When we reached the exit, I reluctantly pulled away from Zane's support, testing my knee. It still hurt, but the pain had subsided to a dull ache.
"I can walk now," I told him. "Thanks for the help."
He nodded, but something in his expression made me think he'd been just as aware of our closeness as I had been. For a moment, his eyes lingered on my face, and I felt a strange tension between us, like an unasked question hanging in the air.
Then Fenric called for us to hurry, and the moment passed. As we walked toward the parking lot, I glanced back at Sunset Meadows. In a window of the main building, I caught a glimpse of white feathers and cosmic eyes watching us leave.
I raised my hand in a small wave, and Wadsworth nodded once before disappearing from view.
I guess I could come visit the crazy goose god. He seemed lonely if he was doing this crazy shit.
One trial down, who knew how many more to go. But at least I'd made an immortal chaos goose laugh. As far as prophetic accomplishments went, that had to count for something.
Chapter
Ten
Winter
"Your stress levels are dangerously high," Fenric announced, tablet in hand as he paced my apartment three days after the goose incident. "The prophetic markings have spread another 2.7 centimeters up your arm since yesterday."
I glanced down at the glowing blue symbols that now reached my elbow. They pulsed with a gentle rhythm that matched my heartbeat.
"So?" I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant while shoving another saltine in my mouth. "They're just fancy tattoos."
"They are not 'just fancy tattoos,'" Fenric's eye twitched, which had started to become more frequent to my amusement. "They are physical manifestations of prophetic energy. According to my analysis, your elevated cortisol levels are destabilizing the prophecy matrix."
"My what is doing what now?" I brushed cracker crumbs from my shirt.
"Your stress," Rook translated from his position by the window, "is making your magic go haywire."
As if to prove his point, the saltine in my hand suddenly transformed into a butterfly that fluttered away, leaving me staring at my empty palm.
"That was my last cracker," I mourned and watched the butterfly.
"Precisely my concern," Fenric tapped something into his tablet. "Protocol dictates mandatory magical decompression for prophetic vessels exhibiting signs of instability."
"Magical decompression?" I narrowed my eyes. "That sounds suspiciously like another test."
"Not a test," Zane chimed in from where he lounged against the kitchen counter. "More like a spa day."
"A spa day?" I perked up slightly. After the hedge maze from hell and two more days of being cooped up in this apartment, even Fenric's bureaucratic idea of relaxation sounded appealing.
"The Bureau maintains several facilities designed to help magical beings regulate their energy," Fenric explained. "Given your unique situation, I've secured appointments at The Ethereal Springs Wellness Center."
"It's pretty nice," Milo added enthusiastically. "They have these enchanted massages that find your tension spots before you even know you have them!"
"And mood-based aromatherapy," Zane added. "Scents that adjust to what you're feeling. Plus, the saltwater soaks are fate-neutral, so they won't interfere with your prophecy."
"Fate-neutral saltwater?" I raised an eyebrow. "Is regular saltwater fate-positive or something?"
"You'd be surprised," Fenric sniffed. "Many commercial spa products contain trace elements that can interfere with prophetic energies."
"Of course they do," I sighed. "Fine. When do we leave for this magical stress relief adventure?"
"Immediately," Fenric checked his watch. "I've already arranged transportation."
The Ethereal SpringsWellness Center looked like a cross between a luxury resort and something out of a fantasy novel. Nestled in a secluded forest clearing, the building was constructed of pale stone that seemed to shimmer with an inner light. Water features surrounded the entrance, with fountains that defied gravity and pools where the water glowed with soft pastel colors.
