Chapter 17
P ushing her wild hair out of her face, Celina sucked in gulps of frigid, but thankfully dry, air. Waking up panting, out of breath, and drenched in sweat was an unpleasant side effect of straining her magic.
Shaking off the vestiges of memory that always followed a deep healing, she made her way outside, pausing to get her bearings. Darkness greeted her, the wind blowing through the trees chilling the sweat dampening her body. Shivering in only her thin undershirt for protection, she embraced the cold, letting it wake her fully.
A hard crash like that was always difficult, always bringing back memories of the first time… of her mother’s death. This time though, the nightmares and tendrils of memory had been tempered by a cascade of crystal blue. The majestic light dimmed all the other colors of the event, shining brilliantly against the dark.
Surprisingly, she had woken alone, without Rodric, but maybe that was for the best. Her world was still spinning, leaving her feeling a mix of strong emotions. Despite the worry, elation that she’d broken through to Rodric, that he’d come to her, reigned strong. Suddenly nervous about their bond, she reached out, running awestruck fingers over it in a mental caress.
Deciding she could definitely use a moment to collect herself, she slipped out into the night. The sounds of the forest were crisp, calming her with their normalcy. Not everything had changed. Dahlia and Zora whickered softly to her as she passed. Stopping, she gave both of them some attention before moving on. A large flat stone stood out under the trees ahead, calling to her. Finding a comfortable position, she settled on the rock.
Thanks to their newly formed bond, she felt Rodric approach before she saw him. Purple-hued moonlight danced around him, illuminating him just enough for her to see. Strong shoulders led the way, his feet nearly silent as he came toward her. Sitting next to her, he remained quiet, letting the night surround them. Shifting, she turned sideways and picked up his hand.
“You saved my life last night.” The life of the boy, too, but she knew she probably needed to ease into that discussion.
“I think we saved each other. I had no idea…” His voice shook, and he dropped his eyes to look at their entwined hands.
“What really happened to your family, Rodric?”
She’d thought a lot about it since he’d told her about the fire. There had to be something more that he was reluctant to remember and share. Something more directly involving magic. Instincts honed by years of working with traumatized youth convinced her she was right.
He squeezed her hand tightly, seemingly unable, or not ready, to answer. At least he wasn’t running from her this time. She searched her own heart for something to share with him. To help him cross the bridge.
“I told you that the first time I used my magic was life or death. That I wasn’t able to save my mother.” She quavered, scents of wet earth and evergreen filling her nose as she imagined the moonlit night long ago. “The gold of my magic erupted from the dam holding it—that should have held it in for a few more years. I intuitively flooded Sam with it, strengthening him temporarily. I kept doing it, continually bringing myself to the brink in order to keep him alive. That instinct to save wrapped so strong around me as I knelt between him and my mother.” She stroked his hand in a soothing rhythm.
“If you know the risks, why do you do it? Why do you let yourself get so close to burning out? I could have lost you.”
She saw heartbreak in his eyes, a soft glow of devastation in the night. “Do you remember when I told you that trauma leaves a mark? It’s more than just a mark of memory. When magic appears in a situation like that, it creates deep trails of emotion that pull you back whenever you’re in a weak state.”
“Like during an intense healing,” he interjected.
“Yes. It sucks you under like an avalanche, burying you so deep that it’s a compulsion. For me, a compulsion to save someone I couldn’t before.”
“You take on too much, Celina. I can’t lose another person—” He broke off, swallowing hard as he looked down. “My sister died that way. Healing someone. She knew it was happening and she let it. Avery died in my arms. They both did—her and Damien. I can’t… You can’t do that to me too.”
Don’t leave me. His desperate words whispered to her, connecting the dots. He’d blocked his magic for a long time. Was terrified of losing someone—of losing her . She knew how it felt to be the survivor. The terrible fear and heaviness of guilt and sorrow that remained, dull one moment and searing the next.
Wanting to soothe him, she opened their connection. Finding the purest strand of magic from the very center of her core, she sent it through the bond, pouring her essence into him on the thread of golden warmth.
“Celina, what…?” His stunned expression reverberated through the bond.
Gently, she reached out to touch his face. “You’ll never be alone, Rodric.”
Affection floated between them, shattered into a million pieces and rebuilt into something more when he sealed his mouth to hers. She kissed him with everything in her, reaffirming the joy of being alive and showing him how deeply she cared for him.
Pulling her up, he settled her on his lap, straddling him, never breaking his frenzied kisses. Holding his head, she let herself fall, flashes of icy blue increasing her fervor.
She pushed at his shirt until her hands felt bare muscle, stroking softly over his chest and shoulder as his hands slid around her waist to her back, his thumbs circling her skin with maddening softness.
Dramatically loud footsteps distracted her from the trail of fire she was pressing to his collarbone. Breaking for a breath of air with a soft growl of frustration, he pressed his forehead against hers.
“We’re going to have company early tomorrow. You two lovebirds might want to get some actual sleep.” Cass’s sarcastic voice reached them from a few trees away. “I’ll finish the rest of your watch, Rodric.”
Celina groaned softly, lifting her head from Rodric’s. He gave her one last, lingering kiss before helping her to stand. Hands clasped, they wandered back to camp to prepare for the next phase of their mission.
C elina sat with Cass amidst a pile of gear the next morning, reassembling what they wanted to take with them. The mercenaries seemed to prefer traveling in comfort, because there were a lot of supplies. No wonder they’d been able to catch them. It gave her hope that they still had time to close in on the group holding Brenna.
Eyeing her friend, Celina lowered her voice so as not to be overheard. “You could easily have pulled me out of that healing. I wasn’t that deep. Our bond is plenty strong. Why didn’t you?” It wouldn’t have been the first time her friend had saved her from herself.
“Thought he needed a little push.”
“You call that a little push?”
“Okay, maybe a shove. Off a cliff. But you have to admit, it worked out well.”
She was right, but Celina never would have used such a harsh tactic. “You know, someday that attitude is going to come back and bite you.”
“You’re just mad I interrupted you last night.”
“You enjoyed that way too much.”
Cass grinned, unrepentant, as was her usual nature. “I wasn’t the one who decided to get romantic in the middle of the woods. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“For what, precisely?” she asked, amused and still just a touch annoyed.
“Sex on a rock is not as comfortable as you might think.”
Nearby, Sev choked on his breakfast, sputtering and hacking madly.
Celina chuckled, shaking her head. “You said that just to mess with him, didn’t you?”
“You know it.” Cass grinned, unabashed. “You did bring tonic with you, right?”
“Why? You need some?” Celina retorted, brow raised pointedly at the relevant but intrusive question.
“No. Just checking you’ve got your wits about you.”
She was a healer. Of course she’d brought tonic with her to ensure she didn’t get pregnant. She’d also brought a cleansing moon brew to ensure they stayed free of disease—on the trail or otherwise. She hadn’t hidden the tonic from Rodric when she’d taken it each night, so they’d discussed it early on. They hadn’t needed its protection yet, but she hoped to change that soon.
The osa startled Celina from her thoughts as he chortled to Cass and pranced around their feet. Leaning down, Celina scratched his ears, murmuring a greeting to their smallest companion.
The sound of hoofbeats filtered through the trees, heralding the arrival of whoever Cass had sent for.
Exactly how she’d done so in the middle of the wilderness remained a mystery, as she’d merely stated Wolflumen secret when Celina had asked. Being raised around high-ranking military officers as a child had made Celina accustomed to not having all the information.
A single rider entered the clearing, assessing the people and the area before hopping down and offering her arm to Cass in greeting. Celina had never seen the woman before, but her powerfully graceful movements reminded her of the way Cass moved—definitely another Wolflumen.
“Cassia.”
“Xandria, thank you for coming.”
“Of course. I’m happy to answer your call, although I thought I was the only one on hunt in this area.”
“Change in plans. This is my friend Celina, Matriarch Blackwood.” Cass gestured to the men flanking Celina. “Rodric and Sev, Preddari Hunters.”
The woman dipped her head in acknowledgment to Celina and studied the men in detail before turning back to Cass. “What do you need?”
“We’re searching for Celina’s brother and a missing child in this area but ran into trouble with a mercenary band. I need you to take the injured youth we found to safety. The boy has a tough spirit, but our situation is time sensitive.”
Celina appreciated that she left the obvious unsaid for Rodric’s sake—they didn’t know what condition they’d find Brenna in and couldn’t risk another vulnerable innocent.
Xandria studied Cass for a moment in consideration. “Get him safely home to the den or to the Refugee Center?”
“I’ll leave the assessment to you, since you’re taking him on, but he might be a good fit.”
Celina stifled her surprise. The Wolflumen rarely took in new members. In fact, she’d only heard of it happening a few times since Cass had been adopted into the clan as a child. They were highly secretive, and she’d always wondered what qualities they looked for in the orphaned children who were drawn into their den.
“If I decide he belongs with us, will you be breaking the news of our interference to the refugee commander? He rarely appreciates our involvement. I don’t know why you keep taking hunts with the military when they dislike us so much.”
Celina tensed on her friend’s behalf. There’d been a time when she wasn’t sure if Cass and Morgan’s friendship would survive her becoming a Wolflumen. The clan operated differently than the military. Working together on the occasional mission seemed to only accentuate the strain between the groups.
“I’ll handle Morgan.” Cass sighed.
Xandria quirked her lips, breaking her stoic expression for the first time. “Done. Introduce me to the pup.” She gestured to the extra horses and gear they had separated out. “Then you can show me what needs handled here so that you can be on your way.”
“Hold on.” Sev rubbed his chin as he looked at Cass. “What’s the den? Where might she be taking this boy?”
“I was wondering the same thing,” Rodric murmured.
Xandria shrugged at Cass. “Your hunt, your choice.”
“I trust them.” Cass turned to meet Sev’s gaze, glancing over to include Rodric. “The den is the central gathering place for our clan—the Wolflumen. Our warriors live and train there. The boy has a fierce spirit and no kindred; he might fit with our pack.”
“Wolflumen? As in the legendary protectors of Calderre? Those Wolflumen ?” Sev’s stunned tone hung in the air.
Celina held back a laugh at his reaction, but her heart warmed.
Most Calderrans would be more reticent than excited to meet the deadly warriors of legend who inhabited their mountains. Though respected, they weren’t exactly invited into the midst of society. Cass had always told her that the Wolflumen preferred it that way, needed it to be so.
“They’re not a myth?” Rodric asked.
“Not a myth, we just prefer to remain forgotten,” Xandria answered.
“And both of you are Wolflumen? How many of you are there?”
“Enough to make a difference, not enough to be noticeable.”
“Well, that explains some things.” Rodric smirked, eyeing Sev. “You’re lucky to be alive.”
“No wonder she’s so beautiful in battle,” Sev murmured, still staring at Cass in awe.
Cass gave the hunter a startled look, nearly as stunned as he was.
“That she is.” Rodric smiled. “Xandria, if you’ve been in the area for a while, have you heard anything that might be helpful to our search?”
“No, nothing. Which direction are you heading?”
“That decision is the problem.” Rodric cleared his throat. “Does the ridge mean anything to you? It may have been where this group was headed. We’ve studied our map and there are no natural ridges in the area. It sounded like a specific place, though.”
“Wait, let me see that map again. You didn’t phrase it as a name last time we looked, just a land feature.” Sev took the map from Rodric and opened it up for them to look at, pointing to a specific spot that appeared on the map just outside a southern border town. “This is an old fortress. I think it may have originally had ridge in the name. It’s been abandoned for a long time, mostly destroyed. It would take a ton of effort to fully reoccupy it.”
Cass shook her head. “Not necessarily. Our intel indicates these groups are good at staging temporary camps and facilities. Different areas every time. It's how they’re able to stay ahead of us.”
“For all their faults, Eldridge’s rulers won’t allow permanent facilities in the realm,” Sev said.
Cass nodded. “So, these groups make do until they can traffic the mages out of the realm. They tend to do hits and collect them into these temporary, and technically outlawed, holding sites before taking them across the border.”
“Makes sense,” Celina said. “Terrorized kids aren’t that hard to control. Most don’t fight like this one did. The few who do are turned into convenient examples for the others.”
Sev tapped the map. “That fortress would be a good temporary holding facility. Depending on which parts were destroyed previously, they would have cells, stables, everything they need. And the benefit of the realm having forgotten it exists. It’s hard to tell, but it looks like the main building and one or two of the guard towers are still standing. The land has taken the rest. This map is incredible, but it doesn’t have titles.”
Celina smiled at Sev. “The details and images are derived from the earth. People assign names to things.”
“How did you come up with the name?” Xandria asked, studying Rodric.
Her hunter shifted in a distinctly uncomfortable manner, his stormy eyes turning to Celina. Only one thing could give him that look when the information had been incredibly helpful to their search.
Stepping forward, Celina put her hand on his arm. “Talk to us.”
Tension rolled off of him, his hesitation clear. Celina was about to pull away, not wanting to push him too hard in front of the others, when he capitulated.
“When we were helping…” Rodric swallowed visibly. “Healing… the boy, I caught a conversation. A memory maybe? The group was talking around a fire, and they mentioned The Ridge.” Worried eyes delved into Celina. “Is that possible?”
“There are forms of magic that can interact with memories. Mostly mental magic though. Healing is spirit magic. It's very rare for someone to have both.” Pretty much unheard of, actually. Not a single example came to mind, but she didn’t want him to panic. What would create that situation? She put a hand on his chest. “Will you let me check something?”
He took on a slightly nauseous look but nodded. “I trust you.”
Closing her eyes, she opened her mind to the magic, traveling through their private connection to reach his soul. Gently, she pulsed a small amount of healing magic, letting it wind around his soul and surround him. In the physical world, he took a sharp breath and squeezed the hand she still held, hoping to comfort him.
Normally, she could tell if someone had magic but nothing more detailed. Permanent bonds were different than the temporary access she created when healing someone though. Using the full access she had to his lifeforce and his soul, she studied the shimmer of magic at his core, trying to identify it. Two distinct colors swirled together—iridescent pearl and cold flames of vibrant crystal blue.
“Rodric, you said your sister had healing magic. Was it the same physical wound type of healing ability that you have?”
“Yes.”
“Could Avery do anything else?”
“No, not that I know of.”
“I’ve never examined someone’s magic like I did with you, but it sure seems like you have two different types of magic. What do your instincts say when you dip into your magic… what does it feel like?”
“The healing magic… it feels like Avery,” Rodric said hoarsely. “I felt that immediately, even before I realized it was magic.”
Grief marred his face, and she wanted to drag him away to comfort him. There was so much they didn’t know due to the immense shadow the world held over magic. She was at a complete loss as to how and why it had happened.
“Rodric, was Avery your twin?” Xandria asked.
“Yes. Is that significant?”
“Yes.” Xandria shared a look with Cass, and they silently came to a shared decision. “There is an ancient text that speaks of twin bonds. Family members often have lifeforce-level bonds, but twins naturally have deeper bonds, at the soul level. It theoretically allows them to share energy and boost power through the connection.”
“You mean like the bond Celina and I have? That’s what we did to heal him, right? Share magic.”
“Essentially, yes. When your sister died, it’s possible that the connection between you was open and allowed her to give you the last tendrils of her magic.”
“That shouldn’t be possible,” Celina said. “Why have I never heard that before?”
Xandria shrugged. “Anything is possible with soul-bonds. Our ancestors believed that’s why they can’t be forced, manipulated, or created artificially, even by a powerful mage—soul-bonds form intrinsically between two people, and what can be done through them is unique to the pair’s bond. Avery giving you a life gift of magic is incredibly rare. Be grateful for her blessing.”
Rodric stepped back and closed his eyes as he wrestled with the information.
“How do you know all this?” Celina asked. She’d read everything she could find in the archives she had access to but had never come across any such text.
“Wolflumen have existed since ancient times. We keep all manner of knowledge and secrets. Information the world isn’t ready to have returned.”
“Avery’s magic was white like that when she used it. That means the blue is… mine. My magic?”
“For someone who never wanted magic, you have quite a lot of it.” Celina smiled gently at him and stroked his arm. All indications showed that he had a huge amount of power, and multiple skills. Visibly seeing magic was a rare mental talent.
“Great,” he sighed, pushing a hand into his hair. “If you’ll all excuse me…” Rodric gave a respectful nod to Xandria before striding away from the group.
“We’ll make a Calderran out of him yet.” Cass chuckled.
Rolling her eyes at her best friend, Celina motioned Cass toward the tent holding the injured boy even as her eyes followed Rodric’s path across the camp.