Chapter 17
Soren
Itrudge downstairs in the morning to find Thorn and Clara at the kitchen table. They are talking about the rebellion and my mind couldn’t be farther from preparing rations for soldiers and equipping everyone with weapons that Merric has been busy forging.
It takes one look at me for Clara to hear my thoughts. She purses her lips together. “You’re leaving.”
Thorn’s glance shifts from Clara to me, and he lifts his brows.
“I am,” I reply. “I can’t stay here. Not while Aurora is so far away at the hands of someone we don’t know if we can trust.”
Clara’s brows pull together, and she marches to the cupboards. “I’ll make some tea,” she grumbles over her shoulder.
Thorn takes a deep breath and meets my gaze before clapping a hand on my shoulder as I settle at the table.
I watch Clara flutter around, opening cupboards to concoct one of her many tea blends. I know my actions worry her, and I feel guilty for leaving the coordination of the rebellion so early.
“You don’t need to feel sorry for me, so you can stop that right now.” Clara flashes me her emerald eyes before setting the kettle on the stove.
I smile softly at being scolded like a boy. “Yes, ma’am.”
Thorn clears his throat. “What is your plan?”
I fold my hands together, bracing my elbows on the weathered wood. “I’m going to stay at Windflower while Aurora is away. To be close, in case she needs me.”
Thorn nods slowly. While they know my protectiveness and duty as a sentinel, these measures I am taking for a woman are new. I’ve never felt compelled to protect someone as fiercely as I do Aurora.
The kettle shrieks, and Clara removes it from the flame. She pours the hot water into a mug and sets it in front of me. The herbal aroma fills the air with notes I can’t place.
Her gaze flicks from the cup to me. “Drink. It will give you strength and endurance for your journey. And extra protection.”
I smile into the mug as I lift it to my lips, the thick, hot air seeping into my pores. I take a sip, relishing the muted earthiness. It feels like home. Like love and comfort.
Clara watches me intently as I set the cup down. “I’ll pack you some food.” She turns to busy herself, ensuring I am well fed on my travels.
“Thank you, Clara.” My heart squeezes in my chest. This thoughtful woman is quick to put everyone else before herself. While I miss my parents dearly, I thank the Cauldron every day for giving me this woman who took me in and raised me as if I were her own.
I turn my attention to Thorn. “What has been the reaction in town?”
He takes a deep breath. “As expected. People are nervous. There are only a handful of fae who were alive during King Caledor’s reign, so most don’t know what to expect. We’ve had relative peace for centuries. To have that disrupted has people on edge.”
I nod. I am one of those unsure of what to expect when King Caledor returns. But the thought of our world being plunged into darkness and horrors unleashed upon us has me prepared to fight with everything I have.
“And the rest of the council? Have they reported how their residents are handling the news?”
Thorn takes a sip of tea Clara brewed for the two of them. I smell the familiar scent of passionflower. “Everyone reports the same. Numara has volunteers building the training camp in Eldersmoor.”
“And numbers of those pledging to fight?”
His silver eyes lock onto mine, and I cringe from the hardness on his face. “Less than a hundred in total so far, and that’s including the current legion of sentinels.”
I shake my head. “Not exactly promising to go up against a powerful king and whatever creatures he brings with him.”
“Like I said, most aren’t used to war and battling for their lives. At least we have some time. If we can strengthen our force, perhaps more will join.”
We’ll have to make the next fifty years count. But from what Aurora has told me, time moves differently here than in her world. For fae who can live more than a thousand years, fifty pass with a snap of your fingers.
I empty the contents of my mug, the warm tea gushing down my throat to settle into my stomach. “Here’s to hoping.”
***
I bid Thorn and Clara farewell, and Ash and I set off toward Whispering Glen at a quick pace.
My goal is to reach my cabin within two days.
I’m following the course me and Aurora traveled so many months ago.
When things felt just as urgent, we found a way to connect and enjoy our time together despite it all.
Imagining her smile spurs me faster. I intend to make it to Eldersmoor by nightfall.
I am navigating through Raven’s Ridge when the communication mirror vibrates in my pocket. I slow Ash’s pace to a halt and flip open the looking glass to see Aurora’s bright face. My heart flutters at the sight of her light eyes staring back at me.
“Aurora,” I breathe.
She smiles, and the air escapes my lungs. “Hi, honey. Where are you?”
I can’t tear my eyes away from her beautiful face. “I’m about an hour from Larkspire.” My brow furrows. “Is everything alright?”
She chews her lip. There’s something she isn’t telling me.
“Everything is fine. It’s just ... now don’t panic, but Arc is taking us up north for a few days.
” She eyes me nervously, and that’s when I take in her surroundings.
She’s sitting in front of a fiery red canyon, which means she’s not in the palace.
“What?” I ask through gritted teeth. “Where is he taking you, and why?”
She looks around, ensuring no one is eavesdropping on our conversation. “He’s taking us to a village of travelers. He wants to see if they have dormant powers like I do.”
My anger bubbles just below the surface. “What do you mean, a village of travelers?”
Her eyes hold sorrow. “He says that over the years of travelers coming to the realm, some have been men and children. When they’ve found them, they take them to a village up north, where they have been living all this time.”
The blood drains from my face. Travelers like Aurora, only men and children, have been hidden away—devoid of any hope of returning to their homes. Kept in the dark. Somehow I’ve never come across a traveler who wasn’t an adult woman.
I swallow. “You’re going to meet them?”
“Yes. I can report back how many there are and if any of them possess powers that could help our cause. I’m hoping this will be a way to sway Arc to our side. If only the travelers are like me.” Her gaze falls and the weight of the situation settles heavily on her shoulders.
All of her hope is riding on the travelers having dormant powers. Without it, we will be up against Arc and his father, and my heart will be in the hands of the enemy.
“When do you expect to arrive?” My grip on Ash’s reins tightens, my knuckles turning white.
“Before nightfall.”
“Less than a day’s ride from the palace,” I mumble to myself, trying to calculate how quickly I can reach her if I keep a breakneck pace.
“Yes. We’ve been going straight north from the palace.
I’ve been tracking the sun on our journey.
We’ve traveled through forest, marshland, and now an arid canyon.
We will resume our trek soon, but I wanted to let you know what’s going on.
I will call you again when we arrive at the village.
” Her eyes fix on something out of frame. “I have to go. I love you.”
And with that, our connection breaks. I’m left staring at the reflection of my own dazed expression. I give myself a moment to unravel everything before my heels tap Ash, spurring him to a neck-breaking pace toward the woman I love.