High up on the rooftops, the harpies shrieked and called in response to the old harpy's declaration.

  "W-what's happening?" Tristan asked. "What did she say?"

  "She said that the blood of Ura-Elathiel has returned to Caer-Elath-Sylnareth."

  Tristan's face went white. Stepping away from Ushai, her eyes looked everywhere but at me.

  I remembered Faye asking Tristan if she was Ura-Elathiel's granddaughter when we were down in Copperhold. I wanted to ask her more about that back then, but a lot had happened, so I mostly forgot about it. "Ura-Elathiel was your grandma, wasn't it?"

  "Yes." She sounded tense.

  "Tris..." She always hated talking about her past, but this was important. I could tell. "Was your grandma, uh, someone important?"

  Her lips tightened.

  Nailed it. "She was, wasn't she?"

  Tristan let out a slow exhalation. "She was one of Faye's allies in the Fourth Era. Without her help, Faye and her party wouldn't have been able to breach Embermist Keep in the final battle." She frowned. "I guess she had a power that allowed her to cross through it, so they needed her help."

  "She was strong, huh?" Tristan was considered a prodigy by the temple. It made sense that she was the descendant of some powerful person. "That makes sense." I winked at her. "You are pretty incredible."

  Giving me a small, tense smile, she said, "Well, yeah. But also, she was also kind of..." She mumbled something I couldn't make out.

  "Kind of what now?" I cupped my hand around my ear.

  "She was, uh, kind of also the empress of Nolei." Tristan's cheeks reddened. "And the last queen of Istaera."

  "Come again?" Surely I'd heard her wrong. Nolei was one of the largest nations on Reial. Not just one of the largest, either. Based on all the books Arden had me read, it was also the oldest and was once the most prosperous nation in the world, though apparently it had been going through hard times since the middle of the Fourth Era, when its empress was either kidnapped... or eloped... with the last high king of Istaera.

  Wait.

  "Empress of Nolei? Like, the big ass empire filled with elves on the other side of Reial, Nolei? The one that doesn't let other races inside its borders and has a huge-ass wall separating it from everywhere else? That Nolei?"

  Slowly, Tristan nodded. "Y-yeah."

  "And Ura-Elathiel was a queen. The queen. Of Istaera."

  "Yes."

  "The same queen who disappeared with the king at the beginning of the Fifth Era, leaving the throne empty to this day? That queen?" That was the first bit of history Arden had ever told me. I'd never forgotten it. It's when I'd realized I really was in a different world.

  Tristan nodded again. "Yeah, that was her."

  My mind went blank. "Really?"

  "Really."

  "Does Na-Ya know?"

  She nodded. "She does. She's Ura-Elathiel's granddaughter, too."

  That snapped me out of my stupor. "What the shit, Tristan?!" There's keeping things private, and then there's "I'm a secret elven princess who is also directly connected to Istaera's line of succession" cryptic. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

  Her head dropped. "I wanted to!"

  "You wanted to?!"

  "Please don't be mad!"

  "I am not mad!" I shouted.

  "Then why are you shouting at me?!" She shouted back.

  Oops. Unlike me and Vral, who got in verbal spats all the time, Tristan and I rarely fought. It wasn't exactly comfortable for either of us to do so. I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts. This was big. "Sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. But this is kind of important, you know?"

  Her sapphire eyes trailed up to meet mine. "I know it's important. I do. It's a big part of why I wanted to go to the grove with you."

  "Why's that?"

  She toed at the ground. "I wanted my moms to explain it to you."

  "Why not tell me yourself?" I asked.

  "I honestly don't know everything, so I didn't want to get any of the details wrong." She shrugged. "Plus, I only just recently learned about it. It's taken me a while to process."

  That made me feel a little better. If she'd been hiding this since the beginning, I would have smacked her. "When did you find out?"

  "I found out when I met up with my moms in Galden." She gave me a sheepish smile. "It's why I've been trying so hard lately to get stronger. To learn more. I have big shoes to fill, you know?" Her eyes softened. "We both do."

  "Yeah, I guess you're right." Thinking back, I had noticed for a while that she had been a little different ever since she left Vral and me the night of the harvest festival. I'd assumed it'd been because we'd gotten in that big fight with the possessed people, but it looked like there was more to it. A lot more. "Well..." Turn this shit around, Alex. Butter her up. "I think it's incredible."

  She shuffled. At the same time, her smile grew. "You think so?"

  "Definitely."

  "You don't see me any differently now, do you?"

  Was that what she was worried about? "I mean, not every guy can say that he's engaged to an elven princess." I laughed. "I mean, who wouldn't want to marry a princess?"

  With her own laugh, she said, "Yeah, I guess you're right." She held up her hands. "But I'm not really a princess or anything. It's all stuff that happened a long time ago."

  "You're a princess to me." I gave her my best grin. "Plus, whether you want to believe it or not, you're kind of a real princess."

  She rolled her eyes at me. "You're so stupid."

  "Yeah, well, I never said I wasn't. You love me, though."

  With a laugh, she said, "I do."

  That broke the tension, and we immediately laughed full-bodied, belly-aching laughter

  Once we simmered down, I came back to my senses. The old harpy, along with all of the others, had been watching our whole spat unfold with far more patience than I would have had. Glancing at Irileth's mom, I said, "Sorry about that. We had to clear something up."

  "It is fine." She stepped up to Tristan again. "Daughter." Looking Tristan up and down, the woman smiled and asked, "I am Ushai, of the North Wind. What is the name of she who bears Ura-Elathiel's blood?"

  Tristan let her hands slip down to the talons on the top of Ushai's wings. "Alex, can you translate for me?"

  "Yeah," I said. "She just said that her name's Ushai of the North Wind."

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  "Ushai... "That name feels so familiar." She swallowed. "Will you ask her how she knows Ura-Elathiel?"

  I translated the question for her.

  "I knew her for many years. She was one of my closest friends. "Ushai looked upward, her eyes scanning the Dreaming Crown's branches.

  "How did you meet?" Tristan's eyes were focused on Ushai.

  "When I first met her, I was but a girl. My flock was struggling to survive, fighting as we were against the ones consumed by the Black Flame. One night, after days of bitter losses, your forebear, Ura-Elathiel, descended from the heavens in a carriage made of golden light."

  Her brows scrunching together, Tristan asked, "A carriage of golden light?"

  "Yes. I know no other way to describe it." Ushai looked back at Tristan. "In her arms was the Great Mother, who had just days before entered the world, and at Ura-Elathiel's sides were her faithful attendants."

  "I see." Tristan shook her head. "Did she help you with your battles?"

  Ushai laughed. "She did more than help. Before her feet touched the ground, her light rippled across the battlefield, and those corrupted by the Black Flame were freed from their servitude. Then, in the same voice you speak with, she spoke to us all. The words she said that day changed our flock and my life forever."

  "How?" Tristan asked.

  "She shared her vision that day. Of a world slowly succumbing to the shadow, and the way to survive what was to come. It was only through her will that we did."

  "What happened next?"

  "We swore oaths that day, oaths that bound us to Ura-Elathiel's vision. We were to work with the mortals to rebuild this ancient ruin. To transform it into a seat of power for those who would one day come." Ushai pointed a wing at the tree. "After we swore our oaths, she planted the seed that would one day become the Dreaming Crown in the center of these ruins, and she tied the Great Mother's life to the crown. From that day forward, this land was tied to the Great Mother, and our lives were tied to hers."

  "And you still hold these oaths?" Tristan asked, her voice shaky.

  Bowing, the harpy said, "Yes. And we always will."

  Tristan slowly nodded. "Just like my mate has been saying, you're so much more than what mortals think you are." She reached up and stroked Ushai's cheek. In response, the woman closed her eyes and pressed herself into Tristan's hand. "You're kind and good."

  "Your hand feels just like hers did," Ushai whispered.

  Tristan's eyes grew misty. "Were you close?"

  Ushai nodded. "I served her faithfully until the day she left us for good. She was my dearest friend."

  "I hope we can become friends, too." Tristan's voice was filled with sincerity.

  After giving them a few moments, I finally said, "I don't understand." Pointing to the ruins around us, I asked. "This place looks like it's been abandoned forever. What happened here?"

  For a long moment, Ushai took Tristan in with her tear-filled eyes. After blinking away her tears, she finally turned to face me. "It has not always been like this. For many, many years, my kind and the mortals lived in harmony. We built this city up from the ancient ruin that it had been to the grand city you see around you."

  "What changed?"

  "In a single night, near the end of the war that the mortals fought against the Voice from Below's children, all who walked the earth of this place were consumed by countless biting mouths. Their flesh was devoured, and even their bones became dust."

  That sure sounded like Zylla. I'd never forgotten all the insect eyes glaring at me in that alleyway back in Galden. I still had dreams about it from time to time. "And no one's tried to resettle here since?"

  The harpy frowned. "A black mist filled the land that same night. Since then, no one remembers this place once they leave."

  And that was definitely Avara. She probably cast a curse of forgetting on this place, just like... just like... uh... like the curse she cast on that witch we met back in Goodfield.

  Goddess, the scions were terrible.

  "So that means we'll forget you when we leave here?"

  Ushai nodded. "I believe so."

  Maybe, just maybe, [S?o?v?e?r?e?i?g?n?] would prevent that from happening. "I hope not."

  Her hawk eyes flicked to Tristan. "As do I."

  I stood there, trying to process everything Ushai had just told us. An entire city consumed in a single night. Another curse of forgetting. And now we were standing in the middle of it, talking to the only survivors. Creatures who'd been left behind to guard a place no one else would ever remember.

  "That's..." I trailed off, not sure what to say. "That's sad."

  "It really is." Tristan's voice was heavy.

  Ushai's expression remained neutral. "It has been our burden to bear for many years. But we do not abandon our oaths, even when the world around us has forgotten." She gestured around her. "I still believe that, one day, this city will become what Ura-Elathiel believed it would become. It may not be in my time, or the time of my daughter or her daughter's daughter, but one day, I know it will come."

  Tristan's hand reached out to grasp Ushai's wing. She looked up at the harpy with something between sadness and determination in her eyes. "How can we help you?"

  I translated her words.

  The old harpy's eyes softened, as if she'd been expecting the question. For a moment, she said nothing. Then, slowly, she turned her gaze toward the massive tree towering above us. "There may be a way," Ushai said quietly. "If you are willing."

  "I'll do anything to help," Tristan said immediately, without even a moment's hesitation.

  That was my woman. "Go. I can handle finding Vral and beating back the Black Ears. It's your turn to be a hero."

  Tristan blushed. "I guess you're right." Then, she nodded to Ushai. "Tell me how I can help you."

  Ushai's wings shifted, causing her feathers to rustle in the still air. "The Great Mother suffers from the wounds inflicted by the stained ones. When they came to this place days ago, they chipped away at the heartvein she'd created. Displeased with their actions, she flew out to encourage them to stop damaging her creations before they had time to mature. They pretended to listen to her words, yet, as they spoke with her, they prepared their weapons. When she turned to fly away, they attacked her with weapons coated in a vile poison, one that slowly devours from within." Her voice grew quieter. "We have done what we can to ease her suffering, but the rot runs deep."

  "Do you have any healers among your people?" Tristan asked.

  "We do, but they have not been able to succeed." Ushai's face darkened. "If we do not heal her, not only will she die, but this city will as well, and along with it, Ura-Elathiel's dream."

  "Why is that?" I asked.

  "The Great Mother's life is tied to the Dreaming Crown, and the crown's roots run deep into the earth. Through her spirit, the poison has spread through its roots, through the very foundation of this place. I do not believe there is much time left."

  "But you think I can do it?" Tristan asked. "How could I, when your own healers couldn't?" She frowned. "I'm not that special."

  "To heal her would require power beyond what my flock possesses." She looked Tristan in the eyes. "But you, daughter of Ura-Elathiel's blood... You may be able to do what we cannot. I believe that is why you are standing here before us now."

  Tristan's breath caught. "Do you think... do you think I have that power?"

  "Your blood carries the same light that once flowed through Ura-Elathiel's veins," Ushai said. "The same light that freed countless souls from the Black Flame's corruption. If anyone can heal the Great Mother's wounds and purge the corruption from her body, it would be you."

  I could see the doubt flickering across Tristan's face, the uncertainty about whether she was truly capable of something like that. But I also saw the determination, too. That same stubborn determination that had gotten her through every impossible situation we'd faced to get to this point.

  "I'll try," Was all she said.

  "Then we will go," Ushai turned and spread her wings.

  "Wait!" A thought had suddenly struck me. I reached into my inventory and pulled out one of the crystals I'd kept. I was pretty sure I knew who made them, but I had to be sure.

  Ushai's head turned around, twisting much further than a human's could. "Yes?"

  "You mentioned heartvein. Is that what these crystals are?"

  Ushai tilted her head slightly, considering the crystal in my fingers. "Yes. The Great Mother purifies the darkness wherever she finds it. When corruption takes root in the land, she transforms it into light." She gestured with a wing toward one of the few crystalline formations at the edge of the square. "These are the remnants of that purification. They are darkness made pure."

  "And she's been doing this... outside of the city?" I pressed. "Maybe, to the southeast, near a small village?"

  She nodded. "She has spoken of a small village of mortals not far from here. In recent months, monsters have encroached upon their settlement. The Great Mother has been traveling to their lands to help protect them."

  Everything clicked into place. The Great Mother. Monsters encroaching on Goodfield. Crystals appearing out of nowhere. "Hey Tris, I think we just figured out this quest." I pointed at the tree. "The Great Mother's been helping Goodfield."

  As the words left my mouth, the System popped up in my mind.

  You have completed the quest [Hunting the Hunted].

  You reach level 48.

  +1 Strength

  +1 Resilience

  +1 Agility

  +1 Power

  +1 Will.

  "Phew, what a quest." Tristan laughed. "Still, if she's been helping them, then it's our turn to help her."

  I gave her a small smile. "Not our. Your. Go save her, Tris."

  "I guess you're right." With a slow, steady exhalation, she said, "Tell Ushai I'm ready."

  I did as she asked.

  Relief washed over the old harpy's features, making her look decades younger, if only for just a moment. "Thank you, daughter. Thank you." She stepped back, her wings spreading wide. "Come. The Great Mother waits at the crown's heart, high above. I will take you to her." With those words, Ushai crouched slightly, positioning herself so that Tristan could climb onto her back.

  Tristan glanced back at me, and I could see the nervousness in her eyes despite her brave front. "You'll be okay down here?"

  "I'll be fine," I gave her a thumbs up. "Go do your thing. I'll go help our dumb ass girlfriend and clean up the Black Ears while you do the real heroic stuff."

  "Sounds good. Be safe." She nodded, then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Ushai's shoulders.

  "Hold tight. The ascent is swift." With a powerful beat of her wings, Ushai launched herself into the air.

  Tristan let out a loud yelp as she flew into the air with her.

  The harpy circled once around the old square, gaining altitude with each sweep, her movements graceful despite her age. All around me, the other harpies took flight as well, their wings creating a symphony of rushing air. They followed Ushai in a spiraling formation, surrounding her like they were her escort.

  I watched as they climbed higher and higher, watched as they grew smaller against the massive trunk of the Dreaming Crown. Slowly, they rose toward the tree's center, where the branches grew thickest. Then, one by one, they vanished into the tree's massive leaves.

  When the last harpy disappeared, I took a deep breath, turned to the northeast, and started running. Even if I couldn't help Tristan right now, I sure as shit could help Vral.