She chuckles. “I thought you had thrown it away.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
“Leave it here. I’m sure we’ll be back.”
I feel an odd knot in my chest at her certainty that we’re not abandoning this house for good, at her hope that we’re not going to lose the home she loves so much. I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to return here, and perhaps I wish I could just mask my sadness with denial. Then again, we have so many bigger problems.
A few minutes later, we all float to the riverbank, and Azur transcends us all. His transcending magic is so powerful that it’s almost ridiculous. I’m glad he’s on our side.
We get to a forest with thin trees spaced far apart, from where I can hear the ocean roaring. Azur leads us to a clearing, where he pierces the tip of his finger, then rubs it on something invisible, and a fence surrounding a large wooden house appears.
We’re by a gate with a plaque with the drawing of an eye and a drop of blood, and for some reason I chuckle. “How fancy, you have royalty blood.”
Azur rolls his eyes. “Like I said, my family had access to this house.”
His family. Perhaps he does descend from some kind of royalty. Astra’s question on whether he’ll explain this house makes sense now, and I realize then that she might know who he is. I suppose I’ll have to ask her later.
We cross the gate, Azur opens the door to the house, and where I expected dust and dirt, I see the interior of a cabin with clean chairs, a sitting room, and a large kitchen with three tables. A staircase leads to the upper floor, where there is a corridor with doors, I suppose leading to the bedrooms.
There’s no doubt that this is some kind of royal hideout, in fact quite similar to the one on the Queen’s River. The only thing I’m wondering is to which court Azur belongs. But I also want to understand the deal with the Sea Court.
“Right, so what happened?” I ask.
“Hang on,” Lidiane says, then pulls her transcending note, and her eyes widen.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Renel, Tarlia, and Ziven. They’re fine now,” she says. “But they faced the Witch King.”
I’m horrified. “What? Where?”
“The Misty Court. But they escaped. They’re now by the Queen’s River, near a circle further west than the island.”
“I’ll get them,” Azur says.
“Would you know where they are?” Lidiane asks.
“I’ll find them.” He kisses her lips briefly, then disappears.
Nelsin grimaces. “How did the Witch King cross the Charmed River? And even if he walked there, how did he get so far south?”
Shit. I think I know the answer. “Crisine was in his prison. She was a good transcender. I guess he did absorb her magic.”
I feel Astra catching a breath. “So he could go anywhere.”
Ferer looks around. “Is this house really warded?”
“Nobody knows we’re here, so…” I don’t even know what I’m saying. “Let’s hope for the best.”
ZIVEN
The cool night air makes me shiver, or maybe it’s the memory of the Witch King and his cruel face becoming ice in front of me. I still can’t believe I did that. Can’t believe it worked—partly, at least.
Renel hugs Tarlia, and then I look around to see if there’s a rock where I can sit, feeling oddly awkward, and not willing to face Mirella.
A thud behind me makes me turn, my heart beating fast.
My shoulders sag when I realize it’s Azur, except that he notices Mirella and his body turns rigid at once.
