Kara leaned over, grabbed Sebastian’s reins and all but dragged him away, her face burning as crimson as his magic.
Behind them, the woman’s cheerful voice called out, “Come back when you’re ready to make it official!”
They’d ridden to the edge of the village before Kara trusted herself to speak. Sebastian, to his credit, had managed to stay silent – though he was clearly holding back a grin.
“Not. A. Word,” she said through gritted teeth.
“I wasn’t going to say anything,” he replied, far too innocently.
“You were thinking very loudly.”
“Was I?” He glanced across at her. “You know,” he said, voice deadpan, “you missed your chance back there.”
She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“In some parts of Fatàn, buying a woman jewellery is considered a proposal.” He smirked at her. “You could have had me.”
Kara stared at him. “What?!”
He only shrugged. “Your loss.”
She scowled. “I think I’ll survive the disappointment.”
“Questionable,” he replied, smiling widely. “Given how you look at me apparently.”
“Oh, I’m devastated,” she said. “Truly. I’ll never recover.”
“I must say, you’re handling it well, all things considered.”
“You are ridiculous.”
His laugh was quiet but genuine. Her heart soared at the sound.
“Anyway,” she said, lifting her arm, “I already have a Fatàn bracelet.”
The entwined stones caught the sunlight – deep, rich red and emerald green.
Rarely found together. But more beautiful for it.
The trader’s words came back to her in a rush – the woman’s voice in her thoughts. From before she had even met Sebastian. Like... a minute before. Emerald and crimson. Like their magic. The colours that had woven together just this morning, that knew each other. The woman had told her that her magic was searching for something.
It couldn’t be. Could it?
Her hand closed around the bracelet, the stones warmer than usual against her skin. She looked up at Sebastian, riding slightly ahead, the green Hale cloak across his shoulders. Had this been inevitable? The thought lodged in her mind, prickling at her until it pulled up another question that had been burning in her since the mountaintop.
“Can I ask you something?”
He glanced at her. “You can, but I might not answer.”
“How are you getting through the Fatàn shields?”
He looked torn, but he said nothing.
He’s not going to tell me.
After a moment, he slowed his mare to a trot and reached into the inner seam of his sleeve – a movement so smooth that she would have missed it if she hadn’t been watching closely. He pulled out a small purple object, encased in black granite, pulsing in the sunlight. He held it out to show her. There was a delicate hourglass engraved on it.
Kara’s breath caught. “Is that a Fatàn Creststone?”
