Chapter 14
Miles POV
“Why did you follow me?” I asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence around our small campfire.
“Huh?” Damen lifted his head, his haunted expression visible even in the dim light. “Oh. Bianca needed you.”
“She has all of you,” I pointed out. “And I said I was coming back soon.”
“You didn’t say anything,” Julian said, finally turning from where he’d watched Titus escort Bianca to her evening bath. “You left a cryptic note and disappeared.”
“Outside of that,” Damen shot Julian a look.
“We might be used to what happens when we’re apart, but Bianca’s abilities were restrained, and we’ve only been reunited for a short while.
She hasn’t even gotten used to our quintet or her power.
We’ve grown up understanding this feeling and have been aware of ourselves.
But imagine what it would feel like for her—how unbalanced she might have felt. ”
I rubbed my jaw. In the face of everything, I now regretted my vague words, and the image of Bianca’s furious, heartbroken expression refused to leave my mind.
Things had been rough when I’d lived in France, but I knew what to expect. It must have been so much harder for her.
“She needs stability,” Damen said, his voice steady but carrying an undertone of weariness.
“I understand that,” I said carefully. While I had an obligation, I could have done this much differently. “But I have to stay—to finish this. As it is right now, I can’t help her—not the way she needs. To complete the Soul Bond, I—”
“The Soul Bond is not what she needs,” Damen interrupted sharply. “You’re all so focused on it, but has anyone ever stopped to consider that might not be the best approach?”
“That’s because you don’t understand it.” Julian folded his arms, the flickering firelight catching the edge of his scowl. “The bond is how we harness our abilities to support her in a way we wouldn’t otherwise be able.”
“She’s not ready for that,” Damen said.
“Why wouldn’t she be?” I asked, breaking the rising tension. “The entire point is to protect her. We need that connection. She needs more support than we, as a quintet, can provide. Not having the bond could hurt her more than it helps.”
Damen studied me, his expression unreadable. “A Soul Bond isn’t going to fix everything.”
“I’m not saying it will,” I replied. “But we read her better with it, especially what she doesn’t say.”
“It’s true. I can barely understand what she’s hiding, even with my connection to her,” Julian added, his voice softening. “She’s suffering, and every time I touch her, I feel how much she’s hiding. There’s only so much I can do. We can’t take her to my mother without her consent.”
“It’s too soon,” Damen mused, frowning. “She won’t agree.”
“I know that.” Julian sighed. “And I’m certain there’s more I’m missing. The physical symptoms that she ignores are just the beginning.”
“And that’s exactly why we need to focus on the foundation,” Damen said, his tone hardening again. “Our connection as a quintet. She can get hurt if you rush into a Soul Bond before she’s ready. That is why I told you not to do it.”
“It’s not your business what we do in our relationship,” Julian snapped.
“Don’t try to project your insecurities on me while using her trauma as an excuse.
You’ve avoided the Soul Bond in every lifetime.
Maybe it’s time you admit the truth: you never, in any circumstance, plan to share in one.
You’re too selfish to be that vulnerable—even for someone you claim to care about, yet keep hurting. ”
Damen’s eyes darkened, and for a moment, I thought he might snap back. But instead, he said, “You don’t understand my motives. I’m trying to help her.”
“It would help her,” Julian pressed, but his voice lacked the earlier venom.
“I’m not so sure about that,” Damen said under his breath, so quiet I almost didn’t catch it.
“What?” Julian asked, leaning forward.
“Nothing.” Damen waved him off. “Regardless,” he said, redirecting his gaze to me. His voice softened, though the weight in it didn’t lift. “I will not approve of anyone else seeking to enter into a Soul Bond with her now.”
I frowned at him as Julian glared. It wasn’t his call to make—not on this topic. “But—” I began, but he cut me off.
“I will say nothing more on the matter,” Damen said with finality, his usual playfulness nowhere to be found.
“Understood,” I said, my shoulders slumping.
I looked back to the ground. One had to pick their battles when it came to Damen.
“But it doesn’t change that I still have another reason for being out here,” I reminded him.
“I still need to complete my mission. Otherwise, there’s no point in me coming this far.
At least, I should graduate. The quintet needs it. ”
Especially considering Julian’s rising animosity toward Damen. There would be no way to contain the necromancer unless I gained power. I had no choice but to focus on mastering myself and my abilities if we wanted to make it as a quintet.
Bianca POV
Morning dew clung to the grass as I approached the campfire where Miles sat alone. He was surrounded by his little cloth pouches and papers, organizing them as he muttered under his breath. I wasn’t sure where the others had disappeared to, but I was happy to be alone with him.
“Good morning,” I said. He jumped as he looked at me while I settled beside him on the damp ground.
“Ah,” he said, a tight smile crossing his features. His hair was still messy from sleep, chocolate strands falling over his forehead, and he was still wearing that horrid outfit. “Hey there. Did you sleep well?”
“Well enough…” A sense of wariness passed over me as I watched him organize his bundles back into his bag.
Why was he packing up? Were we leaving already?
“I made you breakfast,” he said, inclining his head to the left. I glanced at the fire pit, where a cup of apples and oatmeal had been placed on a flat rock. “I put some supplies in Damen’s bag, but you’ll have to cook for yourself if you want to eat something decent on the way back.”
My shoulders tensed. “But you’ll be with us.”
His movements slowed but didn’t stop packing as he looked at me. “No, Bianca,” he said softly. “I have to continue my quest.”
“Your quest,” I repeated, feeling my stomach drop. “The one to find Bigfoot?”
“To find a Bigfoot artifact ,” he clarified, finger in the air.
“I need an item of magical properties from a supernatural creature. Such power would allow my spell to bridge the gap between shadow and light.” His eyes took on an otherworldly gleam, and he continued excitedly.
“With such power, I can brew the Potion of Inner Sight, allowing me to traverse the spirit realm and confront my shadow self. Only by defeating my darkest fears can I unlock my full potential as a witch.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded important.
“Um… that seems like a lot of work,” I began. “Dragons are ‘supernatural creatures.’ Can’t you ask Titus to shift and take one of his scales?”
Miles leaned back. “He would never let me.”
I wrinkled my nose. Did that mean it was possible?
“I’m a fairy—” I pulled a handful of my hair over my shoulder and held it out to him. “You can have some of my hair. It should work, right?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s cheating.” Miles frowned. “Plus, you shouldn’t give your hair to people—especially witches. There’s only certain circumstances in which I’d let you.”
“But—” What was wrong with being resourceful?
“Besides,” Miles said, brushing off his shoulder. “Jonathon specifically used the word ‘quest.’ I can’t let him down. I would have to have no other choice.”
I pursed my lips. “That’s how he talks…”
“You don’t know how awful it would be to fail,” Miles said, shuddering.
“I’m sure he doesn’t care, just so long as it’s from a ‘supernatural creature.’ ”
“He’s terrifying,” Miles protested. “I can’t even imagine what he might do.”
What?
“This is the only way for me to prove myself,” Miles said. He hesitated only briefly, glancing around the campsite before he quickly added. “If I’m ever going to have a chance to enter into a Soul Bond with you, I must do this on my own—the traditional way.”
“Oh,” I nodded, finally understanding. It was about tradition.
That I could support.
He was never going to find anything Bigfoot-related here, though…
“You’ll go back with the others,” he said, the nervous expression falling as he gave me a soft smile. “I’ll miss you, mon rêve , and I’ll be back to you soon.”
His words hit me like a physical blow, returning my focus to the main issue—he was leaving me again.
“But—” I began, biting my lip. “Are you sure we can’t stay?”
Miles frowned. “I can’t afford the distraction,” he said.
“Especially with Titus stomping around. And right now, I doubt that Titus would leave you, and I would be too focused on protecting you and making sure you’re safe in the wild and unable to complete my task. I have to do this alone,” he repeated.
“What if we just wait at the campsite?” I asked.
“No,” he replied. He hesitated before he reached between us and grabbed my hand. “This is hard for me, too,” he said. “I’ve always hated leaving you, but just give me a little longer, okay?”
My breath caught, and my throat closed.
“Bianca?” The soft finality in his expression dropped. “What’s…” His sentence trailed off when I pulled my hands away.
“It—it’s fine,” I said, trying to steady my shaking voice. I pushed to my feet and stepped back. “I understand.” And, really, I did.
Then why was it so hard to control the painful prickling behind my eyes?
He had a mission to fulfill. Even though his fear of my adoptive father seemed widely exaggerated—the man would much rather slack around at his job and play role-playing games all day than be serious—who was I to interfere with his training?