“Just ahead, not behind?” Aurora asks.
“We know they’re coming from behind. And if they catch up to us, no amount of warning will help us.” Though I still have Folost and Devlan I could try and summon, if we had to fight… But my preference is to avoid combat. Not just because I know I am no trained fighter. But also because I still feel Grandma’s teaching in my marrow.
The spirits are here to help us—to join our mortal souls with this world. They are stewards of the old gods, their first loyal subjects. Not tools or weapons.
“Right.” Aurora nods and looks back toward Den. The silver trees still seem alarmingly close. “Lead on, then.”
I follow the path that was seared into my memory, but also the path that Mary leads us on with every bud and bloom. We start off trying to jog at a steady pace, but are eventually forced to slow into a fast walk. Twilight is hazy in the fog of the plains when a line of marigolds stretches before us. I drop instantly, bringing Aurora down with me. Bellies against the grass, we don’t move—we hardly breathe—and simply listen.
“…speak to the messenger?” an unfamiliar male voice asks.
“Of course not,” a woman scoffs. “I’m not high enough in the pack for that.”
“We’re looking for a human though?”
“I guess his bride got cold feet.” It is clear that the woman thinks my mental state is questionable for not eagerly jumping at the opportunity to marry Conri.
“What else can you expect from a fangless human?”
The voices draw near and swing past. Judging from the sound of boots on hard earth, we’re right near the road Evander pointed out to me on our path to Den. I close my eyes and slowly suck in a breath, holding it until their footsteps and voices disappear completely.
Opening my eyes, I meet Aurora’s waiting gaze. I give a slow nod. She knows to be even more careful now. Slow and steady. No sudden movements that could make noise. And no talking.
The line of marigolds sinks back into the earth. A single one appears ahead. Safe again…for now.
We move between patrols, crossing the hard-packed earth that’s more of a glorified path than a road, and into the tall grasses beyond. I stay bent over and hunched, trying to crawl more than walk so that my head remains below the tips of the tall grasses. But as the land slopes down into the woods darkened with night, my feet begin to quicken their pace. I find energy I didn’t know I still had, dredged by hope.
The moment we cross under the boughs of the trees, magic sizzles around my left ring finger. I pick up the invisible thread I laid previously in an instant and follow it like a tether deeper and deeper into the forest. The moon is still two weeks from full, but I don’t need much light to see by. I’m drawn by my senses.
“Faelyn.” Aurora’s voice is distant. It isn’t until she grabs my hand that I’m fully aware of her whisper. “Faelyn, we need to rest.”
“No,” I say restlessly, “We have to keep going until dawn.”
“You’re shaking. Your lips are blue.” She tugs on my hand as if she’s pulling my mind back into my body, making me aware ofthe chill that has soaked through my clothes and into my bones. “We need to get you warm.”
“Being warm won’t matter if Conri catches us.” I shake my head. “And we can’t risk a fire tonight. Not this close.”
Aurora purses her lips then looks behind us. There’s nothing there. There hasn’t been for hours. “All right, we don’t stop for the night, but we do rest for a little. And you call on Folost; if Conri is close enough to see him, then we’ve bigger problems.”
“Deal. There’s a shelter not far from here.” I lead us deeper into the woods, angling away from Holfast and toward one of the first ruins Evander and I passed.
The collapsed house feels more like a wooden cave on the inside. It’s little more than a nook for us to tuck into. But it gets us out of sight and will hide Folost’s flame. I take the scrap of brick that is his anchor from my bag, calling him to us. I swear I can see worry in his golden eyes as I cradle him in my frozen fingers. Aurora leans against me, snuggling close. Between her and Folost, warmth gains purchase in me once more.
I let out a soft sigh. “What was it like?” I whisper. “When you did this on your own.”
“Scarier,” she readily admits. “I was alone for the first time in centuries. It was as freeing as it was terrifying.”
“I’m glad I could be some comfort, then,” I say sincerely.
“You and Evander…” She draws her knees to her chest and rests her chin on them. “The first people I could consider friends in years.” Aurora laughs softly. “You make me remember why I fell in love with a mortal in the first place. You almost make it hard to leave this world.”
Folost seems to lean toward her as his little flame hovers over the stone I still hold above my lap.
“Let’s hope not.” I stare at the small flame. If I look at Aurora, emotions might take me by the throat. “You’re not made for this world—not as you are presently. We must put you back in yourrightful place, Aurora. You deserve your power, all of it. To be whole and free.”
“I know. But I’ll come and visit you.” That simple statement draws my attention to her. Aurora stares out into the dark forest.
“What?” I breathe.
