“Understood.” Theo flashed a wide smile, hoping it would project more confidence than he felt.
Emmett nodded once and started walking slowly down the riverbank. They walked in silence for the better part of an hour, taking in the surrounding landscape while constantly pivoting to keep an eye on the water’s surface. The mouth of the river that opened into Loch Ness was wide, but as they ventured farther away from the lake, the river's banks came closer together.
They were surrounded by deep forests on all sides, the river cutting through the trees. Theo had spent most of his life avoiding water, but he could tell that the river was deceptive. It looked calm on the surface and was about forty feet across, but those waters ran deep. Massive boulders and rocks peppered the surface of the water, creating the perfect place for a water sprite or a kelpie to do some sunbathing.
Theo could feel the magic changing as they wandered farther from the lake. Loch Ness was popular with tourists and localsalike, but they were walking deeper into the wilderness. The air itself started to feel heavier, as if the weight of wild magic weighed it down. Theo walked past some trees and thought he could feel an electric current running over their branches. More than once, they heard a twig snap or a rustle in the underbrush, and all three of them would turn around and start looking for an opponent.
Theo’s heart rate kept skyrocketing and plummeting, over and over, as he tried to relax and take in the gorgeous scenery but was overrun with anticipation that they were about to be ambushed. At every noise, Pippa would arm herself with two daggers, and Emmett would conjure his battle axe from midair.
Theo, having no weapons, would form fists. It was not as threatening as he wished it was. He was slowly starting to feel more accepted by the group, but now he was beginning to think he was being babysat.
By late afternoon, they’d walked several miles down the river’s coast. The forest began to change color, and the creatures of the night started to emerge.
“We’d better camp here.” Emmett stopped and looked around, pointing towards a small clearing that was only fifteen feet from the banks of the river. “We’re going to be too antsy if we keep walking at night.”
“We can all see in the dark, and we have a few more hours of light,” Pippa pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest. “If we stop now, we’re going to be sitting ducks. We should keep moving and only stop when necessary. Then, we sleep in shifts.”
Emmett shook his head. "If we keep walking at night, we’re going to be too on edge. The forest comes alive at night. Half of Scotland’s magical creatures are nocturnal. Are you telling me you don’t think we’ll drive ourselves mad trying to investigate every sound of brownie footprints in the underbrush at two in the morning?” Emmett raised a brow, staring at his mate.“Besides, I can hardly get you to wake up before noon. You really want to sacrifice sleep, of all things?”
Theo saw the exact moment Pippa relented. It was written all over her face, and she held up her hands in surrender.
“Okay, no arguments here.” Pippa smiled.
Emmett looked at Theo. “Any objections?”
Theo chewed on his lip and looked towards the riverbank. “I don’t love being this close to the water, but I know traveling right under Cliodhna’s nose is part of the plan.”
Emmett nodded and unhitched his pack, dumping it in the middle of the clearing. They all got busy setting up camp, pulling out bedrolls and provisions from their backpacks. It only took about thirty minutes for their entire campsite to be perfectly constructed and for Emmett to have a roaring fire going.
“You know,” Theo mused, staring out at the water, “if I weren’t worried about the threat on my life from the queen of the banshees, this would be a pretty relaxing camping spot.” Theo plopped down on one of the tree stumps Emmett had found and pulled into the clearing to use as seating.
“Ha.” Pippa rolled her eyes. “You’re only saying that because you’re fae. Everything in nature feels relaxing to you.” Pippa grinned wildly when she pulled a bag of marshmallows out of her bag and began roasting three on one stick.
“Not everything,” Theo whispered.
It was part of his curse that had worn him down the most over the years. He was one of the royal sons of the Scottish seelie fae. He always wanted to be outside, but keeping away from water for most of his life kept him out of Scotland's most wild habitats.
Before he could sink into his own melancholy, Emmett emerged from the woods, holding another stump. He plopped it down in front of the fire and took a seat, his expression falling when he saw Pippa roasting marshmallows.
“For fuck’s sake.” He wiped some of the sweat off his brow. “Can you eat somethin’ other than sugar for dinner, please?” Emmett sounded exasperated, and Pippa only giggled, which made Theo realize he was once again witnessing the same argument.
“I’m going to, uh, patrol the riverbank for a minute.” Theo excused himself quickly and walked towards the water.
Emmett and Pippa called out for him to be careful, and he flashed a thumbs-up without looking back.
Theo disappeared behind some large bushes and stared at the water. The colors of the sunlight were starting to reflect on the river’s surface. The forest was alive with the sounds of creatures coming out to play, but Theo relished the complete lack of sounds from cars or people.
There was still a sharp pang of fear in his chest when he looked at the water too long, and he tried to override it. He knew it was a good plan to travel by water, and it was still their best option. Theo sat down on the soft riverbank and wrapped his arms around his knees. It might not have been the most dignified way to sit, but Theo was feeling tired and small.
He’d spent the entirety of his life in fight-or-flight, and now he was simultaneously preparing to fight and flee with Emmett and Pippa. He wondered if they were ever going to be successful. Without realizing it, Theo started to cry as he stared out over the sparkling water. The sunset was starting to make the river look like the water was covered in jewels, just ready for the taking.
The overwhelmingly beautiful scenery, the wildness of the woods around him, all of it became too much for Theo. He buried his head in his hands and started to sob, trying to release some of the pent-up feelings festering in his head. Theo didn’t know how long he cried, but he kept his voice down so Emmett and Pippa wouldn’t hear him and come looking.
He needed to respect the time-honored tradition of breaking down in solitude.
When Theo’s tears finally stalled, the sun had almost completely set. The moon was rising high above him, casting the entire river in a soft glow. As his sobs quieted, Theo realized he could hear something.
He stood slowly, leaning towards the water as he tried to determine where it was coming from. It was a soft, tinkling sound, almost like bells. As Theo approached the riverbank, he realized it was definitely coming from the water.
