Chapter 35
thirty-five
. . .
Ever
“We all know the plan?”
“Ever, we’re good. We’ve been over it. We all have our roles.” Calix looks at me, his eyes are kind, but the raise of his brows tells me he’s done with this conversation.
“Yes, but…” I don’t finish. But what—we turn around because now we’re here, I’m terrified it won’t work, and we’ll all be thrown in a cell?
The plan had been the main source of conversation after the first night of camp.
After clearing the wooded areas and entering The Jade, we picked up the pace, putting much-needed distance between Estereah and us.
Stops were short, and we didn’t camp overnight again, only stealing time to rest the horses and catch a few hours of sleep.
I recounted, in as much detail as I could, the path that Fenix used when he took me out of The Court.
The passageways and streets that ended with the boulder leading to the outside.
Calix paid particular attention, in case we needed it.
But that wasn’t our source of entry. At least it wasn’t the first plan.
That still involved simply crossing the barrier and hoping that the son of the Warrior General would be enough for us to get passage to The Court.
With Calix and Crimson being missing for so long, and my apparent desertion, we had high hopes, especially with others in tow.
There was still a part of me that was less sure, one that twisted my gut, and knowing I couldn’t leave this to chance, I had to consider something else.
I hadn’t said anything because I didn’t want this to be debated amongst everyone, but I was torn.
Wishing for my magic back would bring me power, but would be at a heavy personal sacrifice.
However, now wasn’t a time to be selfish, and perhaps we were due something going in our favour: Invisibility.
It was one of the gifts we’d explored in training. My touch added to Micah and Capella turned the three of us invisible.
I called on my previous powers, and they answered, as if they were stored, waiting in that place at the centre of my chest.
It might be depleted and drained, but it’s still there.
I still have magic, and I can’t deny that now.
It’s fluctuating, creeping out, as if it’s new and wants to be used, recognising how close we are to Kirrasia, perhaps.
I can’t feel it the same as I did before.
That body of water isn’t waiting to be commanded.
The link to Aslendrix isn’t there in the same way, but something powerful stirs.
Crossing the border might help, but it isn’t a guarantee, and so my own doubt causes me to keep this part of the plan to myself, breaking my own rule of no secrets.
The gamble with the crossing and my questionable magic are too many variables to rely on.
If this works, then we don’t need to worry, but if it doesn’t, we’ll be in the hands of the Warriors on patrol, and we’ll rely on family.
Finally, my magic has a practical purpose, far away from death, and invisibility will allow me to walk Kyra right up to the Tower and find the Maker before anyone knows.
“Okay. Ready?” Calix checks with us all, and Ten’s hand squeezes around mine. He tugs, and I turn to him.
“I just…”
Before he says anything more, he grabs my face, his hands holding me with a surety that melts me as he kisses me. His lips collide with mine, the hunger only just at bay. His whole body is taut, and I can almost hear the words inside his head. Almost.
He lets me go, and I steal a breath to steady myself.
“Just in case.” He plants another kiss to my forehead.
Just in case my magic comes back, and we’ll be back to restricting every single touch with one another. I grab his hand, not wanting to be without it, even if it’s only for a few more seconds.
Nettle chortles from behind me, as if disapproving of the display, but I frown at the horse and pick up his reins again.
The first time I crossed the border, it was as if a shiver of energy ran through me as I passed the protective shield to Kirrasia, and I can sense the same energy now, another familiarity I’ve come to understand.
Even without my necklace to channel it, there’s a hum of vibration pulsing through my veins.
I spin the ring on my finger, warm from wear, and so comforting where it now rests.
“On three. One, two, three.” We all step forward and through on Calix’s command.
And… nothing.
We look around, and while we can see the watch tower, there aren’t the usual guards and camp area around it.
“That’s a surprise. It’s abandoned, just like when we came through. Could this be your father again?” Ten asks Calix.
“No. He’d have no intel to confirm where we’d cross or when we’d cross. This is either luck or—”
“Or they aren’t protecting the border right now,” Ten finishes Calix’s thought.
“Why wouldn’t they do that?” Kyra asks. “The border should always be protected. Sunatora and—”
“—Aren’t who we need to be worried about right now. Come on.” Kalan tugs on the two horses he’s holding on to. “We still have a plan. Let’s not ask for more trouble.” He hands one horse off to Kyra.
We mount the horses and set out towards The Ember.
As the horses fall back into pairs, I look to the sky, then to the people ahead of me, and finally, my fingers press to the space at my neck as I think of the time in class.
I remember the connection between Capella and Micah as we held hands, and what the power felt like as it travelled through me.
That signature that wants to find the missing drop of its power in me.
As I focus, as I picture it in my mind, a rush of energy cascades through me. Not from the well in my chest, this is different, like it’s channelling through me, and the source isn’t trapped inside me anymore. It’s bigger than that. It’s greater and more powerful than it was in training.
Nettle rears back and whinnies before he stomps his feet back on the dirt and shifts his stance. He feels it and isn’t happy about it.
But the power doesn’t stop, and with it, Nettle’s agitation grows until he throws me from my seat, and I land in the grass.
“Okay, that wasn’t nice,” I mumble to Nettle, as I brush off my hands and right myself, still on my arse.
“Ever!” Ten calls.
Here goes nothing. “It’s okay. I’m fine.
” I push the words to him, but they hit a wall.
A block. They hit Ten’s shield. I concentrate, gathering my power, wanting it to come to me, beseeching it to obey, and I force the words towards Ten.
This time, they sail through the barrier. And I watch it happen.
I see the moment Ten realises, his eyes snapping to mine and growing wide. His smile breaks like the sun rising in the morning, but no sooner has it appeared than it sours, falling flat.
“If you have your power back, if we have this back—” His eyes narrow.
“We don’t know. Everything’s different here. My power feels different.”
“You got through my shields.”
“I wanted to see if this would work.”
“You’re stronger.”
I don’t want to answer that, so I pick myself up instead and step towards Nettle. “I won’t hurt you, boy. It’s just me.” I place my hand on his shoulder and gently stroke his neck. “Nice and easy.”
He doesn’t seem to argue this time, and I remount, pulling myself up with no problem.
I’ll wait until we’re closer to The Court before calling on my magic again. That’s what it was. I called it, and it responded. I pulled magic and power, not from within me.
“Ever, you good? We need to use the advantage of no guards,” Kalan circles back to me.
“I’m good. Nettle’s good, aren’t you, boy?” I keep my eyes on the horse.
“Come on then.” His impatience snaps in his words. “We need to stick to the plan.”
“The plan didn’t include a free path,” I point out to him.
“You two, quit bickering. We take the win. We continue as planned. Any questions?”
“No,” I quickly answer Calix. He scrutinises me. Just for a moment. “Okay?”
“I am. You?”
“I will be if you get your arse moving. Don’t slack on me now, Hart.”
In that moment, I couldn’t love Calix more.
When we reach The Ember and still haven’t been pursued or seen any sign of Warriors or watch parties, my anxiety runs into overdrive. Something is wrong. We shouldn’t have been able to do this.
And then, as if tempting fate with the thought, we see why.
We crest a slight hill, and between The Court and us, spilling out over the Ember and across to the training rings, is what looks like the whole Kirrian army.
On one side, I’m relieved. They’re here, so Kyra’s fears about bringing them into the fight are quashed. But the bigger question remains as to why now? We haven’t warned them.
So why are they here? And if they see us…
I jump from Nettle and reach out instinctively, pulling power to me, holding the image of Micah and Capella in my mind and then throwing out my magic.
It’s not quite the same flow as before. It’s not like a body of water with streams gathering strength, but I cling to that analogy, so as not to get lost in the vastness of how this magic now feels.
The well I used to think of as the source of my magic is still in tatters. But the energy is there, and my power cloaks everyone I see, and as soon as it does, the horses react.
“You all need to dismount. Now!” I shout the command. Nettle rests behind me, unaffected as he’s clear of the shield of invisibility I’ve cast over everyone. I watch as they do as I say, and the horses trot eagerly to where Nettle waits.
“Want to explain what just happened?” Kalan strides over to me with a gruff look on his face.
I peek up at him and to the others, now all wearing similar scrutiny aimed at me.
“My magic is back, or part of it is. I didn’t have time for a meeting, so I did what I needed to make sure we don’t bring the whole army down on us. We might have planned for a small battalion of Warriors, but we didn’t account for the whole army.”