I grinned, chuckling at the sight before nodding.
We wandered a little further from the others, where fewer people were gathered and the noise dropped to a gentle whisper of wind.
I tried again, closing my eyes and reaching out with my senses.
And then I felt it.A pulse.
It was so distant and so faint, I thought I might’ve imagined it.A small hum thrumming in my bones, calling to me through the fluttering wings of birds and rustling of leaves.
Hope flared in my chest.I broke my concentration and smiled proudly at Tavrik.He returned the expression, matching my energy without fully understanding the source.
I suggested we move even further, and he agreed without question.We walked and stopped and walked and stopped, but the feeling remained frustratingly the same.I couldn’t tell which direction it was coming from, but at least it was something.
For the first time since arriving here, I felt like I might actually be able to do this.
We made our way back to Theo and Mira.She spun toward us with the giddiest smile I had ever seen.I found myself smiling back genuinely—when was the last time I’d felt this comfortable around another woman?
As we walked back toward the palace, I fell into step beside her.“Mira,” I said, “how did you end up here?What made you choose to come to the Jinn realm?”
She hesitated at first.Then, in a quiet voice, she said, “I lived in the west village of Edla.”
My eyes shot up.Theo and I shared a glance, the west villages were not that far from where we grew up.She was so close to our home and yet we’d never crossed paths.
“I fell in love,” she continued, clearing her throat.Her steps slowed.“He was kind at first.”Her brows drew together, shadows passing over her delicate features.
I reached for her hand and gently squeezed it.
“He uh… he did things to me that I did not want him to do.”A sob escaped her lips.“He hurt me in ways I can’t even speak of.”
A lump formed in my throat.She didn’t have to say it.Just the thought of someone doing that to her broke my heart.
Mira embodied kindness.She was a gentle soul who deserved happiness.I squeezed her hand tighter, hoping she could feel my silent support.
“He wouldn’t leave me alone.”Tears welled in her eyes, her voice breaking.“No matter where I went, he followed.”
Before I could stop myself, I pulled her into my arms, hugging her tightly as she sobbed against my shoulder.
“You don’t have to continue,” I murmured into her hair.
She shook her head firmly.
“I had no choice.I needed to get away,” she continued.“I told my sisters in secret that I was leaving.They understood why—they knew I wasn’t abandoning them.I walked for weeks until I found the Veil.I didn’t know what would be waiting for me on the other side, but… I would have greeted death with open arms, so long as it wasn’t him who’d delivered it.”
She took a long, shaky breath.“They captured me as soon as I crossed, putting me into a deep sleep, just like what they did to you.When I woke up, they questioned me.I told them the truth.I didn’t even try to lie.”
Her face transformed with a soft, genuine smile that chased away some of the pain in her eyes.“They accepted me as one of them.Not all were happy about it, and I didn’t blame them.Even so… I have only ever been shown kindness here, and in return I help with whatever they need.”
Theo, who had remained uncharacteristically silent through her story, threw his arms around her in a gentle embrace.She melted into his touch, some of the tension finally leaving her shoulders.
We continued our journey back, our legs burning from the long walk.As the palace walls came back into view, I caught myself looking over my shoulder at the open field—at the freedom we were leaving behind.
Once we all returned to my room, Mira was buzzing with excitement, bouncing on her toes as she closed the door behind us.
“Tonight will be different,” she announced, her gaze darting between us.
“Different how?”I lowered myself onto the edge of the bed.My fingers curled into the sheets, unsettled by the anticipation in her tone.
Mira froze mid-bounce, then let out a small, self-indulgent laugh.She must have realized we had no idea what she was talking about.
