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Seriously?
I sighed and nodded once.“Fine.”
He stomped his hoof once and just stood there. After several moments, our horses came back, seemingly unbothered by the suspended predator who was still clawing and biting at the roots. Once the horses approached, Odarum vanished without another word.
“Good to know he’ll show up when needed,” I grumbled to myself and mounted my horse. I grabbed the reins of the other horse and led them toward Nikan.
“What happened?” he asked, looking around for the cat.
“Odarum showed up and took care of it. Trapped, not dead.” I handed over the reins before he mounted his horse. “Let’s get out of here before he releases it.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” He kicked his horse and we galloped off through the trees.
It took nearly the entire day to pass through the Nahale Forest and cross into the great plains of Torx. We rested that night in the grass. Nikan erected a triangular stone shelter, and we hung the cloth to act as a door. We decided against building a fire for fear of the dry grass catching fire and spreading. We ate from the rations of dried meats and berries that we had brought in ourpacks, and had water from the canteens that were beginning to run low. It would last us until we could resupply in Narh, before we tracked down the seller of the ancient book.
I told Nikan more about the Trial, and I opened up about Njall and what the Sage said about me being in danger from the other Worthy—something I neglected to mention to the Scholars. I told him everything that I didn’t tell them. Except for the dream of the winged Lord with silver eyes.
And why should I have mentioned it? Yet, dream or no, it still bothered me and I had thought of it often over the past few days as we rode. I felt as if I knew who it was. And those eyes. The silver eyes that saw right into me.
No. It didn’t need to be mentioned until I knew what it meant.
We eventually retreated to our shelter for the night. I lay there and tried to clear my mind, but failed. The Trial. Kleio. The Glaev. Njall. Seeking the truth. My magic. Odarum. A dagger through my hand. Silver eyes. Rolim the Scholar. The soothing swirls inside of me.
I stood up and left the tent, needing the fresh air and not wanting Nikan to realize what was going on. Once I was far enough away, I fell hard to my knees, squeezing my eyes shut as I hung my head, shaking it from side to side. Pleading and desperate to stop the maddening thoughts that continued to invade my mind, I took a deep, shuddering breath, clenching my hands into the soft grass. I forced my focus to feel the thin blades of vegetation and the moisture clinging to each strand, pressing deeper until my nails dug into the rich soil underneath. A soft sob escaped from between my trembling lips. The pressure in my mind was too great to suppress and, as the tightness in my chest grew, so did the wetness behind my eyes until a tear emerged, rolling down my cheek and falling to the dew-soaked dirt.
Beneath my fingertips I felt a thump in the distance with my terbis. It felt large and heavy, but didn’t move. It was far enough away that I wasn’t able to tell what it was exactly but it was undeniably there. I stood and faced that direction. I couldn’t see anything.
Even in the dark, I could see well. But it seemed darker in the distance, obscuring my view. I stepped forward, the grass lightly tickling my bare feet. A chill ran down my spine when all of a sudden, whatever it was simply vanished.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ryker
Ihad stayed far away from my mate and the male she traveled with. I couldn’t actually see them, but I could feel through the bond where she was. Occasionally drifting to nearby towns, I was able to discover which of the Nations had gained a new Worthy—not at all disappointed to discover Hamal failed his challenge—and drafted rough agreements between our Nations in the evening while my mate and the male stopped.
They had slept on the outskirts of the Nahale Forest the first night. And thank the Gods they were smart enough to not stay within the trees. Being on the forest floor was the most vulnerable place during the night.
I found it curious that they decided to go around Ahwey Lake, and not cross it. The large barges, propelled by water wielders, were built in order to allow safe passage to the other side for travelers. It took great ingenuity from terbis and air wielders to create the porous material of the barge, similar to that of pumice. Not only was it out of harm’s way, it was also faster. Journeying around the lake and through the deepest parts of the Nahale Forest was reckless. But perhaps it was for a purpose.
They made their way through the dense woods on horseback. I stayed out of sight as I followed, the trees allowing me to becloser without being seen, and when they thinned I had to stay back a little farther. And I hated every minute of it. Too cowardly to approach, but also too desperate to be near my mate.
I was a Lord. I had survived the Trial of the Gods and was deemed Worthy. I had led a great Nation into prosperity, protecting them in times of war. Yet, I couldn’t build the courage to even engage with that strikingly beautiful female who already held a piece of my soul.
I wanted to talk to her. To touch her.
Nearing the treeline at the end of the forest, I waited to see what direction they would go. Once they left the forest, I had to fall back farther to remain out of sight. I watched from high up in a tree, using my shadows to conceal myself until darkness fell and I could close more distance between us.
In the dead of night, the feeling of torment washed through me. And it wasn’t mine.
My mate.
Unable to hold back, I had made sure to stay far enough away in that open field that neither of them would be able to see through the shadows around me. Remaining concealed, I dropped to the ground, desperate to go to her but refusing to go farther.
I was losing control of myself.
I reached for her mind. I hated violating her like this, but I needed to know that she was okay. What I found was beautiful and terrifying, so much confidence and strengthit was intimidating. But it was also anguished. Then, suddenly, the flow of feelings stopped. Her focus shifted. She could sense something.
Me.
