Great trees towered over us, so much taller and wider and more imposing than they were within the flatlands of Ordelés. Life there had weakened as mágik had been dispelled and purged over the centuries.
Mágik surrounded us, buzzing through my veins with the comforting hum to which I was accustomed. The rising stars glowed more vibrantly, and colors grew more vivid as we traveled deeper into the wood.
Lingering traces of Tünécris could be seen in the glowing gray orbs which floated through the trees. Wind sprites passing through on the rise and fall of the storm Seren had called.
“What was that back there? What did you do to me?” Seren moved slowly as the words spilled forth, her hand reaching for the weapons sheathed to her body—the sword I had saved from the chaos and fitted in her scabbard.
I placed my hand over her own. “You know I can’t let you do that.”
She raised her hands in a sign of surrender.
I didn’t believe it one bit.
“I used my mágik against you. I have the ability to manipulate emotions. I knew that I would need to manufacture an intense emotional reaction to unearth your mágik. You’ve buried it quite deeply,” I explained, watching her every small movement with careful attention. “I used it again to lull you into a sense of calm and willingness. I ensured you would come with me, so we could come here—to the Varázis Erva, to Acsilla.”
Seren jabbed her fingers into my still bleeding thigh,again. She swung her other arm back toward my head, but I caught it with a firm hand. “I suppose I deserved that.”
“You deserve far worse.” Her voice was steely, determined in a way that sent disquiet swirling through me. “Do notevermanipulate me again. If you so much as think of doing so—I swear to the Goddesses—I will flay the flesh from your bones.”
Seren turned to me then, the fire alight in her eyes once more. The resolve behind them wavered only for a moment.
I could not name the feeling that passed through me. The heat of her anger welled within me, but something of my own arose too. Something dangerous—something I would do my damnedest to quell.
“Understood,” I agreed.
Seren nodded, though her expression was disbelieving, and turned back toward the copse of trees before us. She noticed the glowing orbs then and froze once more. When she finally moved, tilting her head to the side, I caught a glimpse of her profile. Her wide eyed face was lit dimly under the guise of twilight and the vestiges of mágik under which we rode.
“They come from the Tünécris,” I told her, voice soft.
“I didn’t ask,” Seren stated, deadpan. Her fingers twitched as if she wished to dig them into my aching flesh once more.
“You were wondering, though.” I willed my tone into something kind, something conversational—approachable.
“Do you want to know what I’mwondering?” Seren hissed, sarcasm dripping frommywords as they fell from her mouth. “I wonder why you’ve stolen me from my home and ferried me off into enemy territory. I wonder why you think I will entertainanysort of agreement with you. And I wonder how long it’ll take before I can sink my sword through your chest and send your soul to the Underworld. Is that clear enough for you, Harkin Aranti?”
I was rendered speechless as we emerged into a small clearing.
Trees ringed us in a near perfect circle, the earth soft and springy. It all seemed too safe, too gentle beneath the echo of her harsh words.
And I couldn’t even blame her. I had severed her from her life without a second thought for how she would truly feel.
I was losing my touch.
Night fell over the forest, shafting moonlight down upon us. It lit our path and limned us in a soft blue-white.
“We’ll stop here for the night and continue on in the morning. There is a cottage at the edge of the kingdom where your training will commence. I’ll explain everything, Seren. I’ll help you understand.” I pulled Equinox to a halt and dismounted, careful not to jostle Seren as I unseated.
She slid to the ground beside me. I watched her shutter her expression, smoothing over the exhaustion and overwhelm she inevitably felt. “I do notwant to understand.”
I felt her refusal in every loudly silent movement. I sensed her fear and anger and hatred rising again just below the surface, and I itched to quell her troubles.
I forced myself to leave her be.
Seren shivered violently, great clouds of hot breath unfurling into the pale moonlight.
I removed my pack from Equinox, rifling through until I found the spare cloak and trousers I had packed. The cottage was fully stocked with everything Seren would need, but I would not let her freeze tonight. “You need to get out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold.”
She gave me a tight nod as I pushed the bundle into her hands. At least she was smart enough to protect her own health, even if she was reluctant to accept anything from me.
