“And I don’t like you at all. I hope you can understand.” Nohr’s words were biting, and he finally unfolded his arms and braced his forearms on his legs so he could clasp his hands together.
“Of course.” Rorik’s grin stretched further. “My entire life is composed of one-sided relationships.”
“All right,enough.” I scowled at Rorik and then placed both hands on my hips. “You’re not helping. And, Nohr, I’m not running away to some foreign town to start a new life. I like what I have here.”
“You mean at Fernglove. Not Willowfell. Not this house. Not the life you have, could still have, with us.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but no words spilled out. Nohr continued to stare directly at me. I couldn’t bring myself to deny it. Because he was right. Yes, I cared about the Ferngloves. But it was more than that. It was more than the family and their bantering and their antics. It was more than the picturesque lands or the warmth of the manor that felt more and more like home every day. It was more than this heartbond that had been thrust upon me. It was...
My throat tightened as I cut a furtive glance at Rorik. His smile was gone. His eyes, dark. When I poked at our bond, it was cold. Empty.
Where did you go?I mentally whispered for only him to hear.
He didn’t answer.
I inhaled deeply, trying to settle myself, when a peculiar scent hit the back of my tongue. I frowned. Breathed again. Smoke tinged the air, and I jerked my head toward the cracked window above the kitchen sink. An orange glow bled through the glass.
“Is that a fire?” I asked.
Everyone’s gazes snapped to the window. Rorik launched from the front room and tore through the door. We were close behind, nearly colliding into his immobile frame just a few feet into the garden.
The heat was an immediate presence, and I backstepped into Nohr’s chest. Snarling flames were hungrily devouring the bronzed field beside our home. They were as tall as the house and growing larger by the second with the cool breeze that swept in from the forest.
Rorik ripped away his glamour and shot into the air. His wings snapped open, and he flew above the raging fire. Without hesitating, he held out his hands and commanded the earth to heed his call. His magic erupted both down our bond and in the world around us. The ground began to tremble, and suddenly the soil was churning upon itself as layers upon layers of dirt began to suffocate the fire. The flames sparked and howled, but the soil was unrelenting, and soon all that was left was smoldering charred dirt and the stench of smoke in the breeze.
Rorik hovered for a moment longer before slowly descending to stand among the ashes. Magic surged from his being, and particles of green showered like mist against the earth. Blades of fresh grass wormed through the soil, reaching adulthood in seconds and then shifting to a golden amber to match the state of the surrounding fields. There was still an unmistakable heat in the air and the occasional pocket of smoke that curled from beneath the earth to wrap around Rorik’s body, but, for the most part, he’d quashed the flames. His wings snapped angrily as his fangs teased his bottom lip, and he ran his pointed nails along his jaw before cursing to himself. Slowly, he turned to meet my stare.
It should have been a horrifying moment, but my heart raged in my chest for entirely different reasons. Because in that moment, surrounded by minuscule particles of magic and wrapped in tendrils of dying smoke, all I wanted to do was run to him.
He’s why I won’t leave.
Tears pricked the backs of my eyes, and I looked away.
“Are you okay?” Nohr’s hands on my arms tightened. I’d forgotten that I’d stepped into his embrace at the sight of the flames, and I nearly jumped with his gentle squeeze.
“Yeah,” I croaked, thankful that I could blame my weak response on the fire.
“What was that?” Noam asked. He stood beside Nohr and me with wide eyes and a slack jaw.
“That was a warning from the Embergraves.” Rorik stalked back toward us, and his glamour slowly fell back into place. “It was in the shape of anE.”
“Kara?” I asked as I stepped out of Nohr’s arms and scoured the nearby forest line.
“Maybe.” Pure murder raged in Rorik’s eyes. “We may have accepted their invitation, but I imagine it was a parting gift. A reminder in case we changed our minds between now and when the fete is held.”
Just then, the sound of groaning wheels churning over loose dirt crested through the air, and we turned as one to see the Ferngloves’ slick black carriage heading toward us. An attendant I didn’t know sat in the open driver’s seat, and he gripped the reins of two massive stags—one I recognized as Zota. Standing twenty hands tall, he was as magnificent as always with ivy strands that sprouted from the base of his horns. Clusters of tiny white flowers dotted his mossy hide, and he threw his head up and down in excitement at the sight of us. The other stag let out a low groaning whine as he ducked his head to avoid Zota’s antlers.
“Okay, Edira.” Nohr blew out a long breath. “We’ll go.”
Relief sang through my bones, and I wrapped him in a hug. “Thank you.”
“It’ll be fun,” Noam said as he joined us. “A little holiday from Willowfell. Plus, we’ll get to see what they’ve done with the place.” The tears I’d been fighting spilled over, and I held them both close for several moments. Then Noam asked, “We’re still stopping by Lysa’s, though, right?”
A laugh bubbled from my lips, and I nodded as I finally released them. “Sure. Go pack.” They headed indoors, and I made my way toward the road where Rorik was speaking with the driver. Seville had exited the carriage and was listening intently to their conversation. Several cases had been loaded into the boot of the carriage, and I shook my head, knowing full well those contained whatever she’d purchased.
“Hey, Zota,” I murmured as I ran my hand down the length of his snout. He chuffed in response, and I brought my forehead to his muzzle. “Glad to see you’re still healthy.”
Rorik waved off the driver and came to stand beside me. “He’s ready to go whenever we are. Seville is going to take the ley line back and alert the family of what happened here.”
