Chapter 38
Aurora
It takes three days to travel from Eldersmoor to the Northern Shadows.
I’m traveling with Soren, Mei, Clara, and Maeve.
Estis, Moira, and Merric—the remaining council leaders—stayed in Eldersmoor to act as fellow commanders.
Numara insisted on joining our party as well.
I was hesitant to bring the young girl, but Thorn thought she might help with Camryn’s newfound magic, and Maeve insisted.
Clara has grown protective of Maeve and was not pleased when the young girl demanded to accompany us, but there was little she could do to stop her.
After my conversation with Camryn, I sought the young girl. I didn’t want to pry into her ability, but I needed to know more about her.
I found her down by the stream near the edge of the camp. Clara watched from a distance, gathering plants and herbs into a basket.
“Hi, Maeve,” I say as I approach.
She turns toward me, her hair fluttering across her childish face. “Hi,” she says quietly.
I settle onto the grass, the stream trickling near my feet. I gaze at the water, sparkling like liquid crystal beneath the sun. “It’s nice out here. I have a fondness for water. It’s calming,” I say.
Maeve bends and picks a piece of clover. She nods. “Sometimes it helps block out my visions when I focus on something real.”
My brow furrows and I swallow. “Do they bother you?”
Her shoulders rise and fall with a deep inhale. She turns and sits beside me.
“Sometimes.”
“How long have you been here?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I think a little more than a year. Time is different here.”
I nod, understanding. Time seems to move slower yet faster at the same time than in my world.
I don’t want to ask her about her life before she came here. It’s painful for me to think of what I’ve left behind sometimes. I don’t want to force that on a child.
I pick a blade of grass and peel it into thin strips, watching them flutter to the ground. “Mei seems kind. Has she helped take care of you?”
Maeve gazes across the water as the wildflowers sway softly in the breeze. She nods. “Yes, she’s very nice. A good cook, too.” She turns to smile at me. “Everyone in the village helps look after me.”
My lips curve at the thought. “And with your visions?”
Her expression dims. “I’m the only one like me in the village. When the visions first started, I was scared. I thought there was something wrong with me. Sometimes they come true. Sometimes they don’t.”
My eyes scan her face. The weight that’s been placed on this child is heartbreaking. Her childhood was stolen by a world and curse she never asked to be a part of.
“Mei helped me to think of my visions as ideas that I have no control over. It’s as though I get glimpses into the mind of Silverveil’s magic—the Cauldron. Just as people can change their mind, so can the realm.”
The confidence and wisdom of this child gives me goosebumps. “That’s a wonderful way to look at it.” I take a deep inhale and expel the air from my lungs. “I’m sorry for what has happened to you. For coming here and having your visions forced on you.”
Her cheeks blossom as she grins. She gazes at me. “Don’t be. We’re here for a reason.
And I’m glad you’re here.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, and my eyes prickle with tears. “I’m happy I found you, Maeve.”
The days have been long, and we’ve stretched our riding late into the night. Everyone is visibly exhausted as we near Whispering Glen, Maeve nearly falling asleep atop her horse with Clara.
I glance at Soren, who’s already gazing at me. He nods, sensing my weariness, and he steers Ash toward his cabin just beyond the small village. When Windflower appears amongst the tree line, I heave a sigh. It will be nice to rest for the night before we face whatever waits for us at the palace.
Soren and Mei help lead the horses around back to the stables, while Clara grips Maeve’s hand and smiles at me. “It’s best to have a full belly and a good night’s sleep, don’t you think? I’ll get a stew going.”
“Thank you, Clara. That would be lovely,” I say softly as I eye sleepy Maeve. Clara gives me a kind nod before heading inside the cabin.
After dinner, Clara puts Maeve to bed while Soren, Mei, Numara, and I sit around the table enjoying a glass of wine. Tension hangs in the air, and I cling to my glass to keep from biting my already worn nails.
My thoughts race through my mind. I can’t focus on anything other than my friend and what her magic may mean to the cause.
Words tumble out before I can direct them to anyone in particular. “What do you think Camryn’s dreams could mean? Could the king come back before the five hundred years are up?”
Numara shrugs. “It could be nothing. Only a dream. They’re never set in stone.” I am grateful for her even-keeled demeanor and slightly relieved by her words. “As for his timing, I suppose he can do what he wants.”
I shift my eyes to Mei. “Do you have any insight into what this could mean? Have you had any dreams?”
She shakes her head. “No. I haven’t had any dreams since you arrived in Ni'haan.” She gives me a sad smile. “I’ve been focusing on strengthening my healing powers to help how I can.”
I swallow. “What if we aren’t ready?”
Numara leans forward, her full lips stained crimson.
“We’re ready as we can be. We have a sizable rebel army.
Wherever the king has been hiding, it’s doubtful he could assemble an abundance of creatures to bring here.
And with as much power as the travelers have brought, we have a fighting chance.
” She looks down at me wringing my hands on the table.
“But I don’t foresee the future. I only fight for it.
” Her lips curve into a devious grin and I shiver. I’m happy to have her on our side.
Numara leans back and takes a long pull from her glass. “I think it would do everyone some good to relax and have a good lay.” She licks a trickle of wine from her lips.
Soren chokes on his drink, and heat flushes my cheeks. We’re the only couple here.
Mei chuckles. “Options are a little limited at the moment,” she says as she eyes Soren and I.
“Yeah, I figured those two aren’t into sharing.” Numara gives me a crooked smile that makes me blush even more.
We finish our drinks and stumble to bed. Despite what Numara believes, I am in no mood to be intimate with Soren tonight. I’m too in my head, and he can tell. He tucks me to his chest and holds me while every scenario plays out in a loop.
What if something happens to Camryn? What if something bad has already happened? What if our army isn’t strong enough? What if, what if, what if?
I slam my eyes shut, willing myself to stop obsessing over what I can’t control.
Soren’s honeyed voice silences my thoughts. “Do you remember the mountain lake I took you to in Raven’s Ridge?”
His question surprises me, but I smile, remembering the memory. We’d known each other only a week or so at that point. “Yes.”
“Seeing you so happy and carefree in the water. That memory has taken root in my mind. I love every version of you, Aurora. But that is my favorite. And I will fight every single day of my life to see you that free again.”
I place my palm on his chest and turn my head to meet his gaze.
“Whenever I’m feeling unsure or as if I don’t have control over what is in front of me, I think of you in that moment, gleaming in the water beneath the sunshine.
And all is right. We didn’t find each other by chance.
We are fated. And I have to believe that if the Cauldron brought us together over space and time, it will guide us through this.
We are strong enough. You are strong enough.
And you are the most free when you embrace what comes your way in the moment. ”
I stretch to plant my lips on his. “You’re right,” I breathe. I am here for a reason, and although I can’t see it yet, I have to let the current guide me.