Chapter 219 The Abyss of Sorrow II (1/2)

Iah had been holding the charm when she'd watched Rassa's line flicker then disappear. She'd sat in shocked stillness for several minutes, just waiting for it to return. When it didn't, she'd felt the sob creep up her throat and come out without warning. He was dead. Rassa was actually dead. And just as she was processing that. Her sister's line had disappeared too.

She hadn't known what to do, so she'd thrown the charm across the room, horrified by what she'd seen. When she'd sobbed enough, she crawled across the room and picked up the charm again, just to confirm she wasn't wrong.

She hadn't been. The lines were no longer there. Rassa and Sharli both, were gone.

She sat there all night against the side of the bed, though she had no idea time was passing until little Meg knocked on the the door.

”Iah?”

Iah had turned to her, rousing from her sorrow as she looked at Meg. Meg's eyes had widened at whatever she'd seen in Iah's eyes. After a moment, Iah had taken a breath before she'd spoken.

”Ask Jennie to look after the Ruin today, Meg, I'll be back later this evening,” Iah said.

”Are you okay?” asked Meg.

Iah couldn't manage a smile, not even for Meg, ”I don't know. Ask me again tomorrow”.

Iah had dressed then gone to town and taken a cart to Port Cresh. Layn had frowned when he'd seen her, but let her into Falla's office without hesitation.

”Iah?” asked Falla. One look and Iah knew that Falla had yet to look at the Tracking Charm. She took out her own, and Falla took the hint.

Just a couple of moments later, the Falla sat down beside Iah on the couch in her office, ”No appointments today, Layn”.

Layn had nodded. He'd returned only once to give them some tea, but that was cold now as the two of them sat in silence.

”What do we do now?” asked Iah. She didn't want to think about the future. Not when it hurt so much. But she had twenty-five kids waiting for her in the Ruin. Some of them might have been old enough to fend for themselves but not all. Falla had a business too. A business that now rested on a deal with a...with a dead man.

Falla remained silent as Iah spoke again.

”What about Kit and Olly? Ebony and Aegin?”

”I don't know,” Falla breathed, her voice hitching at the end. She swallowed, ”I...I just don't know”.

Iah turned to look at Falla, and she was sure she saw someone as broken as she was. They were exhausted and broken. How were they going to pick themselves up after this? What exactly were they working towards? Part of their family were already gone after all, how much longer until the remainder went too?

Just as they were wallowing in their despair, the door burst open with a strong gust of wind.

Iah looked up to see the Air Magician that Falla was acquainted with storming through the door.

”Alright Falla, I think I've been patient enough, it's been nearly a month and you have yet to...”

Her rage was snuffled out as she took in her friend who sat slumped on the couch with another. The very aura around the two of them was filled with hopelessness, and Jane immediately realised that maybe she should have listened to Layn before she'd stormed in.

”Falla? Are you okay?”

That seemed to be the catalyst. Falla burst into tears, sobbing into her hands, ”I'm sorry, Jane! I'm so sorry, I should have just told you”.

Jane hurried around the couch and moved in to comfort Falla, ”What are you going on about Falla, what's happened to make you so sad?”