Page 62 of Mage Massacres

But I couldn’t live without it.

“Sloane?”

I shook my head, knowing that Palmer couldn’t see me. My mouth refused to let the words pass my lips.

“I know you’re there, Love. Open the door.”

I wiped at my eyes and cheeks, finally responding with, “I need a minute.”

“No. Knocking was just a courtesy.”

I would say that he stepped through the Void, but when he joined me in my room, he was sitting on the floor beside me.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“I don’t think I could let you if you tried,” I whispered back, the honesty another blow to my wounded chest.

The pain eased the torment in my mind. The winds slowed marginally until I could find my footing in the chaotic storm.

“Love…” Palmer’s voice was soft as he waited for me to look at him. “I came to talk to you, but now I need to know what else is wrong.”

I shook my head once more, not sure if I was telling him no or attempting to clear my thoughts.

“I—” I took a deep breath, trying to center myself before I locked eyes with him. “Palmer? I want to talk, to understand, but I can’t do it here. I need to get out of this house and away from all the—”

“I know.”

He held his hand out, wrapping his fingers around mine as he pulled us into the Void. When we stepped out of the frigid winds, I gaped at our surroundings.

We stood in the center of a field, a perfect circle cut out of the surrounding trees. Dozens of different wildflowers swayed in the breeze, their combined scents tickling my nose. The overcast sky did nothing to mute the colors.

“This,” Palmer murmured against my neck. “This is my place. My cavern, my roof, my hidden gem that no one knows about.”

I nodded my head, beyond words and content to soak in the mesmerizing sight. Faint scents swam around me, coupled with vibrant greens, reds, and yellows. The flowers came in all shapes and sizes, but the brighter ones captured my full attention.

I walked away from Palmer to run my fingertips over the petals. The finest silks and velvets couldn’t hold a candle to the pure texture that was captivating me.

“There’s a dome around this area. It keeps everyone away so that I can keep this spot to myself. It remains unchanging, no matter the weather or season,” Palmer rambled lightly.

He frowned, touching a yellow flower as he answered my unspoken question. “The person who showed it to me is dead.”

I turned to look at him, the petal of a pastel purple flower still in my grasp. His voice wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I thought we were going to talk about us, but instead... I was getting a bit more of his history.

“I told you about my da and the reason why I was indebted to Raguel. But I didn’t explain the tracker or why it was so important to get rid of. If anyone other than you had helped me, I wouldn’t feel any guilt about this."

I felt my brows furrow as I digested his words.

“I acquired the tracker because I tried to run. Joyner’s older brother died trying to help me. We met here and skipped town, left the country, the world. Collin took me to the dragon’s realm to hide me. I was there for a month before Raguel found me and brought me home. Collin came after me, and we made it back here once more before Raguel killed him.”

I observed him as he wandered around, quietly brooding. Being out of my mother’s house had freed my mind enough to think rationally. I had questions, but I wanted to hear the rest of his story too.

“He put the tracker on me using Collin's life-force. Right about… Here,” he said, staring down at the ground then glancing up to the trees.

“Then his men stepped out of the Void with my family in tow. Their eyes were white from a blinding potion. They couldn’t see anything, but they heard everything. And he told me the next time I thought about running, I should consider the safety of those closest to me.

“I’d only worked for Raguel for a year, not near enough to pay the debts that were pawned off on me. Murphy and Miller clutched Ma’s hands as she cried. That was the day they decided to become dark mages. The first on either side of our family, but they didn’t care as long as they could protect the one person we all cared about.

“And that was the day I stopped caring about my choices, because they always lead to disaster when I mean well. When I wasn’t invested in the outcome, though? Everything would go… Better doesn't feel like the right word, but I can’t say smoothly either. More like… Not bad.