They came to rest within a range of cascades for the evening and set up camp. Dyna watched all her Guardians together, her friends, laughing as they shared a meal around a fire, and felt her circle was at last whole.
The journey was far from over yet. Many things still hung over her head, but she would live now and not fear tomorrow, or what she may come to regret. Everything at last seemed to be right again.
She was happy.
Safe.
And completely warm as she fell asleep in Cassiel’s arms. So when a cold breeze brushed her cheek, Dyna instantly woke. She frowned sleepily at the canvas flaps undulating in the breeze, exposing the strip of pale morning sky.
Didn’t she tie those shut?
Keena dashed inside in a flutter of gold dust. “Dyna, wake up!” she whispered urgently. “Tavin is leaving.”
She blinked at her and sat up. “What do you mean?”
“I saw him ride away,” the fairy said, her hazel eyes stretching wide. “And he had the key.”
“What?” Dyna exclaimed, startling her mate awake.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Cassiel asked groggily.
Her satchel that she had left on a chair last night was now open on the table.
“He took it,” Dyna gasped. “Tavin took the key!”
She threw off the blankets, instructing Cassiel and Keena to wake the others before running outside. Three tents circled the campfire where a black wolf soundly slept, and only three horses were tied to a tree.
She ran to Lucenna’s tent, finding her and the captain curled together, fast asleep. “Klyde! Lucenna!” She shook them awake. “Tavin is gone.”
That instantly woke them up. They rapidly threw on their shoes and coats as she blurted out what he had done. They ran outside as Zev darted into the forest.
He must have caught the scent.
“He went north,” Von said, already on his horse with Keena in his pocket.
They ran to mount their saddles.
“I’ll search from above,” Cassiel told her and leaped into the sky.
Klyde took point, galloping so fast through the trees, the rest of them struggledto catch up.
Cassiel called out from above, pointing north. “There!”
They broke out of the forest onto a hillock, and the boy had reached the top of it.
“TAVIN!” Klyde bellowed.
His nephew turned and watched them race across the field for him. Klyde reached the base of the hill first.
“Stay there, uncle,” Tavin called. “Don’t follow me.”
Klyde jerked on his reins, coming to a halt. “What are you doing?” he exclaimed.
“I’m leaving. I can’t be with you anymore.” Tavin’s jaw clenched. “I left Skelling Rise because I needed to know who I am. So I followed you to ask why you didn’t tell me the truth. But I realized even if I did ask, you would never tell me.”
Klyde stared at him, his chest rising and falling sharply.
“I heard what you said to them that day in your room … about my father.”
