The elder clasped his hands loosely behind his back. “Paths change. Forests close. Trails vanish where they once existed. Some seeking escape find themselves walking in circles for days only to return to where they began.” His eyes settled on her again. “Others never find a path out at all.”
A chill crept slowly along Bria’s spine.
Without warning, she remembered the moment she and Kaelan had turned to leave Driochmor. The forest hadshifted around them almost immediately, growth thickening unnaturally until the way behind them vanished entirely.
It was as though the land itself had sealed shut.
Kilham noticed, understanding slowly dawning across his face. “You have already seen it happen.”
Bria looked toward Kaelan, reminding, “The forest closed behind us.”
“Aye,” Kaelan said with a nod.
Her pulse quickened. “And you knew this was possible, but never thought to mention such a thing?”
His gaze remained steady upon her. “There was no time to mention it. and you would not have believed me.”
The irritating truth of that only deepened her frustration further.
“This is madness,” she whispered. “Forests do not simply decide who may leave.”
Kilham’s expression remained calm. “No one truly understands Driochmor’s reasons.”
“But someone must.”
A shadow crossed the elder’s face briefly. “Perhaps the council does.”
Bria frowned. “The council?”
“The ones who rule Driochmor.”
She had thought that magic ruled Driochmor, its inhabitants as wild and mysterious as the land itself. Or so she had heard.
She had heard wrong.
Bria shook her head, nothing making sense to her. “Then tell them I wish to leave.”
Kilham sighed. “If Driochmor is not ready to release you, not even the council may force its will.”
The certainty in his voice frightened Bria more than the words themselves. She struggled to steady the chaos twistingthrough her thoughts, though nothing about this place or the things she had learned since arriving allowed her peace.
Kaelan’s arm slipped around her waist and before he turned her toward him, she felt it, a calm that comforted her. And she allowed herself to sink into it and to lean against him as he drew her close.
“We need to talk.”
The low calmness in his voice left little room for argument.
Before Bria could respond, Kaelan turned slightly toward Kilham. “If shelter may be found here for the night, we would accept it.”
Kilham regarded them both knowingly, his weathered gaze lingering briefly on Bria before returning to Kaelan once more.
“A wise choice. Driochmor is best traveled with a clear mind, and neither of yours appears settled at the moment.”
Heat rose faintly in Bria’s cheeks, though whether from irritation or embarrassment for speaking up as she did, something she had never done, never had the need to do, she wasn’t sure.
Kilham slowly rose from the bench. “A cottage will be prepared for you and food provided. It will give you the privacy that you need since you both have much to think on before morning. In the meantime, there is a place you can bathe in if you’d like. Though sheltered in a cave, the water remains warm.”
Bria couldn’t hide her delight with the offer. “That would be wonderful.”
