Sescina’s burial was harder than the other two, and part of that was because anyone of them in the throne room knew they could be next. Every last Paradin quietly lingered around the room after the ceremony. No one had bothered to dress formally this time. Mikra had worn his stained apron. He was the last caregiver and all responsibilities of caring for his father had been shunted onto him.

  Erador didn’t tell anyone what he saw in that hallway. He didn’t need to give anymore reasons for them to say he was wrong. His eyes drifted closed and he forced them open to stay awake. It didn’t help that he hardly slept.

  Loma fed Judgment broth from a spoon. Mikra sat on a bench, likely getting the only rest he would have from now on. With Sescina gone, they had no way to heal his father’s sores. He didn’t seem worse, not that Erador could tell. The broth dribbled down his chin as he didn’t open his mouth enough to drink it. Maybe Judgment knew this could be the end for them all.

  Erador moved from the pillar to Loma and leaned toward her ear. “What are we supposed to do about my father?”

  Loma led him away from Judgment, but he didn’t seem to have noticed. “Our only option is crystal magic.”

  “What?” Erador followed her gaze to Yuni sitting in her chair, a pile of candy on her table. Though her posture was tall, her worried eyes stared at the floor. It was unlike her to leave candy untouched. “No.”

  “Yes.” Loma nodded. “We have no other choice. His sores are bad.”

  Erador scoffed and moved back to the pillar and scanned the room. He counted each Paradin, starting with Cade across the room, Aminria next to him, skipping over Hawth, and ending with Fedra beside him. Erador counted again but one was missing. “Where’s Haven?”

  Fedra blinked out of her trance. “She went to the pit. She said something about Taurin and she thinks Judgment threw him in…”

  Erador didn’t let her finish and raced out the doors. No one wanted the pit to be their final resting place. Erador couldn’t even throw that stupid whip in there. It was past the blessed lake and in the trees. He hoped to catch Haven on the way, returning to Lucrethia but the further he went, the more worried he became. Erador ran as much as his lungs would allow and slowed his pace to catch his breath when a shimmer on the ground caught his attention. Among the leaves was a silver chain with an anchor pendant. He picked it up and brushed off the dirt. It looked just like Sescina’s, so why was it here?

  Distant sobbing tore him from his thoughts as he looked out of the trees and was relieved when he found Haven in the field. Erador pocketed the necklace and moved out of the forest, but his relief was short-lived. Haven hugged herself near the edge of the pit as she stared in the darkness.

  Shade zipped in circles and it made it harder for Erador to contain himself from running over and grabbing her. He stopped further from Haven than he wanted to, but he was afraid she would jump.

  “Haven?” Erador said, in the most steady voice he could.

  She looked at him for a moment and Erador caught the glisten of tears on her cheek that wrenched his gut.

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  “Taurin shouldn’t have been thrown here,” Haven choked.

  “I know,” Erador said, taking a step closer. “He shouldn’t have.”

  She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “I wasn’t strong enough to help him.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Erador said, raising his hands. “No one knew that would happen.”

  “He could be helping us.” Haven took in an aggressive breath. “Judgment isn’t doing anything!”

  “That’s why we can use all the help we can get.”

  “I can’t help anyone.” Haven said in a high pitch as she stared angrily at her mark. “I only bring bad luck.”

  “You do anything but that.” Erador moved closer but stopped when a stick snapped. “These deaths… they’re not because of the fox.”

  “You don’t understand.” She looked at him fiercely, tears slipping down her face. “Nothing but death happens around me. My own people suffered because of me. Now more people I love are going to die If I end it now, the fox spirit will leave me and not curse anyone else.”

  “What about your brother? Isn’t it in him too?”

  “It’s my burden.” Haven gripped her chest. “It’ll leave him too when I’m gone and finally rest. My ancestor Halian got away with murder. No one else deserves to suffer because of him.”

  His gut wrenched at her cries. He wanted to tell her he would miss her if she died, that he would fall apart. But it wasn’t about him.

  Erador reached out. “Why don’t you come away from there, so we can talk about this?”

  “I don’t need to talk about anything,” Haven shouted as she clenched her fists. “I should’ve died in my village that burned because of me. I wish my people weren’t so kind to keep me and gave me to Odinaty.”

  “It was an accident,” Erador whispered.

  “I don’t believe in second chances. Not for something like that.” Her eyebrow furrowed in sadness when she looked at the pit. “I don’t want to see any more people suffer.”

  He didn’t want to either. He didn’t want Haven to go.

  Erador rubbed his tight throat, trying to compose himself. “I saved a piece of red candy for you from the Raven festival,” Erador said, his voice slipping. “I wanted to give it to you, but I thought you would take it the wrong way, so I gave it to Sescina.”

  Haven looked at him and Erador kept going.

  “I figured she needed it more when she told me she was dying from her element. It was a small gesture but her smile showed it meant more to her than I thought it would. I wish I could’ve done so much more for her but I can’t. All I can do now is help us. I know it’s what Sescina would want.” Erador smiled slightly. “I want to do the same for you, but I don’t know if I can do this alone.”

  Tears fell down Haven’s cheeks as she stared into the pit, and it set him on edge. His legs desperately wanted to rush to her. He was afraid it would make her jump. The seconds dragged, and Shade quietly told him to go to her.

  Erador held his breath, when Haven turned from the hole and walked to him. She hugged him and buried her face in his chest and sobbed. Her tears pierced through his shirt, causing her pain and suffering to soak into him. He wanted to hold her tighter, to make sure she wouldn't go back to the pit.