Fifteen years later, they had healed somewhat, grown into themselves, and developed a true friendship despite vast differences.
This particular evening, there were only three of them, and they had claimed a large table near one of the fires. It was farther from the tavern and a bit quieter, allowing them to talk and actually hear one another.
Listening to the laughter and comradery bolstered her as it always did. The constant edge of tension Celina had been struggling with finally softened enough to let her breathe again.
“I wish Cass had made it home for this. Do you know when she’s due back?” Alayna asked.
“Soon, I hope.” Celina missed her best friend dearly. “She said she’d return before the first snow, and that’s fast approaching.”
Cass was a Wolflumen—part of a special clan of warriors who operated entirely on their own outside of the military. They helped people over the world but made their home in the snowy mountains of Calderre. It meant that she disappeared for long stretches of time on hunts—the equivalent of the classified military missions Connor and his team took.
But more, she was a sister in Celina’s heart. One she desperately missed and needed in this time of doubt and fear. If she were here, Cass would probably tell her not to worry, that she could sneak into any vault—or locked office—and find the information they needed.
Celina smiled at that thought. If only it were that simple.
She’d reached out to everyone she knew in Eldridge, but no one had reported anything unusual. Except an increase in young mage abductions. She didn’t think it was related to what had happened to Connor, but she wouldn’t know for sure until she conferred with their friend, Morgan.
As a commanding officer for the refugee division of the Lightning Forces, he would know. His teams performed the dangerous rescue work in other realms. Highly exacting in his expectations, Morgan was out on a short mission with a newly sanctioned team to vet their skills just after she’d received the news about Connor. She was eager to confer with him and see if any of his contacts had responded to his own inquiries. Someone had to know something.
“Um, Celina…” Alayna bumped her shoulder, interrupting her thoughts. “Are you sure you don’t want to dance tonight?”
“Of course not, it’s our night together.”
“Mmm.” Alayna’s eyes sparkled with mirth as she took a sip of her drink. “Well, maybe you should make an exception. Just this once.”
Following her friend’s eyes, Celina glanced toward the dance floor. A pair of well-worn boots headed her way, each step slow and steady. A broad chest showed obvious strength, not unlike the warriors she worked with, but carried differently somehow. His presence was commanding, maintaining his personal space in the crowded courtyard. There was just enough light to make out a sharp jaw and dark hair pulled back from his face.
“Warrior?” she asked quietly.
The air rustled as Alayna shook her head. “He moves differently. Almost like an ice leopard.”
The Calderran breed of snow cat was a ferocious beast, highly protective of their mountain territories. It was exactly the right description. He was deliberate in his movements, as if each one counted.
There was a stillness about him that was different, untouched by the flow of energy around him. A stalking hunter—wild and untamed. At ease and in harmony with the surrounding environment, yet smoldering with a fierceness under the surface.
Dark green eyes met hers, causing a spark of intense awareness to zip through her. There was no way she could pretend to be unaffected by him. He already knew.
Rodrichadfinallysucceededin getting directions to go with the name of a family to pursue for information—Blackwood. Though his conversation with the Violet Rose’s barkeeper had been short and friendly, Rodric had the odd sensation that he’d been thoroughly interrogated.
Exhausted from the fast journey into the mountainous heart of Calderre, he’d been about to turn in early when the entire tone of the tavern had shifted in a single heartbeat. A beautiful woman had walked in, causing whispers to ignite in the crowd. Rodric’s eyes had lingered on her curiously as she’d greeted the tavern staff with affection and familiarity and acknowledged a number of patrons with a practiced nod. A zealous staff person had immediately poured drinks for her and her companions and then shepherded them out into the courtyard, almost as if trying to protect them from the watchful patrons.
After she faded from his sight, Rodric had turned back to find the barkeeper watching him intently. The man had brought Rodric a new drink on the house, smiling like he knew an amusing secret.“You should take this outside. Trust your instincts, hunter. You just might find what you need.”
With an audacious wink, the man had disappeared, leaving Rodric slightly stunned and unsettled by the strange encounter. And yet, almost by compulsion, he’d followed the unusual advice, going out to the courtyard and slipping into a darkened table in the corner, which hid him but gave him a perfect line of sight to the mysterious woman.
The barkeeper either fancied himself a matchmaker or knew something Rodric didn’t. He chose to believe the former because the latter left a bitter taste in his mouth. It was a feeling that he’d been getting all too often since he entered the realm. His nerves were constantly ablaze, tingling with awareness that magic had free rein here.
Nevertheless, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off the intriguing woman. There was a small possibility she had access to the type of information he needed. At least, he told himself that was why he remained seated, watching her intently. Something deep inside him flared, awakening a new sense that was riveted to a single point of significance. Instincts honed by years of hunting as a Preddari told him to keep her in his sights.
She was here to spend time with friends, but a few had tried to coax her onto the dance floor. She had declined them all without hesitation, yet was moving in time to the music where she was seated. Her gaze drifted to the couples on the floor often, an expression of longing barely hidden on her face. He wanted to knowwhy.
Her presence shone brightly, almost regally, among those gathered. A high-ranking noble, someone of importance.A Blackwood?The bartender had looked awfully sure of himself. Was it possible she was the daughter of the family he sought?
Decided, he rose from his chair. Perhaps the stars would shine upon him, and she would know something worthwhile, perhaps not. He was intent on approaching her either way.
People moved out of his way, feeling his energy and instinctively shifting out of the path of the hunter without even realizing it.
She glanced up when he was still a dozen feet away, looking him directly in the eyes. Once caught, he held her gaze steadily as he approached. Her eyes were the palest blend of green and blue he had ever seen. The unusual turquoise color sparked, combining with her wild auburn hair to give her an ethereal look.
