I snapped my mouth closed and concentrated on what I needed to do. I needed to find a place to rest and eat, and I should check in with my aunt. After that, once it was dark enough for the stars to appear, I would consult my book and map.
And then . . . I wouldknow.
I madecamp by a small stream. A cluster offemeralbushes surrounded me, which usually deterred a number of wildlings. The femeral’s pungent scent was particularly bothersome to wildlings with stronger senses of smell, which decreased my chances of unwittingly camping across an underground burrow. And while the plant’s aroma wasn’t exactly pleasant, I wouldn’t be around it long enough for it to bother me.
While making camp, I connected with my aunt, and I tried to take some reassurance from that. My mental call to her had been short, but she’d promised me that Uncle Timith was much the same as he’d been that morning.
In other words, I still had time.
Planting my hands on my hips, I surveyed what my telekinetic magic had unpacked. Around me, my supplies were neatly stacked since I’d only taken out what was needed for the night. I hadn’t bothered with my tent. The sky was clear, no rain in sight, and come dawn, I’d once again be off, so the less I unpacked, the better.
I finished munching on the meat and cheese sandwich I’d prepared for dinner and peered upward. Through the Wood’s canopy, a star appeared.
Darkness wasfinallyupon me.
Hope bursting through me, I grabbed my constellation scroll and my book from the Isle of Song, then jumped back onto my carpet.
“Here goes nothing.”
I whispered a command, and the carpet began to levitate up and up. I kept it moving vertically, and the treetop neared.
I briefly contemplated how smart this move was. Technically, I wasn’t breaking any laws by commanding my carpet to do such a feat, but I wouldn’t be able to move across the trees once I crested them since that was forbidden, yet I figured since I planned to stay stationary, I had an excuse for my actions on the unlikely chance anyone saw me and reported me to the kingsfae.
Leaves rustled against my face, their smooth texture likecottonumon my skin. It took a moment of wrestling awkwardly through a few vines and branches to break free, but eventually, my carpet pushed entirely through the last of the canopy.
The second the full night sky appeared, a gasp escaped me. Stars. Everywhere.So manyof them littered the night sky.
Planets were visible too. The distant pulses of Eucaladas and Daphnis shone near the horizon, their auras throbbing lightly. And far, far off in the distance, Whiteolf was only a speck, barely visible near the western horizon.
I briefly admired the ribbon of the glowing galaxy that stretched from horizon to horizon, emitting colorful clouds and flaring magical auras, then turned my attention eastward, to the last remaining proof of the Wishing Stone’s arrival.
Its hazy tail still streaked across the sky, hinting at where it’d landed.
Or where it’d supposedly landed . ..
My heart pumped steadily, thrumming in my chest as more anxious nerves brewed in my stomach. Brows furrowed, I picked my book up with shaking fingers. I knew most fae were heading entirely in the direction of the Stone’s remaining tail, and that seemed logical, but if my book was correct, that wasn’t its true path.
I carefully set my book on the carpet, then unfurled my constellation map, my fingers slipping once since I was so nervous. When I finally had the map spread out before me, I picked up the book that one of the gargoyles on the Isle of Song had loaned me. I ran my fingers carefully over the leather-bound cover.Legends of Our Realm.
In the previous weeks, ever since the Stone had first been spotted, I’d been preparing. Capturing the Stone could end all of the misery my family was facing, and I’d dove into discoveringeverythingI could about it.
Thankfully, my job had been my saving grace. Loolee, my boss at the Whiteolf Academic Library, hadn’t been happy when I’d taken an unexpected, extended leave to stay at my uncle’s side, but she’d still been instrumental in helping me with my research. It was upon her advice that I spent an entire week traveling to and from the Isle of Song, where the most prestigious university and library of our land waited.
It’d been an arduous journey, given that the isle was on the opposite side of the continent, but I’d sailed on a ship around the northern coast, paying more rulibs than I wanted to remember, to get there. But that cost had been worth it. I’dbeen able to travel there and back at an expedited rate thanks to four fae with elemental air magic, and two fae with elemental water magic, who had propelled the ship to travel at ungodly speeds. If not for them, I would have still been traveling the great distance to that island.
And it was at the Isle of Song’s library that Master Fistideeous, a very helpful gargoyle scholar, had placedLegends of Our Realmin my hands. If not for my employment at a library, I would have never been allowed to take the book off the island, but thank the stars that I had librarian status because I’d been referencing the book ever since.
Carefully, I opened it, being mindful not to bend the page too drastically or crease the spine. Preserving magic had been used to save the old book from decay over the seasons, but that didn’t mean it was indestructible, and the thought of any precious book being ruined made my heart break.
The scent of anise and thyme—the telltale sign of parchment preservation magic—rose from the pages, and I stopped at the third chapter titledThe Wishing Stone—Elusive Gem and Coveted Relic.
I’d read the fifty-page chapter several times over in the previous week, and one of the verses had actual directions on how to find the Stone. I had no idea if it was true, but I’d bet everything on the hope that it was.
I thumbed to the correct page, my fingers shaking again. Only one moon was full, and it barely illuminated the words. I called upon my Ironcrest magic, and my eyesight sharpened.
The verse appeared, as visible as though it were midday, and I began to read.
Upon the first night of the Wishing Stone’s arrival, its hazy tail will remain in the sky. This can only be seen once the sun has fully set. The tail will be present for three nights total, dimming more each day until it entirely disappears. Many will be fooled by this, thinking the tail leads directly to the Stone, but the tail is only a guide. The stars are what will lead one to the Stone if the Stone deems you worthy.
