Page 100 of The Reaping Rose

“They were born and raised in snow and ice. I don’t blame them for soaking in every drop of warmth they can get.”

Letia told me the villagers were in awe of the sky, but even more so of the warm water for washing. While we managed to make it lukewarm back home, it was never as hot as it is in Vaelier. Where steam curls around your ears like a blanket that hugs your entire body.

I pull back the sheet to the bathing area, facing the cold bucket of water that will have me missing those warm baths now.

Perame grunts from the other side of the sheet. “These clothes are terrible. Stiff. Itchy. I can hardly bend my legs.”

I chuckle because they aren’t nearly as comfortable as starlight silk, but they remind me of home. Of the thick cotton layers Mabel would stitch. Fae and their niceties have left them a bit spoiled.

Not that I say as much while Perame continues to grunt about it. It’s not really the clothes that are bothering her. It’s this unsettling place. I expected it to feel like home, but it doesn’t at all.

The bed creaks, telling me Perame must be lying down, so I start on my bath. The room is already chilly, and the water makes it worse.

The reek of something I can’t quite place hangs on my skin. A wooden musk that isn’t that of the forest we traveled through to get here. It’s remnants of the void that swept the room as the woman disappeared.

Woman feels like too big a word for her when she was so young. Her cheeks were round, and a faint blush added life to her otherwise pale skin. Nothing about her was old except for her eyes. They were deep, unlike anything I’ve seen.

Ancient.

I run the cold cloth over my skin, washing myself clean the best I can, replacing the scent of death with honeysuckle. As I slip on a fresh set of clothes, I find Perame was right. Every piece is stiff and unmoving. I’d almost prefer a dress from the Ley Court when my arms don’t bend properly, and the weight of the fabric hangs heavy.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and let my discomfort go. I grasp the thread of light in the darkness and follow it as far as I can travel. Back to Vaelier.

Back to my mate.

Wilder was right. The distance between us has grown here. There’s not even a spark at the other end of the thread.

My fingers grasp the cool emptiness of our bind, and I pour myself into it. I send him what little light I cling to, hoping all is not lost. Hoping with my whole heart that I’ll see him again.

Chapter 34

Callum

My leg hangs off the cot, and my back aches as I shift to sitting. I’ve barely slept since we left Vaelier, and even before that, being in the Quietus Court made for restless nights. I rub my thighs where they ache from days of travel.

Back home, a week’s trek would be nothing. Here, the weight of my magic is heavier on my bones.

Moonlight shines through the window, casting an ethereal glow over Elorie’s face as she blinks at me. Her freckles, which have shined since her magic bloomed, are dull. And while this is who she was to me for years, there’s something unsettling about how that hint of her magic slumbers now.

“You’re already awake.” I toss off my blanket.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Her gaze drifts back out the window, and though she doesn’t say it, I sense she’s thinking about Wilder.

If our time on Alyssium was any indication, she only rests when he’s near. Those few months we were stuck together in Letia’s house, she was awake most nights, worried and staring out the window.

Many who haven’t met their mate judge those who have because having a mate is said to make you weak and vulnerable. But as I watch Elorie, seated at the edge of her bed with her shoulders tight, I wonder what comfort Wilder brings her that no one else offers.

Her eyes move to me, and I wish I had the words to make her feel better. As one of her oldest friends, I should know what to say, but I don’t. There are too many unknowns. All I can do is keep her safe and get her home.

I climb off the bed, slipping into my boots.

“Oh good.” Perame pops up. “Are we all done pretending we’re sleeping?”

Elorie breathes out a laugh. “Who else is up for scouring for intel?”

“Anything to get me out of this gods-awful place.” I glance at the wall, where the moans from next door have been filtering through all night.

“The innkeeper did tell me they had additional services they could offer my very handsome male friend, should he need them.” Elorie waggles her eyebrows, and I cringe. “Then again, she also thought you might already have your hands full.”