She had mentioned that; magic fell the same day mankind did. No one on either side knew why.
Great, another mystery for us to riddle out.
Chapter Twenty-Six
His breath tickled her neck as he pushed her hair away to open space for his lips to press against the tender spot underneath her ear. Goosebumps rose over her flesh as she leaned into his chest behind her.
They shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be touching. But they couldn’t stay away, like magnets drawn to each other, unable to resist the pull toward a mate.
“I thought you were going to break your brother’s neck today.” The words came out as more of a breathless moan than a statement.
The growl that vibrated against her skin made her fingers clench her dress so hard she’d probably caused a tear. It was better than touching him right now.
“You’re mine,” he snarled against her.
She was. He owned her heart and soul, but the politics . . .
“We can’t.” She tried to resist like she had for months, but her resolve was failing.
“It’s too late.” It pained him to say it as much as it hurt her heart to hear the truth in his words.
My eyes drifted open to the sounds of a log in the fireplace breaking into embers. The dream. It was no hard guess who had played the starring roles in my head. With thoughts of Rune and Nyx rolling through my mind, I couldn’t stop thinking about them. My perception of Rune had changed.
His history with Nyx reminded me of Mariam’s romance stories she had kept in her room. A forbidden love, where even now they couldn’t be together. After a twenty-year separation, he still looked at her like she was the love of his long life. His mate.
Knowing I’d have to be up soon to train, I massaged my leg. The cut had already healed shut and a pink scar had formed. The salve eased the miniscule pain. Rista was indeed a magical healer, even without the true magic in her hands to do the work.
I now cleaned my clothes in the laundry area instead of my bathtub, so I had a choice of a few outfits for today, including my yoga pants and shirt from when I first arrived. Not sure why, but I wanted to cling to something familiar, something not from this world.
A nonbanging knock came promptly when the sun crested over the Hallowstags, and without even answering, I knew that Celestine’s words spoken two days ago had come true. Rune was not on the other side of the wooden door. Someone else was here to train me.
He was tall, like the general, but had short red hair and brown eyes. The laugh lines next to them were a signal that this Fae was not like his brooding friend.
My suspicion was confirmed mere seconds later. “Oh, this is going to be fun. You’re more of a handful than the general led on, aren’t you?” His hands rubbed down his face in a dramatic gesture.
I smiled as wide as I could to accentuate his thoughts. I was mischief with crazy curls to prove it.
“I’m Sapphira.” I held out my hand, his own clasping mine instantly.
“Najen.” And just like that, my day became uplifted after dreaming of the forbidden mates.
We left for the fighting courtyard. No waterfall fighting with Najen was on the agenda.
I was thankful for his training because he was so open. Others found me curious enough to offer their own advice and tips on fighting. By the time we finished, I knew how to get out of four different holds and where to strike the body to drop it and keep it down long enough to run away. I smiled and laughed with the guards practicing with me, feeling accepted. I wasn’t only human in these Fae’s eyes anymore. They watched me work hard, sweat, and bleed a little to learn. When I fell down on the dirt-coated stones, I got back up and asked for more.
In only a matter of hours, I’d earned their respect.
Najen said I was good to go eat and work with the servants after I cleaned myself up, which I was glad to do so. He didn’t escort me around like he was worried I was going to cause problems with other Fae or the palace. In half a day, I’d earned his trust.
I sat at a table in the kitchen eating eggs and two slices of bacon when the head servant told me to take the day off. “We’re good here. Since your injury, you haven’t had an official day off.” The plump Fae set a cup of water down next to my plate and winked before walking off.
Celestine’s reputation as a seer held true. Rune was gone, and I had time to go exploring in the woods for some mystery creature. I finished eating and went back to the fighting courtyard to grab a bow and quiver with a sword to strap to my hip. No one acknowledged me, which sent shivers up my spine. Had Celestine somehow told everyone to let me do this?
I walked away from the palace, waiting for someone to jump out and haul me back by my hair. No one did. The suspicious feelings drifted away the closer I got to town . . . the same town I’d been watching out my window since I first arrived. The townspeople were friendly, like I imagined. Even when I told them I couldn’t afford anything, artisans continued to welcome me to Crysia and discuss their inspirations from nature and Fae.
I loved immersing myself in the electric atmosphere of the town, but the sun toward the trees and my light was running out. I said goodbye to the couple I had been talking to about their pottery and made my way toward the mysterious entrance to the Hallowstags.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
As far as I could tell, the only difference between the trees of the human realm and this one was the height. Tall trees stretched up toward the clouds with large branches. Some even touched the ground as if the weight of holding their limbs was too great.
The survival instincts I’d gained from crossing the continent kept me cautious of danger from every direction. The sense of my surroundings hadn’t softened by the palace life and a full belly. An eerie silence settled over the woods, as if the trees themselves stopped swaying in the wind to watch me. Each being of energy decided if the plant life and creatures of the Hallowstags could be true to their nature with me around. I’d doubted a human had ever stepped foot in these lands.
I walked to a weathered tree, its limbs hanging low. Holes marked its old age, and I placed my hand against its scratchy bark. I’d been taught in my younger years the purposes of trees. They created the oxygen we breathed and provided shelter, fruit, and materials for a community to thrive. Mariam had always told me to thank the Earth for what it provided us with nothing desired in return. She believed if mankind hadn’t taken the planet for granted, things wouldn’t have been so bad. I’d seen it all on the journey. Mankind had trashed the Earth. “Thank you,” I whispered to the tree.
I heard rather than saw the Hallowstags reaction to me. A whirling sound from behind me coasted by, then disappeared. My body spun quickly, my hand going to the hilt of my sword in case it was not a friendly creature making the sound.
Nothing. The woods were as empty as they were moments before. At least I’d chosen to be thankful in the moment instead of fearful of the silence around me. I walked on the silent feet I’d used for many days with Tor, careful not to alert anything not relying on the sense of smell that I was nearby.
An echo of bubbling water broke the silence as I walked deeper into the woods. My shoulders sagged in relief. The taste of cool water against my dry throat was enticing, and a break sounded like a good idea. The creek was small and ran into a swimming hole, big enough to strip to your undergarments and cool off in the summer heat.