“Well, as you said, we'll add a visit to the hag to our list of tasks,” Jerah said after a beat of silence, standing up and striding quickly to a different table, where more loose paper with various notes were strewn about. “I think we'll be ready to set out in a week, perhaps two.”
“Already?” Florian heard himself yelp in sudden panic, before he even realized he'd said it. “I mean—you think we'll be ready by then?”
“Oh, yes. Don't sell yourself short, Florian, you're a quick learner.” Jerah glanced back at him, his eyes glinting with pride. “And Kade tells me you're picking up combat training rather well, though that's of lesser importance, to be honest. As long as you know how to defend yourself a bit, Kade and I can handle most anything else. It's more the magic I was concerned about, and you've taken to it swimmingly.”
“I guess thathasbeen the easy part,” he agreed, glancing away with a flush at the mention of Kade.
Since their confession in the Moon Garden a few nights ago—still so recent that the bruise on his upper arm was still a mottled purple—they had done little beyond holding hands while walking through the grounds; but the thought that Jerah might know was supremely embarrassing. He had spent so much of his life without the worry of a parental figure prying into his personal life—August had been so nonchalant about everything that he'd never shied away from discussing such things with his uncle. Of course, he had his secrets, but his uncle had never pressed him for more than what he brought up himself. Now, though, he couldn't fathom ever wanting to talk to Jerah about seeing anyone, especially not Kade. He could already imagine the insufferable, self-satisfied grin that would split Jerah's face if he knew.
“Our first stop will be the Golden Arrow closest to the Winter Court,” Jerah continued, seemingly oblivious to Florian's reaction at the mention of Kade. “Here, I'll find my map so I can show you.”
“We're not going to the hag first?” Florian asked in surprise. That had certainly pulled him from his thoughts. “You think we can already tackle one of the Arrows? Aren't they, like, super strong magic or whatever?”
“Yes, but I've scoped out the area where this one is supposed to be,” Jerah said, not even looking back at him as he pulled a rolled-up parchment from one of the bookcases. “It's pretty easy to get to from here, and the hag's home is quite a bit further and not especially pressing, I think. We'll start with this easier Arrow and go from there.”
Rolling the map out, he pointed to the Winter Court that was marked right along the west coast of the continent. It looked like North America at first glance, but the closer he looked, the more off it seemed: the coastlines didn’t quite match, and the mountains seemed flipped in the opposite direction, as if the fault lines were reversed.
“Here's where we are... And here's the location of the first arrow. I've narrowed it down to a cave system in what was once a desert,” Jerah explained, pointing to a spot on the map that Florian guessed would have been somewhere in Arizona, if it were a map of Earth. “And here... This is where the witch lives.” His finger trailed even further inland and slightly north; geography had never been his best subject, but that spot maybe matched somewhere in Utah, or perhaps Colorado.
“That's far,” he balked, frowning. “And we have to travel on foot?”
“Unfortunately, yes, although magic helps. It will still be several days’ travel in the Blight,” Jerah sighed, his hands pulling away from the map. He folded his arms across his chest, a pensive expression overtaking his face. “I think with both of us, we'll make good time. I can maintain a shroud to protect us from the Blight, and you can make us a bit faster. I'll show you how.”
“What's the Blight like?” Florian asked. They had discussed the Nova Blight, but only ever in the abstract. He had almost no idea of what to expect when they left the safety of the Winter Court. Jerah’s expression darkened, and he gave another weary sigh before he found the words.
“Painful,” he finally settled on. “It's miserable. It's bright enough that visibility is compromised. It's extremely hot, and your skin starts to burn within seconds if you're not protected from the light. And ultimately nothing can survive in it for long, at least not without being changed for the worse. Blight monsters can be... Grotesque.” He shuddered, shaking his head.
“Hmm.” It was all Florian could bring himself to remark. Jerah's sudden, obvious distaste had him wondering what exactly he had gotten himself into. It was far too late to back out now, though.
“Well, on that note,” Jerah said quickly, a chipper smile returning to his face as effortlessly as it had vanished. “I think that's enough for today. Don't want to keep you from your date with Kade.”
Florian spluttered, his face instantly becoming crimson as he rapidly shook his head.
“It's not—It's not—” he stammered, but Jerah only laughed, waving a hand for him to go. Rather than try and argue, he silently gathered his things. By the time he was hurrying out of the library, his face had stopped feeling like it might spontaneously combust.
