I will never know what your true motive was for denying help to my dying husband, but I write you now to implore you to return home for sake of Albion, before it is too late.

My children are in danger from forces beyond my control and their father has been growing mad with an affliction that cannot be diagnosed. The future of everything we fought for and all that I've worked so hard to build is at stake.

Theresa came to me in a dream last night and foretold my fate, those of my children, and that of the country. By the time this letter reaches you, it will likely be too late for me and the King-Consort, but you must come back for Logan and Evelyn. My young son will need advisement and guidance as he is forced into an untimely rule, and little Evie will need to be kept safe. I have entrusted two dear friends with their care and upbringing, but once I am gone, there must still be a Hero in Bowerstone. You are all that remains of us, Reaver.

I know you do not trust the Seeress, but if not for her, we would never have been brought together. I am not asking you to believe in her prophecy, I am asking you to help me, one last time. A darkness is coming and it will spell the end for us all, even you, if you ignore this request.

I am not afraid to face my fate, but I do fear what might happen to those I love once I am gone. I worry for my children, my friends, my trusted adviser...and you. My love for you never died, and it never will, Reaver. Not even when I am gone. If any part of you still loves me, please do this.

Sparrow

As she neared the end of the letter, Evelyn strained to make out the words. Her vision blurred as her eyes welled up with tears. Blinking them away, she ran her thumb over her mother's signature and carefully refolded the letter, clasping it close to her heart as she contemplated the revelations inside.

A few moments later, a light tapping at the door startled from her seat. She quickly tucked the note into her top and wiped her face dry before making her way across the room. "Who's there?" she whispered as she approached the door and reached for the knob.


A/N:

I'll be honest, this chapter had been sitting in my google docs nearly finished for over a month because I didn't have the confidence to push it through without my beta. I miss her dearly, but I know she'd want me to press on with the story even though she can't be here for me right now. I want to thank my friend Angela (kiltsaresexy) for being my sounding board with what little time she's had outside her insane schedule. I must also thank Lily (h34rt1lly) for saving the day and reading this over before I published. Most of all, my deepest gratitude goes out to you all, the readers. Thank you for continuing on this journey with me. Big revelations may have just happened in this update, but even bigger are in store as we get closer to the apex of the story. If you've enjoyed things so far, please consider showing your support by way of favoriting and following, and please take a moment to leave your thoughts on this chapter in the review box below!