“Damn these trousers,” he growls, hand fumbling at the fastenings at my waist.
I laugh. “You should have taken them off first.”
“I will rip them off with my teeth if I must.” Evander steps back and loosens his grip enough that my legs unravel from around his waist and I stand on my own once more.
“I would like to see that.”
He slides down my body, determined eyes locked with mine, hands on my sides and returning to my rear as he kneels before me. Evander takes the fastenings between his teeth with purpose. Immediately, my mind is filled with all manner of lewd imaginings of him with his face between my thighs. His tongue as relentless down there as I know it to be in my mouth. My hands holding his head in place until I am screaming and he surfaces with that smug grin that delights me so.
Evander pulls on the string between his teeth, slowly pulling the loop through the knot. He releases it and I feel my trousers loosen. At the same time, another sensation ripples through me.
“It’s back,” I gasp. Every muscle tenses. I don’t move, for fear I’ll lose the feeling again.
“What—” Evander doesn’t have a chance to finish his question.
I’m off, running through the dark woods, trying to hastily tie up my trousers on the way. I can hear him behind me, pulling on his own pants, stumbling with a curse. He falls heavy into a tree. Another curse.
But I can’t afford to pay him any mind. My focus remains on the whispers of spirit magic that are tickling my arms, like raindrops rolling down my skin. I sprint through the woods. A wolf is soon at my side, Evander no doubt gave up on attempting to get his pants properly on.
At once, the sensation changes. I stop. Sway. The magic hits me with force again, this time from a different direction. Then nothing. Then another pulse. Like a call and response. An echo? Or…
“Evander, use your nose, take us to the nearest stream or river,” I command. I can’t get a sense of where this spirit is, but I think I knowwhatit is. And if I’m right, then this whole excursion will be worth it for this spirit alone.
He dips his muzzle and bolts through the trees.
I nearly trip over myself, multiple times, trying to keep up. The first time he hears my clamor of almost falling, Evander pauses, looking back. After that, he sets a slower but aggressive pace. He must’ve heard the desperation in my voice or seen the haste in my eyes because he doesn’t slow too much.
Without warning, we break free of the trees and nearly fall into a small river. The moonlight beaming through the rippling current illuminates the smooth stones of the bed, making them shine like diamonds.
Here.
The sense of power nearly physically pushes me back, keeping me from falling in the water. Better for it, as I wouldn’t want to enter a spirit’s domain unbidden. I shift my stance, collecting myself, and stare in awe of this raw essence.
Right before my eyes, the current shifts. The water flows backward.
“Don’t go,” I say quickly.
The current slows, but does not stop.
“I am not your enemy.” I take a step forward and Evander hangs back. He remains on the grass near the trees as I approach on the rocky bank. Slowly, I kneel, staring into the deepest part of the water. What I first thought were the inky outlines of two fishes seem to shift to look at me. Not unlike Folost’s eyes. “If you are willing, I would like to speak with you.”
I bow forward, stretching out my fingers and doubling over my knees. I bring my forehead to the backs of my hands in the deepest kneel possible. When I speak next, it is without moving from this position. The only way I know that the spirit is still present is by the sense of it.
“I am but a humble witch. I come with an open heart. But I do seek you out for my own gain.”
Honesty is the heart of magic, Grandma would say.No true power is gained by hiding or smothering truth.
“There is a wicked king. I know he holds one of your primordial cousins captive.” Aurora. “And I fear another might be twisted by his sway.” The ancient wolf spirit in the old wood. If the wolf kings somehow managed to keep Aurora captive, who’s to say that they aren’t doing the same with the wolf spirit? “I am working to free any spirits he keeps unjustly, and end his reign in turn. But I cannot do this alone. So I seek your name and your bond. I seek your help when I call upon you—and your trust to know I will not do so without great care and consideration.”
When I am done speaking, there is no movement. The river is nearly perfectly still. Then it begins moving again. I lift my head.
The water is normal. I’ve failed.
My ribs collapse in. I suck in air but can’t seem to get a good breath. There’s so much I never learned about meeting spirits. About dealing with them. Grandma never had a chance to teach me—there weren’t enough in our world. I’m treating these ancient beings like I would the old wood. No wonder they care little to deal with me.
Sitting up, I lean back onto my heels and sigh heavily.
“I’m sorry.” I can’t bring myself to turn back to Evander. My failure will not only risk us both, but also Aurora. Our whole plan… “I wasn’t enough.”
