Chapter 2
A large hand clamped on my upper arm and shook.
Jostled awake, I fluttered my eyes open and found Ace crouched beside me.
His tussled hair had fallen over his face, casting his chiselled features in shadows.
His gaze softened as he studied me in silence.
He looked ready to say something but then shook his head as if to banish the thoughts.
He backed away. “We need to go.”
I looked up at the sky and tracked the position of the sun. We couldn’t have napped for long.
“We can rest at the cabin,” he said.
I groaned softly as I pushed myself from the moss-draped ground. A gentle breeze whispered through the leaves. The sun filtered through the forest canopy, casting golden shards of light across the narrow path, and a white feather glinted in the patch of moss beside me.
Wait a minute.
I plucked the feather from its resting spot and twirled it between my finger and thumb. It shone with the colours of the rainbow. This feather belonged to the unicorn of the forbidden forest. I’d know it anywhere. I used these feathers for fletching.
I hadn’t spotted the feather earlier. Too exhausted, apparently.
Movement to my right pulled my attention away from the feather.
A few paces from where I rested, Nala waited—silent and watchful. Her soulful gaze met mine, and at once, her thick tail thumped on the ground in greeting.
“Nala,” I breathed, emotion catching in my throat.
I stuffed the feather into my pocket and stumbled forward. Dropping to my knees, I threw my arms around Nala’s thick, fluffy neck, buried my face in her fur and inhaled her familiar nutty scent.
Nala whined, her body trembling with restrained excitement as she rose, trying to twist her head into the crook of my shoulder, desperate to lick my face.
I laughed and held her tighter for a moment, grounding myself in her scent before finally standing.
“She woke just before you.” Ace leaned against a tree with his arms crossed. Shadows brushed his cheekbones. His gaze was sharp and steady, and the softer look from earlier was gone.
“How long was I out?” I asked, brushing dirt from my palms.
“Not long enough.”
“You didn’t sleep?”
He gave me a pointed look. “Someone had to watch.”
Guilt twisted in my chest. Well, damn. Now I felt like a jerk. I should’ve offered to take turns on watch.
“I—” I started, but he cut me off with a shrug.
“Besides,” Ace added, lips twitching. “You snore.”
I blinked and placed my hands on my hips with all the indignation I could muster. “I do not.”
His dark brows rose. “Like one of those wild boars when you stick them with your arrows.”
Heat flared across my cheeks, but before I could point out wild boars rarely made any sounds when my arrows struck them because of my perfect aim, he leaned to the side to peer around the boulder.
“No signs of anyone following us. We are almost there, and I’d rather not rest any longer.
I don’t know about you, but my adrenaline is fading quickly, and I’m running on fumes. ”
I nodded and looked down at Nala. “Can you walk?”
Nala shook her coat and yipped. Guess that was a yes. At least Ace wouldn’t have to carry her anymore.
“Let’s go.” Ace started walking and I followed with Nala, keeping pace easily.
My familiar looked much better. The magic that bound us must’ve finally helped accelerate the healing process. The energy of the bond vibrated, and a sense of relief washed over me.
“I really don’t see how you’re going to hide our very obvious trail.” I jerked my thumb behind us just in case he didn’t realize I was referring to our tracks.
Ace pulled his shoulders back and tipped his head to the side. “Hear that?”
I frowned but shut my mouth. What was he talking about?
I strained to hear anything besides my quickened heartbeat.
Birds chirped in the distance. A gentle breeze played in the leaves.
It grew stronger as I listened, signalling the incoming storm.
Insects buzzed around while some nasty wasps zipped past. At this time of year, they became lost little assholes without their queen.
The katydids hummed along, but it was still too early in the day for crickets.
Those would all be gone soon, too, like the wasps. The nights grew too cold.
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. The smell of evergreens and rich soil flowed over me, along with summer floral scents and moss.
There was dampness in the air though—not just from the incoming change of the season, but from the proximity to water.
In the distance, a fast flowing river rushed by.
“A river?” I open my eyes to find Ace studying me like one would a feral animal stuck in a trap. “A skilled tracker can still follow us across a river.”
“Not this one.”
“Pretty sure this is the same river that runs through Danu Forest.”
“It is.” His smile widened. “But something is different about it here.”
“Exactly how is it different?”
“Magic.” He picked up the pace.
“Magic?”
“Come on, you’ll see soon enough.”
I glanced at Nala. She chuffed at me and continued to lope behind Ace. Seemed like my familiar trusted my partner more than I did.
When we stepped around the bend, the trail opened to a rocky riverbed. The crystal-clear river rushed by, creating a mist of water to rise from the edges. Sunlight broke through the tree cover and fractured into millions of small rainbows, making the river appear to dance.
It was a beautiful section of the Danu River, but the water didn’t look any different here than it did elsewhere. At this point, though, I was too tired to argue. Hopefully, the magic Ace spoke of would materialize soon and whisk me away to a warm bed.
I let out a long breath.
A wooden post jutted from the ground near the bank of the river. Someone had carved a series of circular and triangular symbols with various lines drawn through them into the weathered wood.
“What do those mean?” I asked.
Ace shrugged. “I’ve always assumed they say ‘magic river’ or something like that.”
I ran my hand down the carving. “Or maybe it’s a warning?”
“If it’s a warning, I’ve successfully ignored it and look at me.” He patted his chest. “I turned out fine.”
Part of me wanted to admit just how fine he was, but then the other part of me remembered this was Ace and I’d rather listen to stories of my brother’s sexual exploits than pay this man a compliment. “Debatable.”
Ace scoffed and jerked his chin toward the churning water. “Let’s go.”
Nala trotted ahead of us, splashing through the water without a care in the world.
“It’s not as deep as it looks.” Ace reached back, holding his hand out to me. “As long as we stick to the path.”
“What path?” We were crossing a river. I reached forward and grasped his hand.
“There are special rocks,” he said simply as if he hadn’t just announced the most absurd thing ever.
“Aren’t we a little old for special rocks?”
“You’ll see.” He flashed me a brief smile before pulling me into the water.
He was right, it wasn’t as deep as I thought.
It only came up to mid shin where I stood on a large rock beside him.
Something shifted beneath the surface of the water and humming rose in my bones.
My magic vibrated under my skin and my fingers itched to reach for a bow.
I rarely felt the power in my veins unless I was shooting at something.
Ace’s hand tightened around mine. They were firm, calloused and warm. They anchored me, and my magic settled. My heart started to beat harder and not out of fear.
I swore. This was not the time to think of Ace as anything more than a partner, rival and the most infuriating man ever.
“Everything okay?” Ace asked.
“Yes,” I mumbled. Everything was fine except the way my body reacted to him.
Nala darted forward, effortlessly traversing the river. Each bound splashed up water which shimmered with a strange, silvery light, despite the pale golden daylight. The water didn’t sparkle, it glowed as if it had swallowed the moon.
“Special rocks,” I muttered. The answer stared right back at me with each lap of silvery water along the riverbank.
The water having magic of its own shouldn’t have surprised me.
The forbidden forest spoke to me in a way that could only be explained with magic, and I’d met a naiad before and felt the magic rolling off her and the water in waves.
I was more surprised Ace could sense and use it.
As if on cue, a gentle breeze swept through the air to curl around me. A warm band of wind kissed my chilled skin, but it didn’t provide comfort. The wind brought a silent warning.
Danger.
Behind us, branches snapped. Leaves shook. The sound of hunters moving swiftly through the forest grew louder. They’d found us.
“Step where I step.” Ace pulled me forward.
The first stone glowed faintly beneath his boot.
I looked down at the swirling current. It might not be deep while standing on the special rock, but it was certainly deep everywhere else.
None of the other stones glowed. Whatever magic swirled in the depths of this river, it wanted to help Ace cross.
“What if the magic doesn’t work for me?” I asked.
Ace looked back at me, his dark gaze catching the strange light. “It’ll work because you’re with me.”
And phaan help me, I believed him.
I stepped onto the stone behind him, and the glow held. Cool mist curled around my boots, lapping at the leather and climbing higher with every breath.
More cracks echoed behind us. They’d picked up our trail.
“They’re close,” I said.
“Then move,” Ace growled.
One stone at a time, he stepped forward. As we moved, the glowing rocks behind us faded back to their normal pale colour and removed all trace of our path.
We were halfway across when a man shouted. “This way.”
They were so close. If they caught us while we were in the river, we wouldn’t stand a chance.
I moved faster, trying not to slip. The mist grew thicker, coiling around our legs and waists now. It smelled like moss and bark. I missed a step and slipped. My breath caught in my throat as I staggered to the side.
Ace caught me without turning. He tightened his grip and yanked me forward like I weighed nothing.
Nala yipped ahead, waiting for us to catch up. She apparently already knew this magical pathway. She’d crossed without incident or help.
The far side of the river ran deeper. “No special rocks?”
“We have to jump to get to the other bank,” Ace said.
And if we missed the bank, we risked getting swept away by the current or caught in the rocks. Fantastic.
Nala sprang forward, clearing the deep section with ease.
Ace let go of my hand to make the jump effortlessly. He turned to me, arms out. “Mouse. Now.”
I launched myself toward him, the last stone fading beneath my boot as I leapt. For one terrifying moment, I wasn’t sure I’d make it. But Ace caught me in his arms.
I slammed into his chest and his arms wrapped around me.
“I got you,” he said.
In that moment, I felt safe and secure, and I wanted to stay there for eternity.
I looked up and our gazes locked. Something fierce and determined flashed across his expression, like a dragon protecting his horde, or maybe like a lone wolf who’d just cornered its prey.
I wanted to soften that look. I wanted to destroy his confidence. I wanted so much more.
I wanted everything.
And wasn’t that just the sad part? Ace couldn’t give me anything but rejection, pain and sadness.
Men yelling in the forest broke the moment.
We tore apart and staggered up the grassy bank of the river to run into the safety of the surrounding forest. My heart hammered against my breastbone and my raspy breathing scraped my throat.
I looked back at our path. Our tracks were gone.
I took another step and looked down.
No.
The tracks weren’t gone. We didn’t make any to find.
“From what I’ve figured out over the years, as long as we are wet from the river, we won’t make any tracks,” Ace explained. “They’ll follow us to the water and that’s all. They can scour the riverbank, but they’ll never pick up our trail.”
“We’re safe,” I said, half to him, half to myself, and for the first time since we started running, I let myself breathe.
“For now,” he said.
He brushed a strand of damp hair from my cheek. His fingers lingered just a moment too long.
Exhaustion pulled at my limbs and my eyelids grew heavier with each step. “Please tell me this cabin is close.”
Ace nodded. “But not too close.”
More shouting rose out from the far side of the river.
“We need to disappear deeper into the forest. Having no tracks won’t save us if they catch sight of us.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I picked up the pace and followed Ace into the dark shadows of the forest.