The Ward flared slightly. “To an extent. The difference between Shadows and Wards is they can both harm or soothe, depending on what the Wielder wants. Fire will always burn, water will always douse. It’s difficult to explain.” He nudged the back of her shoulder slightly. “You can touch it.”
Sol peered back at him. “Touch what?”
“The Ward.” He smirked. “It won’t hurt you.”
Sol turned back to face Lilah and the wider portion of the Ward.
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure.”
It might have been stupid, but the static was entrancing. As she reached for it, she wondered if that was part of the magic’s play, to entrance the victim into its grasp.
Hesitantly, her fingers swept the violet haze and she flinched— but nothing happened. The static spread around her palm, tingling, and fizzy, but nothing as severe as she thought.
The sensation was almost…familiar.
She continued playing with the Ward. “So, what’s Rimemere like? Is it really like the stories?”
“What do your stories say?”
“You know, the usual. A castle. Pretty things. Magic.”
“A castle, yes. Mostly for Nobles and the current ruling parties. Students also frequent it to train with the royal guards. Pretty things? Subjective. Magic? Sometimes.”
Sol rolled her eyes. “Your answers are always quite underwhelming.”
“You’ll have to judge it for yourself, Princess. Though, I'm sure it's all a step up from what you're used to.”
Sol shifted in the saddle, purposely digging her elbow into his abdomen. “What makes you think just because there's a castle and pretty things, it's a step up?”
He switched the reins to one hand, using the other to reinforce his Ward with a wave. “A guess.” A guess.
Anger flared within Sol as she turned to face away, Lilah protesting beneath them. “Of course, someone like you would think castles and riches are all there is.” Tears burned in her throat. They didn’t understand. Why would they? “But being with people you love will always mean more than that.”
And now she was alone, in a foreign place, struggling to hold on to her sense of identity as best she could.
“Are you crying?” Cas scoffed. “Is getting whisked away from a tiny town to a giant castle with everything you can possibly want really so bad?” His words were laced with judgment.
She clenched her jaw. “Again, I don’t expect the likes of you to understand.”
“The likes of you?” His voice lowered.
“You know, spoiled, rich, probably had everything handed to you and your family on silver platters.”
She slammed back into his chest as he yanked the reins, pulling Lilah to a sudden stop. “Hey!”
His silver eyes simmered. “You’ll be surprised to know that because our families chose yours, we grew up with the exact opposite treatment.”
She peered up at him. “I truly doubt life in a luxurious castle could be any kind of inconvenience.”
Cas grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her off the saddle. Sol barely had time to land on her feet before he trotted ahead, calling back to the others, “Someone else take her.”
Sol coughed as dirt from Lilah’s hooves flew into her eyes.
“Well, that’s a record,” Sawyer laughed. “Haven't seen someone piss him off so quickly.”
“He started it,” Sol mumbled.
