CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Elowen was waiting for Nyssa by the fountain in the town square.
After hurrying back to her cottage to gather supplies into her satchel, she’d flown as quickly as she could back into town so as to not keep Elowen waiting.
The elf had brought little with her. Just a simple, green satchel, a thick scarf and a coat that looked at least two sizes too big on her lithe frame.
Her chin was tucked into the scarf, and, unaware that Nyssa was approaching, she danced from one foot to the other in what Nyssa assumed was an attempt to stay warm.
‘You didn’t have to wait outside,’ Nyssa said, gliding over to her on her broom. Elowen startled, her eyes widening at the sight of Nyssa watching her.
‘Gods, you’re as quiet as Nyx when you want to be.’
The familiar poked her head out of the basket on Nyssa’s broom and let out a small chirp at the compliment. Nyssa grinned and reached into her coat pocket to pull out one of the two small, still-magic-warm charms from its depths. ‘Here, maybe this will make up for sneaking up on you.’
Elowen took the charm, her fingers brushing against Nyssa’s for just a second too long, and the elf’s breath hitched ‘It’s warm,’ she said, her cheeks flushing prettily. ‘I’m warm.’
‘It’s a heating charm. Flying can get pretty cold, especially at night, so witches use them to fend off the chill.
’ Nyssa’s own charm had kept her nice and toasty on the flight from her cottage to the town square.
The sensation was like being next to a constantly lit hearth, warming and comforting all at once, and Nyssa watched as Elowen’s lips parted in a relieved sigh.
‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. Now, hop on.’ Nyssa tried to keep the command light and casual, hoping that Elowen wouldn’t notice just how flustered the thought of having her so close made her, but by the glint in her eyes, she hadn’t done a very good job.
Thankfully, Elowen remained silent as she got into position behind Nyssa and, with a gentleness that made Nyssa shiver, wrapped her arms around her waist.
‘Have you ever flown to T? Canol Woods before?’ Elowen asked, her breath brushing against Nyssa’s ear.
‘No, but the broom is enchanted to go wherever its witch is thinking of, and it has an inbuilt cloaking enchantment, so we’re good to go.’ Nyssa shifted her position slightly and wrapped her hands around the broom, letting the magic of it flow through her skin. ‘Are you ready?’
Elowen’s grip tightened, but Nyssa felt her nod. ‘As I’ll ever be.’
Nyssa focused her intention on her broom, on the magic inside of it, and offered up a whispered command: ‘To T? Canol Woods.’
Something like woodsmoke tickled Nyssa’s nose as the magic began to work, and then they were rising up, up, far above Nighthaven and its twinkling lights.
Elowen’s grip went even tighter around Nyssa’s waist, her breath quickening in her ear, and Nyssa willed the broom to maintain a slower speed than she’d have normally used as they glided over the tiled roofs and winding, cobblestone streets.
As they gained altitude, Nyssa couldn’t help but marvel at the view.
Though the darkness of night clung to the edges of the isle of Nighthaven, a sort of golden glow seemed to illuminate the ground that lay beneath them.
Nyssa had a faint memory of her grandmother telling her this glow was something to do with the ley lines interacting with certain celestial bodies, but she couldn’t remember much more than that.
Whatever it was, the island looked truly magical from this perspective.
‘It looks so small from up here,’ Elowen said.
They were high enough in the night sky that they could see the entire island now, from the main town to the large lake on whose shore Hawthorne Cottage stood, and out to the vast countryside beyond.
Small glimmers of light danced in and out of the trees and over the water’s surface – tiny specks that, from this distance, reminded Nyssa of shooting stars.
As beautiful as it all was, Nyssa found her gaze drifting to where her cottage was, and then to the street her café was on. Liora and Alaric had insisted they’d be fine watching over Familiars while Nyssa and Elowen were gone. Nyssa didn’t doubt their capabilities to handle things, but …
‘They’ll be fine,’ Elowen said. She sounded so sure, her faith in her friends so unwavering, that Nyssa suddenly felt guilty for her own doubt. Nighthaven was slowly becoming Nyssa’s sanctuary, but it had been Elowen’s for far longer.
So softly it was barely a whisper against the wind, Nyssa vowed, ‘I won’t let him destroy this place.’
This time, when Elowen’s arms tightened around Nyssa’s waist, it wasn’t because of the flight. ‘I know.’
Nyssa had forgotten how good it felt to be above the clouds.
It hadn’t taken long for her tense muscles to relax as she soared through the sky, the wind on her face and droplets of rain kissing her skin.
It was a pastime she’d only ever truly experienced alone, one she thought couldn’t be improved, but having Elowen with her made every part of it even more magical.
During that brief flight back in Nighthaven (before they’d been rudely attacked), Nyssa had kept her broom fairly low in the sky, her pace steady.
And while she still hadn’t gone too fast this time for Elowen’s sake, she had slowly increased her speed, her heart lurching at the sound of Elowen’s delighted gasps.
Nyssa smiled with pleasure as she saw the first hints of dawn creeping across the sky as it slowly turned a tender shade of pink. And when the green, lush woodland of T? Canol appeared in the distance, it was Nyssa who let out a sigh of awe.
‘It’s … incredible.’
The woodland on Nighthaven was beautiful, but this was a forest the likes of which Nyssa had never seen.
Even from above, Nyssa could feel the power emitting from it, warm like the kiss of sunlight on a summer morning.
At this time of year, the trees should have been largely bare, but the earth magic of the site was so powerful that the woodland looked as verdant as if it were the height of summer.
As they drew closer, Nyssa could hear the rustle of leaves on the wind and smell the tang of wet earth in the air.
‘You grew up here?’ Nyssa asked, coming to a hover directly above the forest centre. She couldn’t see anything below the treeline, but even that was enough for her to imagine that making the choice to leave this place would be a difficult one.
‘I did. Before Nighthaven, it was the only home I’d ever known.
’ There was a hint of sadness in Elowen’s tone, one Nyssa felt in the depths of her soul.
Like Elowen, Nighthaven was the place she longed for now, but that didn’t mean she still didn’t miss the covenstead’s large, candlelit libraries or its gardens filled with every magical ingredient a witch could want.
‘Are you sure you’ll be all right going back?’ Nyssa asked. ‘I can drop you off outside the forest and meet with Elder Rhydian alone.’
Elowen took a deep breath. ‘No, I want to be there.’ The elf pointed to a section of the forest where the trees seemed to cluster together in a circle. ‘There’s a grove below those trees; that’s where we’re to meet.’
With little more than a nod, Nyssa began their descent.
She took it slowly, giving Elowen time to back out if she changed her mind, but the elf remained silent, her heartbeat steady against Nyssa’s back.
Slowly, the pink of dawn was replaced by the shadows of the forest. Large, gnarled trees bent over a small grove, their branches twisted towards the moss-covered boulders at its centre like reaching fingers.
Somewhere nearby a stream trickled over rocks, and Nyssa was instantly reminded of the scene in Enchanted Thorns.
I’m going to murder you, Liora.
Shaking her head to refocus herself, she steered the broom carefully down until their feet brushed the damp earth.
Nyx immediately hopped out of her basket, stretching her legs and kneading the leaf-strewn floor.
Elowen climbed off gracefully, offering to hold the broom as Nyssa brushed down her skirts, then held open her satchel for Nyx to jump into.
As Nyssa reached for her broom again, she could see faint worry lines forming around Elowen’s eyes.
Her heart squeezed at the thought that it was her fault that Elowen was in this position, having to ask her old clan for help after all this time.
‘Hey, El.’ Nyssa’s voice was soft, barely more than a whisper. ‘It’s going to be okay.’
‘I know.’ Elowen sighed, forcing a small smile, though Nyssa could sense the tension in the set of the elf’s shoulders, could see her eyes flicking around the grove with an edge of unease.
Nyssa reached a hand up to cup Elowen’s jaw, gently turning the elf’s head until she was focused entirely on Nyssa. Ancestors, those eyes.
‘I’m right here with you, El. I’ve got you, I promise,’ Nyssa murmured, and before she could stop herself, she pushed up on to her toes and pressed a soft kiss to Elowen’s lips.
The elf hesitated at first, and then slowly melted into Nyssa, welcoming the kiss as any lingering tension dissipated into the air around them.
Elowen pulled Nyssa closer as Nyssa poured everything she couldn’t quite say into the kiss: her awe at Elowen’s courage in returning to T? Canol, how honoured she felt that Elowen trusted her enough to want her there, her fierce certainty that she would do whatever it took to protect the elf.
Above all, though, there was the simple truth of it: there was nowhere else in the world Nyssa would rather be than here, in this moment, with Elowen.
After what felt simultaneously like an eternity and no time at all, the pair broke apart, their breathing slightly ragged, Elowen’s cheeks more flushed than usual. Nyssa held her gaze, smiling softly.
‘Thanks,’ Elowen said after a moment. ‘That was a … helpful distraction.’