Page 37 of The Seeker

I repressed my smirk and the urge to run up to him. I definitely knew more than him now, but I was never one to brag. That, and his last sentence was bothering me. “Who have you seen here before?”

His gaze finally met mine, his gray eyes holding me captive in their unending depths. “I see Friar here sometimes. I’ve also seen your cousin.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I took a step closer. “Did you speak with her when she was here?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know exactly how it works. I think, somehow, the magic knows to drop you near the people you’re thinking of, because this place is vast and I can’t see any other way one would ever find anyone they knew here.”

I took a step closer, my hand rising to brush my thumb on one of the dark circles under Otho’s eyes. He leaned into my touch, and the tension left my shoulders. I hated that merely touching him affected me this way, but at the same time, it felt so good to brush his skin with my thumb, even if it was just a dream. “How are you so tired if you’re currently asleep?”

“I’m not asleep.” He breathed. “You can also arrive here by meditation.” He closed his eyes, and I swore there was the glimmer of a tear. “Why didn’t you stay in the keep? Why didn’t you wait for me?” His words were hoarse, like it was a struggle for him to say them.

His words broke the spell, and I stepped back, dropping my arm back to my side. “I feel drawn to you, Otho, I can’t deny that. But . . .” I debated whether to tell him the truth, my mind flashing to the last two times I’d seen him here. “But there is something else I am being called to do.”

He shook his head, his denial obvious. “I’m coming for you, Runa.”

It wasn’t a lie, and my heart ripped in two at my indecision, but my skin still crawled with the feeling of Leif, and I knew it wouldn’t dissipate anytime soon. Not without space. “I need some time on my own, Otho. Please, grant me that.”

His hand clutched at his shirt, over his heart. “The pain will only grow the further we are apart. That’s what it means to be weighted.”

“I understand,” I said with the dip of my chin. “But please let me do what I need to do first.”

“I want to say yes, Runa, and you know I would do anything for you.” He winced with those words. “But the further you move from me, the more we will be drawn together. That’s how this works. I will try to delay the inevitable, but we will meet soon. I can’t resist the pull.”

“Even if I reject the bond?” My words were quiet, lacking the confidence I’d spoken with previously.

Otho didn’t reply.

I bit my lip, unsure what else to say, my own indecision tearing me in two. But despite my indecision about what Otho wanted from me, and Signa too, I knew I needed to see the king. I needed to ensure he would step in to bring Heimland back into balance—preventing a war between the Seid from blooming.

“Where did you learn about rejecting the bond?” Otho’s words were strained.

I hadn’t, but he just confirmed what I’d been wondering.

“Please, can I kiss you?” His voice was low and breathy.

My head snapped up, my eyes connecting with his once more.

I shook my head.

I jolted awake, breathing heavily. My hand clutched at my chest and the slight pull I felt there, like someone had tied a rope around me and was attempting to draw me forward.

“Quite some dream you must’ve had.” Ena chuckled from a few trees away, where she was inspecting a bush filled with branches that were heavy with berries.

“Have you ever visited the dream space, Ena?”

She spun, eyes wide. “You can go to the dream space?”

I nodded, rubbing the slight ache in my chest before remembering one of the potions tucked in my brassiere. I pulled it out and drank it, grimacing as it slid down my throat. Belladonna was bitter, even when mixed with moonflower.

“I . . . I heard you have to be really good at emptying your mind and focusing at the same time. I’ve never achieved it,” she mumbled, sipping from the waterskin before handing it to me. Her hand unfurled to reveal several berries. “Think these are safe to eat?”

I inspected them, mentally comparing them to the known poisons, many of which present themselves in the form of berries. “I think so.”

She divided what was in her hand between us. “We will start with these. If we still feel fine in a few moments, I’ll pick more.”

I ate them one by one.

Hopefully I didn’t lead her astray.