Page 112 of A Sunwoven Ascent

He was not well. He was incredibly weak…

And down he went.

Chapter 48

Evelyne sat with Kaldrek in the tent after the packs had eaten and settled into their camps for the night. He knelt on the ground with a fistful of dirt in one hand, the other resting on his knee, while she watched him practice his wielding. He had refused the books that were offered to him, insisting he had already memorized the spells and motions, and that if he could not learn it himself, he never would. Though Evelyne suspected he was mostly being stubborn.

“Perhaps we could visit Charise Hallowell soon?” she said. “She may be able to help you practice, seeing as I am no help at all.”

“You are a great help,” Kaldrek replied. “I get to stare at a beautiful female every night while I fail miserably. At least one thing in my life is going well.”

He smirked just as the dirt lifted from his palm, hovered for a breath, then dropped unceremoniously onto his legs.

He huffed in disappointment and started crawling toward her.

Evelyne raised a hand. “Absolutely not. Back to practicing. It has been five minutes, and I will not be blamed for distracting you again.”

“I’d much rather be distracted.”

“You are making progress, you know,” Evelyne said, a touch of sarcasm in her voice. “When you actually remain focused on the task.”

Kaldrek’s brows lifted. “Are you mocking my poor witch abilities?”

“No. I am simply saying your concentration needs work. You know the spells. You know the techniques. I have watched you wield for longer each day, but you could do far more with the right teacher.”

He stood and crossed his arms, biceps flexing beneath tanned, inked skin. Evelyne could not help admiring the sheer size of him, even when she was meant to be serious.

“Do you truly want me to seek help?”

She did not have to think. “Yes. Absolutely. Do you not want to learn properly?”

Kaldrek shrugged. “I suppose. It feels more like a side hobby, you know?”

A side hobby? Evelyne did not believe that for a moment. She had seen how much it frustrated him when he failed to master what he considered an easy technique. And ever since she had been taken to the tunnels, something in him had seemed unsettled—frustrated, unfocused, as though he was desperate to summon the full force of his power but could not move past his own anger.

“Kaldrek,” she said firmly, drawing his attention back to her. “You seemed different today. At the grove.”

His head turned sharply, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “I do not know what you mean.”

“You seemed… off. As though Cillian’s magic disturbed you, or perhaps the tree itself.”

“Disturbed me?”

“Disturbed might not be the word for it,” she said carefully. “But you were curious. Almost entranced.”

Kaldrek frowned, tilting his head. “I thought we all were intrigued. I am sorry if I seemed too intense. His magic, the tree’s magic… It is fascinating. I nearly felt as though I could lose myself in it.”

Evelyne did not quite know what to make of that, but she dared not press further. If she did, he might begin asking whether she was having those dreams again. And the truth was, she was. Maybe she was reading too much into it.

“You are right,” she said softly. “Forgive me. It was strange, was it not?” She shook off the thought and reached for him. “I still cannot believe Cillian is its kin.”

It sounded absurd aloud. A tree, for heaven’s sake. And yet nothing about the magic she had witnessed could be denied. Cillian was part Sunweaver, part wolf, just as Kaldrek was part witch, part wolf.

“You and Cillian are hybrids, in a way.”

Kaldrek huffed. “I suppose. I have never heard such a name for it, but I imagine there must be others like us. I have simply never met one.” His expression turned thoughtful. “But his magic is not witch magic. His is… life.”

“And Alia,” Evelyne murmured. “How did she come to be with the Stonebridge family? It feels almost as though she was placed there intentionally.”