It makes the bond hum joyfully to feel him excited about our connection, and it almost tempts me to change my mind, to change my plans.
I cannot, though. Every time I have a flashback to my life in Haven—every time I see those children starving on the steps of the king’s manor house, shivering with the creeping of the colder months—I cannot free the guilt. I know that somehow, with myknowledge and the Goddess’s song, I can do more for those people and the dying land around Haven. There is no other choice for me. I have to save them.
It is strange that the fae in Terra seem to be flourishing outside of Haven, that they do not need the song to continue.
When I questioned Rivern about fae practices, he commented that they have created new ways of worshipping the Goddess through intentional words, which seem just as effective. However, relearning their lost song will be such a gift to bring back to his people. A lost treasure, finally found.
And it will return their wisps to them.
With the song, they can unlock their magic and build more homes and gardens within the mountains to support the fae. My prince shows excitement for this newfound discovery. So, he isn’t letting me out of his view.
Yet, from his words, it sounds like they do notneedthe song to keep them content in this life. It makes me question the true nature of the melody, and I keep those thoughts to myself.Surely, there is a reason why I found it just as my crops started to dwindle to alarming levels.
Soon, we find a place close to the bank of the crystal-clear lake to rest for the evening.
Mage is left to graze and drink his fill close by.
The wisps we brought with us flutter around, making trilling sounds, and I delightedly explore this new part of the forest as I spot little balls of light weaving through the thicketed trees around the wide bank.
“Do you think this lake is safe for bathing?” I muse aloud, standing by the soft, rocky shore and watching the slight ripples of the water.
“The last time I stopped here, I swam in it without problem. It’s not for drinking, considering it feeds into the ocean, but I found it energising,” Rivern says as he goes about finding soft leaves and brush for us to sleep on. Every so often, a group of wisps comes by and adds to his collection on the forest floor.
Each time he leans over, I notice the bulge of his muscles flexing beneath his breeches. I have never seen pants that tight before, like they are moulded to his skin.
My whole body responds to the picture of the fae male in front of me, and I frown as tingles shoot from my belly into my groin, saliva pooling in my mouth.Dammit, Dove, control yourself.
“Is everything okay over there, Little Dove?” Rivern comes out of a crouched position where he’s fussing over some leaves on the ground to showcase his hollows of happiness for me. The ones on his face.Though, I wouldn’t mind seeing—
“I’m fine.” I whip my body around on a puff.Get it together Dove. Stop letting Rivern get to you.
Letting this bond get to me is not an option. I need to find a way to get away from Rivern, to stop this aching need for him.
The wisps.The thought of somehow getting them on board to aid me in my escape rings within my periphery.Perhaps when we are sleeping, I can slip out, and they can light my path.
I can use the wisps to create shelter and find food, and if I stick to the wooded areas, Solen won’t be able to see me from above.
It is sorted. This is the night.
Argus swiftly approves of my bravery, and he continues to keep the coals ever hot now that I’ve found my purpose for the evening.
I will set out for Haven this darkness to kill the king and his son, and no person will get in my way, not even my bonded.
I will do it for all the people on the brink of starvation, all the lost souls oppressed by the walls placed around our kingdom, around its people. My people. If they only knew of the prosperity around them, they would not cower.
The king is merely a man, and I intend to prove his mortality.
With the wisps on my side maybe I could succeed.Maybe.
Walking towards the water, I find myself drawn to its restful nature. Water has always been a way for me to feel cleansed after a hard turn’s work, to wipe the worries of the turn away, and I’ve been sorely missing this slight reprieve that life at the temple afforded me.
Large and small rocks surround the lake, so I am careful as I make my way over each as my foot occasionally slips on the smooth surfaces. I find a small pool trapped between a larger circle of stones, and I crouch down to inspect it.
Its clear, translucent nature takes on a slight turquoise colour as it reflects the dark green of the trees and soft blue of the sky. The setting suns highlight the golden hues in the green, reminding me of Rivern.
What? Even colours remind you of him now!I chastise myself.
Pushing him out of my mind, my thoughts clear out for the slightest of moments as I’m able to see my reflection in the lake’s clear waters.
