But looks can be deceiving.
“The dragon stays onthisside of the wall,” Sintharion demands.
Voraxis huffs out a breath of annoyance.I don’t like this.
Me either. Just stay as close as possible.
Don’t worry, Firebird. Tell them if I get even a whiff of anything nefarious, there won’t be enough guards in the realm to stop me. I will rip these soul-sucking traitors limb by limb. Fire will rain down from the clouds, and there will be no stopping the destruction that comes their way.
The dramatics. “He won’t hesitate to come in if something seems off,” I tell the group.
That’s not what I said.
It’s the summarized version,I quip.Besides, you said we need them on our side. So less threats, more compliance.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Sintharion comments before turning around and striding toward the opening.
The guards don’t acknowledge our group as we pass, onlygiving Voraxis a curious glance as he takes flight overhead. And already, I’m regretting separating.
Entering through the archway, I’m instantly hit with a potent aroma of potting soil and floral undertones. Grass expands over the ground, lush and vibrant, like it’s never missed a watering, only broken up by a wide bark pathway, outlined with mulch housing wildflowers.
Belladonna would love this place. The thought sinks in like an anchor, dragging me down rapidly until the surface is just a fleeting memory. There was a part of me that wanted to go back to Nefarium—the sole purpose being only to see Benny and Donni, knowing they must be sick with worry. Maybe I’m being naive, but I’m choosing to believe they weren’t in on this. The truth hurts, but that would be a betrayal I don’t think I could recover from. Since the first interaction, they made me feel as if they’d known me my entire life. They welcomed me into their lives with open arms.
But then again, I never thought Callum would betray me either.
Pushing all those thoughts to the farthest corners of my mind, I stay focused on the task at hand. In retrospect, I still don’t know what that is, but alas, I’ll figure it out.
Vaiterra, as a whole, is asleep, so quiet there’s only the noise of our footsteps accompanied by the faint sound of running water. It’s not nearly as big as I would’ve thought, smaller than Nefarium by far. Granted, I’m not sure how big the land is from point to point, but the town itself was expansive. Marcel’s castle is at the perfect viewpoint, sitting atop a mountain, overlooking the town in its entirety.
My mind wanders to Astralis and how peculiar it was that I never saw a town—only the castle, which was in the center of, basically, a beautiful wasteland, seemingly the only residence in sight. But truthfully, I wasn’t paying much attention to anything after I caught a glimpse of the shimmer stones.
It makes me wonder if they care about their people at all.
And in some twisted way, they’re my people too. There was a flicker of a moment where I considered going to Astralis, entertained the idea of returning to the place where everything shattered. But I couldn’t do it, not when I still taste blood every time I think of it.
Then there’s the whole idea that’s where I was held. It made the most sense, considering it’s where the ambush happened. But the guards weren’t from Astralis. The ones flanking the room were wearing unidentifiable armor, just like the people who would enter my holding cell.
But when I escaped, there was nothing defining about the space. The building was like some run-down shack on the outside, and the area, as a whole, looked like any other forest in the realm.
But I’ve been wrong before.
And then there are all the other areas of this world I don’t even know exist. Like this one. My mind is a jigsaw puzzle, and all the pieces are scattered, reeling with possibilities and unanswered questions, unable to focus, and no sign of putting it back together.
Empty stalls and storefronts are spread out over the grass, and out in the distance there are residential houses resembling woodsy cottages and bungalows beneath soft yellow fairy lights. We never stray from the city, and my head stays on a swivel, mapping out every exit I can find. The path comes to an end faster than I would like, knowing I haven’t even brushed the surface of all the possible scenarios.
A wooden bridge stretches over a roaring river, the water beneath churning like it’s been stirred by the Gods themselves. On the far side, a stone castle rises from the mist, its edges softened by shadow. Cracks web through its walls like veins, but from them, life spills—vines thick with flowers bloom, defyingthe ruins.
My footsteps come to a halt just before the landing.You still there?
Always, Firebird.
Taking a deep inhale, I try to calm myself down, but my attempts are futile because no matter what, I can’t change the fact that I’m walking into uncharted territory.
Once we’ve crossed over, Rathe silently turns left, and the others continue forward all while I have thoughts of what impending doom is awaiting me.
Hesitantly, I take sluggish steps up the small staircase, stopping only a few paces away from the entrance. The bridge matches the wooden door perfectly, decorated with black, metal accents, and just like everything else in Vaiterra—so far—it feels inviting, which in hindsight, puts me more on edge. Sintharion pushes the door open, and I desperately want to believe everything will be alright, but as I get closer, my heart rate picks up, and my breaths become more shallow.
My toe edges the threshold, and I will my feet to continue forward, urging them to cross and get it over with. But they don’t listen. Instead, they opt to stay rooted in place. The others must notice I’m no longer behind them, because Odeyssa turns to look over her shoulder, and her face drops instantly, clearly noticing my anxious stare, and she rushes to my side.
