The boy bit his lip, his eyes welling with fresh tears, but he gave a small, hesitant nod. "I'll try."
"Good boy," she whispered, kissing his forehead with a fierce, protective love. "So brave. I'm coming back, Rael. I'm going to find daddy, and we are both coming to get you very soon. Until then, you stay strong. Keep your heart brave." She tapped his chest, right over his heart, her eyes burning with a vow that not even a god could break.
"No!" Rael's courage broke as Ryse reached for him. "Don't go, mama! Please! Stay!"
His grip on her neck was like a vise. He began to wail, a sound of pure, heart-wrenching abandonment that made Eris feel as though she were being torn in half. "Don't want to! Stay here!"
"I have to go, Rael," she said, her own voice cracking despite her resolve. "Just for a little while. I have to help daddy make sure the monsters go away. You'll be safe with Mira and Ryse in the big tower. It's a castle inside the castle."
