I pick them up, feeling the thrum of magic beneath my fingertips. It’s tantalizing, powerful, and frighteningly intimate. The guys chuckle as I gaze at the blades with something akin to reverence.
“Guess we know the way to our witchling’s heart now,” Dezi quips, a wicked smirk playing on his lips.
“Sharp objects she can use to smite her enemies?” Khol asks innocently, and they erupt in laughter.
I shrug, not even a little embarrassed. “It’s funny you didn’t realize that until now, dudes.”
“Bring her shiny weapons and she’ll fall at your feet,” Revelin chimes in, eyes dancing with mirth.
“Keep it up, and you’ll be the first to find out how well they work,” I threaten, but my heart isn’t in it. There’s comfort in their banter, a sense of camaraderie that I didn’t realize I’d been craving. “I kneel for no one, asshole.”
Dezi arches a brow with a dark smirk, and I give him an equally challenging look.
“Let’s focus,” Tiernan interjects, a stern commander once more. “We’ve got a dark magic trail to follow and a forest that doesn’t play nice with strangers.”
“Right,” I affirm, sliding the blades into their sheaths. “Let’s eat and then we’ll do this.”
The late afternoonsun filters through the stained-glass windows of the Holy Grail, casting a mosaic of colors across the rough-hewn table where we sit. We’ve had our fill of the loudmouthed anarchist wife of the owner as we ate, and now we’re back to contemplating the journey coming once we leave.
“Check everything carefully,” I murmur as I look around. The feeling of being watched edged into my consciousness midway through our meal, but I couldn’t find a good way to tell them without being overheard. “We don’t need surprises.”
The others nod, expressions grim as they catch my meaning. Revelin runs a whetstone borrowed from the goblin knight along the blade of his sword with methodical precision, the sound a soothing whisper against the backdrop of our collective focus. Dezi polishes his scythe, the curve of the blade gleaming menacingly. Khol flexes his fingers around the bos, getting used to where the grips are. Tiernan inspects the goblin forged hammer he brought for himself—its head forged in the likeness of a snarling beast which is fitting for a shifter.
I slip the focusing blades into the holsters strapped to my thighs. That Tier knew I’d want something like this makes me soft again, but I push that away to feel the cool leather against my skin. The channeling stones set into the hilts pulse faintly, attuned to the energy coursing through my veins.
Yes, these will work nicely as long as my magic cooperates.
“Remember, we have to stick together,” Tiernan says, locking eyes with each of us. “We don’t know what we’re walking into.”
“Or what’s walking into us,” Revelin adds, his usual levity absent from his tone.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Dezi chimes in, but his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Agreed,” I say, standing up and shouldering my pack. “We have the element of surprise on our side. We need to keep it that way.”
The others rise, a silent agreement passing between us. We step outside, the clink of metal and the soft thud of boots against the dirt road punctuating our departure from the sanctuary of the tavern. The air is crisp, the scent of pine and earth mingling with the unease that hangs over us. We move as one entity, a unit bound by purpose and the shared knowledge of the dark secrets we’re about to unearth.
“Tonight, we are going to find answers,” I declare, my voice steady despite the flutter of nerves in my stomach. “Even if it’s not about the artifact, maybe we’ll find out what happened to the treasure hunters or even that poor dead chick.”
“We could also find more questions we’re not ready for,” Khol mutters. I give him a dirty look and he shrugs. “It’s true, Sassy. I think we have to be ready for that.”
“Either way, we’ll face them together,” Revelin affirms, stepping in line beside me.
The woods loom ahead, an expanse of darkness that swallows the waning light. But we stride forward undeterred, our resolve unwavering. The night awaits, and with it, the hidden truths of a town shrouded in mystery.
Too bad I’m not scared of the dark.
We push past the creaking sign of the Grail, our stomachs full but our spirits starved for adventure. The edge of town gives way to a sprawling forest, its canopy casting dappled shadows across our path. Excitement bubbles inside me like a well-shaken potion, yet caution weighs down my steps; we’re venturing into uncharted territory.
If we find the artifact from Harvest, the rest of this part of the tour will be a breeze.
“Stay sharp,” I murmur, more to myself than to the others, as we slip under the watchful gaze of ancient trees.
Revelin strides confidently at the forefront, his eyes lighting up with each Faerie delight revealed to us. “That’s a cluster of whisper willows,” he points out, his finger tracing the air toward the ethereal blue leaves. “If you listen closely, they say you can hear them sing on moonlit nights.”
Our witchling trails her fingers along the rough bark of a tree, her dark eyes reflecting a touch of melancholy. “Feray would spend hours here, communing with every bloom and blade of grass,” she whispers, her voice laced with a longing that tugs at my heartstrings. “She’s been even more into nature since the wolf emerged.”
“Khal would love it, too,” Khol chimes in, his deep voice resonating with a homesick note. “He could find joy in every single leaf andflower in this place.”
