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“It’s not been that long,” she said nervously. “We…we didn’t meet under the best of circumstances, Travus. If anything, we should be sworn enemies right now.”
It was then that his eyes widened, and he grabbed her chin to make her look up at him. She could see the clarity appear in his eyes as he scanned her face, his brows furrowing in disbelief.
“Aria…” he muttered, his grip tightening on her face just like that day, only that she didn’t have her helmet on this time. “Aria Violetgrass?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and he dropped her hand to walk away. “Travus, wait.”
“Leave me alone,” he growled while marching away, taking steps so heavy that the ground shook.
Aria felt her heart drop at his disapproval, and she ran to grab his arm, tugging back. “Please, just listen to me. I don’t care if you get angry at me, just don’t shut me out.”
He froze and gently pushed her hand away, his body so tense that his veins were popping out from under his skin. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, his voice now deeperthan she’d ever heard it before. “I care for you too much to let you see me like this. I must…I must clear my head.”
“You’veneverhad a problem fighting me before!”
“Within limits!”he seethed as he looked over his shoulder darkly. “You may be one of the strongest in the realm, you may have used me, betrayed me, and given me every justification to harm you, but it’s not in my conscience to subject anyone to my rage.”
“You make no sense!” she yelled with balled fists as heat rose to her face. “You stormed Vihnmen! You captured their Council! You planned to conquer Midges–”
“I WAS GRIEVING!”he roared in her face, and she backed away from his reddening face as he marched toward her with a dangerous look in his eye. “And I will make sure that Ineverhave to be in such a positioneveragain, so if you willpleaselet me be to collect myself!”
He stormed off, leaving Aria to watch after him with her heart and mind in shambles. A soft ache bloomed in her stomach, and nausea washed over her. Any plans she had of fighting him for the pearl went out the window because she knew she wouldn’t succeed and seeing him leave her unwatched after such a revelation showed her, everything was lost.
Chapter 22
By the time Arthur and his squadron made it to the borders of Eldoria at the base of the mountains, the guards and knights from the other nations were already engaged in battle, trying to keep Travus from passing through.
It was there that he was informed about what had occurred when all the nations let their guards down. To his utter dismay, a group of mostly Human bandits had organized a heist to steal all the Council Stones at the same time. By the time the news from the other nations had gotten to the Nymphs, the Mother Pearl was already past the borders despite Fairy Sentinels attempting to seize the thieves.
“They’venevertouched a drop of magic in their entire lives, impossibly enough,” said Callie as she flew down to the ground. “They werecompletelyundetectable even to us, Sir Guisgard. The Fairies are shaken, and even the Faes couldn’t have predicted this outcome. They’re stealthier than animals.”
“What’s the situation now?” he asked.
“We’re trying to storm Eldoria’s border, but King Travus must still be within it because no one can get through. His guards and knights are intercepting any attack to break down the barrier.”
He grunted frustratedly. “Or he’s not far away enough for the barrier to–”
“HE GOT AWAY!”someone’s yelling echoed over the clangs and clashes of swords.“The other guy’s a decoy!”
Arthur turned to run in the direction the informant was pointing, but he saw the glimmer of someone familiar through the chaos. It was Aria, and she looked distraught. Callie, realizing he saw something, followed his gaze and gasped at the sight, rushing forward to cover Aria as soon as she passed through the rippling barrier around Eldoria’s perimeter.
She was panting and heaving, grabbing her abdomen as her face contorted into a pained expression. “He’s heading for the Enchanted Lake,” she explained and held up a book. “I saw this in his office when I was trying to figure out what he was attempting.”
“This won’t end well.” Arthur called out. “We need everyone to evacuate the Enchanted Forest before he tries anything, or we’ll be hindered.”
“I’ll get to it,” Callie announced as she flew off, leaving Aria in his care.
She shed the black coat she had with a frustrated grunt, not caring as it got stampeded as the guards and knights were led away. “I need you to take me to Travus to talk some sense into him,” she said seriously while pulling a book from behind her. “If I interpreted the scrolls correctly, there might be some souls that will try to enter our realm. There was a reason the first receivers of the stones did it during the Winter Solstice.”
“To not be interrupted by animals?”
“For the departed souls to not attempt possession of nearby living or awake beings!” she snapped. “Impatient souls awaiting reincarnation will try crawling out of the lake!”
Arthur’s skin crawled. “I don’t know why I didn’t consider that. Or the scholars, even.”
“Yes, well, they don’t live in the Enchanted Forest to draw from the experience of living in it,” she explained. “When the Lake’s water is frozen over, it keeps the souls from crawling out, from what I understand.”
“I think I’m strong enough to help with that,” he said and grabbed Aria to help her onto his horse. “There’s no time to waste. Let’s go.”
