Chapter 89: The Thaw
The drive back to the mountain was a blur of exhaustion.
Jax drove the battered SUV through the ash fields. The suspension groaned over every bump. I sat in the backseat with Victor’s head in my lap. Lyra was curled up on his chest fast asleep.
Victor was awake but he was silent. He stared up at the roof of the car. His skin was pale and translucent. I could see the dark veins beneath the surface pulsing slowly.
"We are crossing the border," Jax announced softly.
The grey ash gave way to white snow. The petrified skeletons of trees were replaced by living pines. The world turned from monochrome to color in a single heartbeat.
Victor blinked. He watched the green trees pass by the window.
"I forgot," he whispered.
"Forgot what?" I asked. I ran my fingers through
