I spared a glance at Selene—she hadn’t noticed. It was water magic, and it felt like my magic. We had to be careful—we didn’t want to attract attention and magic had a scent, though I could barely scent Selene’s. I had never done water magic before, and I hadn’t even been trying to use it.
I am an ether mage. Great. Something I still wasn’t sure what to think of.
Selene was right.More questions and no answers.
The ride on the ferry was long, but it could have been longer. I didn’t mind the time with Selene, enjoying the ocean—and more—my view. Once we arrived in Venezuela, she talked a local into driving us part way before we made the trek through the jungle, arriving at the cabin right at dusk. I knew little Spanish, but she apparently was able to speak it fluently. And I thought Priscilla’s training had been extensive. The thought of her hurt. Was everything Miss Lee had said about my parents true?
Selene had filled me in on the mechanics of the safe house, and I helped her turn on the generator and alarms. The place had a musty odor—which wasn’t as appealing as the smoky cinnamon smell of the woods—but honestly, I wouldn’t mind staying there for a while. We needed a safe place to stay for the night, and she wanted to search the safe house.
I showered and headed to the room I was going to stay in. It had twin beds, so I’d left my bag open on one. I went through it and pulled out a pair of boxers. Selene had offered the room with the queen-sized bed to me, but I refused. I imagine that was where her mom would have slept if they had ever come here together.
“Ender.” Selene’s soft voice came from the other side of the door. “I’m going to bed. Knock on my door if you need anything.”
Like a foolish teenage boy, I rushed to the door and hastily opened it before she could leave, though I didn’t have anything to actually ask. She went to say something but froze, her gaze traveling down my body. Her cheeks flushed and my gut instantly tightened into a ball of fire. I didn’t need to glance down or back at the bed where my boxers lay to know I had just answered the door in my towel.
Did I care? No. Did she? I wasn’t sure ifcarewas accurate, but by the look on her face, she felt something. And I felt a little bad—tiny bit bad—for the situation.
She composed herself quickly … then her gaze landed on my unbandaged shoulder and she frowned. Nurse Adair’s repulsive healing elixir had worked its magic and my wound had healed enough that it would suffice without a bandage.
“One moment.” She ventured off. “You and your cursed shirtless abs,” she mumbled under her breath as she disappeared down the hallway. To my delight, she returned in thirty seconds with a first aid kit.
“Here.” She set the box down on the dresser and I remained quiet as she got to work redressing my wound. “That should do it,” she said when she was done. “Was that what you needed?”
“No.” I leaned against the doorframe. “I just wanted to say goodnight.”
“Oh.” Her cheeks reddened again. “Goodnight.” She turned and started down the dimly lit hall.
I grinned as I watched her walk away. She wore loose joggers and a baggy shirt and still managed to look great. I thought of what Miss Lee had said when she was in the cell:I stopped once I fully realizedwhat she was to you. There was an internal part of me that had wondered if she had been referring to soul-bounds. The trip had only made me consider it more. In school, elemental bonds, called the soul-bound, were a brief topic that was only mentioned in history class. It was something I was eager to explore.
Closing the door, I put on my boxers and joggers, then propped the bedroom door back open. The security system should pick up any anomalies, but I wanted to be able to hear better if anything happened.
Despite the jet lag and lack of sleep, I wasn’t ready to sleep. So I lay there for what felt like hours, ignoring the desire to walk down the hallway and just sit outside Selene’s door. Eventually, I fell asleep.
Sometime in the night, a scream tore down the hall and my feet hit the floor before it ceased. Although my eyes were adjusted to the dark, I still wanted clear vision but didn’t waste time finding the switch to the hallway light. Sprinting down the hall, I threw open Selene’s door, not bothering with a knock. I felt a cool breeze, and a candle on the dresser lit. My hands were already out, prepared to fight, but the room was empty except for Selene sitting up in her bed. The covers were thrown off her, and her chest heaved.
“Are you alright?” I slowly made my way closer, examining the sealed windows and surroundings for any sign of entry.
“Just a nightmare.” Selene’s breathing slowed as she calmed herself down. “I thought the dark mage was here… I thought Viv was here and…”
“I’ll go check the cabin and outside.” I went to leave when her pause turned into the end of her sentence.
“No. Don’t waste your time.” Selene rubbed the back of her neck, brushing her silky brown hair out of the way. “Seeing where it all happened brought back bad memories.”
I nodded. “Can I get you anything?” I asked after a few moments of silence passed.
“No, thank you.” She covered her legs back up with the blanket, and I took that as my cue to leave.
“I’ll be right outside your door.” I stepped through the doorway and grabbed the handle, going to close it.
“Wait,” Selene called.
“Yes?” I turned to see her drumming her fingers along the hem of the quilt.
“I don’t want to be alone.”
It took me a split second to realize she didn’t want me to leave. I nodded and entered the room again, closing the door behind me. I made my way over to the foot of the bed, grabbing a blanket slung over a chest. Tossing it on the floor, I made myself a makeshift bed on the rug between the door and bed.
“You don’t have to sleep on the floor,” she said.
