Her voice held none of the confidence and irritation it normally did, but nonetheless the relief of hearing her againmade my heart skip a beat. Letting the moment pass, a feeling of dread oozed over me, making my wings feel like lead in the sky.
Raya.I swallowed, breathing her name once before letting out the onslaught of questions.Are you all right?
She interrupted.“Where are you?”
What happened? Where are you? Why were you bloody when you came to me before?I inhaled, pausing momentarily as I tried to rein in the chaotic thoughts coming from somewhere inside me other than my mind.Is Lana safe?
Raya didn’t respond. I knew she hadn’t left, but she didn’t speak. I couldn’t picture her either. She remained a distant shadowy figure.
Is. She. Safe? Raya. Please don’t make me ask you again.
“She’s safe.”Her answer was short, her voice practically dead. What happened to her? Anger and fear churned, washing away the brief moment of relief, even after hearing Lana was safe. Raya hadn’t answered any questions about herself.
A tug in my chest emerged and settled. Heavy. Worry and unease wrapped itself around the ball. What in the Fates names was wrong with me?
What’s wrong? What happened?
“Nothing, I just?—”
Raya, tell me right now. What is going on? Are you hurt? Is someone else?My wings stiffened, my body freezing waiting for her answer. An uncomfortable acidic taste grew stronger with every passing second of silence. Her heartbreak seeped into my mind, pounding in my own chest.
A deep sense of shame washed over me. But it didn’t stem from my own thoughts or feelings. It came from Raya. The guilt tasted sour on my tongue.
Something had happened. I knew, as if it were my own feelings, Raya was not all right, she just clearly didn’t want to talk about it right now, so I wouldn’t push her.
Where is Kade? Are you on your way back to Brookmere? Did you get the answers we need?
She paused, like she’d sucked in a breath and couldn’t let it go.
Raya—
“We’re almost back. We’ll see you soon, Ian.”
No. Raya, you can’t just leave me. I need answers.
Raya hesitated only briefly before she left the recesses of my mind, and I was empty once more.
Even though this woman infuriated me most of the time, I hated when she disappeared, severing our connection. This time when she left, it was like she took a part of me with her. A fragment I didn’t even realize was missing before she invaded my very soul.
This time especially, it felt like more than mind magic at play. As if something bigger entwined around us that opened her emotions to me and not just a mental connection. I shook off thoughts of the infuriating Fae. Perhaps her particular form of magic worked in mysterious ways. If she refused to give me answers, I didn’t need to spend time thinking about her.
At least, I could try not to.
The first village on my route appeared below, aiding me with a much-needed break. Swooping down, I landed just off the main road and shifted back into my Fae form.
Cautiously, I made my way toward the center square and turned to the first person I found, a woman with a young baby swaddled to her chest. She eyed me warily.
Holding up my hands, I approached calmly. “Excuse me, miss, I’m looking for Caden Blaine.”
Caden had previously made two requests to the Hidden Henchman, and both times asked how he could help our cause. He’d be the perfect person to help me rally any others in the village.
She nodded once, glancing over her shoulder toward the busy village square, but an elderly woman down the road called her name. She stumbled a few steps back as if scared. Instead of pestering her further, I smiled in thanks and strode farther into the village.
The Fae moved with purpose, and though the sounds of conversation filled the air, they were cautious of my presence. I shifted through buyers, hagglers, and beggars, searching for a familiar face. When I landed in the middle of the square, I tapped a man on the arm.
“Excuse me, do you know Caden Blaine?”
The man hmphed. “Just came from him. There.” He pointed to the left side of the square where a small crowd gathered.
