“Azeran had many secrets and held a vast knowledge of powerful spells,” Dyna said, breaking eye contact first. “He encrypted the journals for only his descendants to inherit. They are sired to me now.” She patted the journal on her lap. “If I’m separated from this one, the map vanishes. It’s the warding spell he put in place.”
Cassiel gave Zev a deadpan look. “Am I to believe that you can wield Essence as well?”
Her cousin snorted. “I cannot. There are others in the village who can but not many can wield it like Dyna, and possibly her sister with some training.”
“Why your family?”
She shrugged. “I suppose it could be because the Astron bloodline contained significant power or because my family continued to practice with it. Azeran had an affinity for healing magic, which he called Essence Healing. The knowledge of how to perform it has been passed down over the generations. We apply it in our trade as Herb Masters.”
Zev gave her a half-smile. “Perhaps one day you’ll see it, Cassiel. It’s a wonder.”
The Prince didn’t dispute their claim to the Astron line any further, but his doubt, however lessened, remained apparent.
“Essence is the extent of my abilities and it’s not potent,” she said. “This is why I need the Sunstone. My power alone is not enough.”
Cassiel looked down at his sword, almost thoughtful. “Well, then we must form a plan.” He held out a hand for the journal, beckoning with his fingers.
She went to him readily, excited to learn what he could share. She tucked her dress around her legs and kneeled beside him. Her arm brushed against the edge of his wing and he flinched away from her.
“Your pardon,” Dyna mumbled. The silky feathers had left a tingle on her skin. She opened the journal to the section of the map before passing it to him.
Cassiel’s amazement was barely contained as he studied every detail. “The best way to Mount Ida is through the Xián Jing Dynasty on the west coast, but not on foot. We must sail. The ships that go directly to Xián Jing are the merchant ships from Dwarf Shoe.”
“Dwarf Shoe?” Dyna asked, intrigued.
“The free state of the dwarves.” He traced the outline of the state on the map, his fingertip shimmering where he touched the page. It did indeed have the shape of a shoe.
Dwarf Shoe laid northwest, separated from the Azure Kingdom by the Saxe Sea, a strip of water that cut through the eastern continent of Urn like a chip in a cup. It’s what gave the blue kingdom the moniker Urn’s Chip. Azure was connected to the rest of the continent by a thin bridge of land on the north coast.
“Are we to cross the isthmus?” Zev asked.
Cassiel smirked. “Not unless you wish to be devoured alive.”
Dyna’s eyes widened. “What?”
“The map is outdated in terms of territory. There was once a town on the isthmus called Azurite, but the Azure Kingdom surrendered its dominion there once swamp trolls infested it fifteen years ago. The isthmus is now known as the Troll Bridge.”
“Oh!” she and Zev replied together. She shuddered at the thought that they wouldn’t have discovered it themselves until it was too late.
“We will reach Dwarf Shoe by sailing from the Port of Azure.” Cassiel pointed out the seaport city on the map. It lay past the Zafiro Mountains, on the northeast end of the Saxe Sea. “The journey will take a little over a fortnight on foot, should travel go smoothly. Less if we take a caravan from Corron. There are always traders traveling along the central road to the west ports. If we join one of the caravans, it will take us directly to the Port of Azure and save us a week of travel.”
Dyna nodded eagerly. “I like that plan.”
“We will stop in towns along the way to replenish our fares when needed.”
“Landcaster is the first town we’ll cross,” Zev said. “It’s a small farm town that lies about ninety miles from here.”
Cassiel snapped the journal closed, dissipating the purple glow of the map. “Right, best get our rest. We leave at first light.”
He returned to his tree and Zev added more wood to the campfire. Dyna laid out on her bedding with a happy sigh. As much as the Prince was guarded, she was glad for his company on this quest. She didn’t feel so unprepared now that he was with them. Perhaps it meant everything would be all right.
Chapter 17
Cassiel
Cassiel suppressed a groan when Dyna stopped, once again, to pick another measly plant. Balancing on her heels, she crouched by a patch of dark red grass and pulled out a handful of the long stems with the leaves and roots intact. Her deft fingers quickly tied them together with twine before storing them in a burlap pouch. Then she took out a small bound notebook from her satchel and scribbled something down.
Shafts of afternoon light streaming through the branches shone in a scarlet nimbus around her bowed head. Tiny creases formed between her brows as she bit her lip in concentration. The corners of her mouth lifted in a faint smile as it always did when she studied the flora. Whenever she shared her knowledge on their uses with him, her voice spiked an octave with excitement. Plants made her happy for whatever reason.
