Asking Ryan to be Opal’s soul-guardian had gone well.His best friend had easily agreed to care for his daughter and had made an effort to spend time with her while they were home.Even now, the pair were out searching for a new horse for Ryan in Midnight’s absence.
There was one other soul-guardian he needed to talk with before he could embark on the last stretch of his journey—back to Eldridge, to Hannelore Mountain.
Riding beside him, Rodric kept easy pace as they made their way through the woods.His horse Zora was even behaving pleasantly, having made tolerant friends with Rogue on the trip to Calderre.
The gap between the trees narrowed and the path grew tighter as they approached their destination.This deep into the forest, snow was still thick on the ground, hugging the base of the trees.Finding the trio of very old, thick trees whose branches wound together that acted as a landmark, Connor motioned Rodric off the path and into the dense woods.
Coming to a stop, he took a moment to breathe in the deep, clean scent of pine and ice.Though his heart had grown partial to velentha nectar and emeraldis plants, the winter scent would always speak of deep love to him.Of home and sanctuary.
“Alright, you’re starting to worry me, Connor.What’s this about?”Rodric asked, looking questioningly at him.
“I need to show you something.”
Dismounting, he commanded Rogue to stay put and moved behind him, to where their tracks were visible in the dirt marbled with melting snow.The day was bright, and sunlight streamed through the trees to meet the forest floor.The dense and towering trees created giant swaths of shadow.
Brows knit together in puzzlement, Rodric dismounted and followed him.“I’m always good for a ride, but why here?”
Connor shrugged.“I could have done it at the keep, but… this spot is significant to me.It’s where I first developed this particular skill with my magic.One I need you to see.”
Kneeling on the earth, Connor pressed his hand to the soil.
“I don’t—”
“Watch.”
He pushed his magic out slowly, letting it trickle into the earth in front of him.Directed down the path they’d come.Hide,he commanded.
The places touched by shadow rippled as his magic washed over them.The tracks they’d made unraveling to vanish into the shadows.
“How…”
“How can be a frustrating question with magic sometimes,” Connor admitted.“This skill… I’ve never met anyone else who can use it.Not even Cass, and she has more power in the shadows than I do.”
Rodric turned stunned eyes from the tracks to him.
“It was my fault that you couldn’t track Brenna, Rodric.Mine alone.”
Cursing, Rodric ran a hand through his hair and paced away.
Connor held his breath watching the hunter pace.Feeling the angry energy lashing and swirling between them, he waited it out and gave the other man time to process what he’d shared.
Eventually Rodric returned, still fuming.“It eviscerated me when I couldn’t find her.My entire skillset, useless to save her.Why?Why would you do that?”
“I was trying to save my team.To give Ryan, Thalia, and Drew time to escape with Veda and Opal.The mercenaries who ambushed us were vipers.We were fighting—running—for our lives.When I hid those tracks, it was done as a last act, Rodric.I was injured and only hoped to lead them away from my team.I expected to die, so I gave it all my magic.”
“You were nowhere near where I lost Brenna’s tracks.Your magic really stretched that far?”
“It used my lifeforce to do it.I didn’t map it or think it through, just gave a raw command with every bit of magic I had left.”
“Unbelievable.I can’t… You’re the reason?”
“Yes.I’m sorry, Rodric.I’ll apologize to Brenna as well.But you deserve to know that it wasn’t your fault, it was mine.”
“Celina didn’t know,” Rodric said, voice ringing with surprising certainty.
“No.I never told her about that particular skill.Or Cass.It developed as an adult, after I was already with the Lightning Teams.They deemed it classified—one of the reasons I came out here in secret to work on it.”
Rodric shook his head, frustration emphasizing his movements.“You should have told me.”
