Alvar rolled his large thumb over the pink egg-shaped, glassy stone—the same stone from my dreams.
His eyes met mine. There was something otherworldly behind them. They didn’t look at me, but through me.
“This,” he said, voice lower now. “The Bondi Stone. I’m using it to locate something I’ve lost.” He didn’t blink. “You know this stone?”
My eyes went wide, homing in on the beautiful rock that’d haunted my thoughts for over a decade.
What the hell was I supposed to tell this man?
For such a hulking stranger I’d just met, I should have been terrified. But I wasn’t. There was an unexpected sense of ease when I was near him, a quiet comfort settling deep within. My inkling hummed beneath my skin, a thick layer of static, crackling in recognition of something I couldn’t put together.
Friend.
I didn’t feel the need to lie to him.
“Yes. Well, kind of. Technically I’ve never seen it in person, only ever in my—” I paused.
“Visions?” he offered gently.
“Dreams,” I corrected. “I’ve dreamt of that for years. Along with another object too.” A disbelieving huff left me, half-laugh, half-frustration. “God, you have no idea how many hours I’ve wasted digging through musty archives trying to prove it actually existed!”
I glanced at the stone again.
He nodded knowingly.
“The Bondi Stone is a powerful relic from Eostre Land. Gifted by the Ovum tree as a reward during a past Fecunditas Trial.” A mischievous grin grew on his face. “I’veborrowedit. I need to return it soon, before anyone notices it’s gone.”
“Usuallyborrowinginfers they gave you permission to take it,” I said. “Lucky for you, I’m no snitch.” My arms folded over my chest. “So, how does it work? And what’s Fecunditas?” I wrinkled my nose. “It sounds like a dirty word.”
I imagined it translated to something along the lines of:Magical Fertility Orgy.
For a brief moment my brain fizzled. The type of exhausted dissociation where you’re still standing, still breathing, but not actually here. I just couldn’t believe the stone I’d dreamed of, searched for, obsessed over, was now right in front of my face in this stranger’s hand.
This couldn’t have been a coincidence—it had tomeansomething.
Alvar’s eyes lit up, laughing.
“It really should be a dirty word considering the amount of fornicating that happens during the festivities.” His smile lines gradually smoothed to seriousness again. “Fecunditas is one ofEostre’s ancient traditions. Every fifty years, they hold month-long celebrations in honor of fertility, rebirth, and above all, theTrials. Only the strongest from around the realm are chosen to compete. Usually royalty, or those nominated by them.” He held up the stone, letting it catch the dim light. “Their sacred tree, the Ovum tree, is sentient. It senses desires, fears, intentions—souls. It produces magical relics.Ovums. The Bondi Stone is one of them. The winner of the Trials receives one as a reward.”
My eyes were transfixed on the glassy stone. Images of the dark onyx box with the gold markings flickered through my thoughts.
A warmth twisted in my gut, the darkness within cracking an eye open.
No coincidences,a voice whispered. Or was it my own?
Without realizing, I’d reached out, fingers brushing over the cool, smooth surface of the stone in Alver’s hand.
My breath caught, an unfamiliar feeling flooded in, like I’d been climbing a jagged mountainside for years, slipping, scraping, bloodied from losing footing along the way, only now I’d finally reached the peak. An air of clarity triumphantly brushed my mind. My wings weren’t ready to take flight, but reaching the summit was victory enough. Below me, nestled in the valley’s base, a dark, yawning cave stretched open. Waiting.Tug, tug, tug.My senses pulled.This, right here, this was it. A clue to the path forward. For the first time in my life, I had no doubt.Yes, the mountain’s womb.The air itself spoke, humming in agreement.
Alver regarded me intently, watching the vision cloud my eyes. The emotions painted over my face in a single brushstroke.
“Hmm,” he murmured. “Polaris has not led me wrong today.”
I was dragged from the vision as he pulled the stone away, pocketing it back under his belt. He glanced down the alleyway and adjusted his hood.
“I—” My voice caught.
Words clogged in my throat, stuck on the overwhelming weight of synchronicity.
