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“I wasn’t expecting him to care that much about me either,” I say.
I trust he was able to forgive you for letting me take charge. I told you before, Ivy—you should have your happiness where you can take it. Why shouldn’t it be with Alek?She pauses.Did he say whether he forgivesme?
I actually can’t remember if Alek said anything at all about Julita after she returned my body to me, other than to confirm it really was me he was talking to. “He didn’t mention it, but he didn’t appear to be angry with you. I made sure he knew it’d been my idea.”
Ah. Well, I suppose all’s well that ends well.
She doesn’t ask what happened between Alek and me afterward. I don’t know whether she can guess or she doesn’t want to know or she’s allowing me my privacy.
Possibly it’s all of those reasons at once.
There’s still time before I need to enter the woods. I continue down the stairs and make a brief detour to the stables to apologize to Toast that I haven’t taken him out in a while. Then I meander toward the back of the outer courtyard where the tree line looms.
When the palace bell lets out its single peal, I venture down the main path into the woods.
I count off the paces silently. Fifty would lead to a fair bit of variation depending on the length of the legs doing the walking, but I guess it’ll get me to the right general area.
The glow of the school buildings’ external lanterns falls away behind me. The branches overhead block out most of the moonlight. By the time I reach fifty, I’m finding my way by squinting at the dim columns of tree trunks to avoid walking into them.
I stop and glance around, but I can’t make out anything at all except the nearest, incredibly vague shapes of the trees in the darkness. Leaves rustle overhead, and an insect buzzes by somewhere to my left. The cool breeze licks under my cloak, rippling the fabric.
My magic tugs at me, offering to sharpen my sight and form shapes out of the darkness. I clench my jaw in refusal.
What I said to my men was true. Even if my power could make this task easier, I don’t trust it. It’d probably turn someone blind to give me greater vision.
Kosmel helped direct the consequences before, but I have no idea if he’s listening now. If he’d think it worth extending his divine power just to spare me from the darkness.
I have no idea how quickly the madness might start to creep through my mind if I embraced my broken soul.
It’s safer for everyone, including me, if I continue turning to my magic only as a last resort.
The seconds tick by with the thud of my heart. Nothing happens.
This is rather anti-climactic,Julita murmurs.
Did I already make a misstep, and the conspirators have decided not to bother with me? Did I misread the message that appeared on my palm?
I adjust my weight, restraining the urge to pull my knife from my boot so it’s closer at hand.
How long should I wait?
This could be part of the test. Evaluate how committed I am, whether I’m intrigued enough to hang around rather than giving up and leaving.
They’re probably also keeping watch to ensure I’ve actually come alone.
I have no idea how long it’s been already. Wetting my lips, I keep my breaths steady and my ears pricked.
Something slides across the ground to my right. Tensing, I glance down.
My eyes have adjusted enough to the traces of moonlight that I catch the curve of a sinewy form winding into the grass at the edge of the path. A snake.
My nerves jitter with a sense of magic. Was that creature conjured from clay like the rat?
Or am I getting so bored I’m imagining things?
Two peals of the palace bell resonate through the night. I lift my head—and all at once a more potent wave of magic sweeps around me, setting the hairs on my arms on end.
“Welcome, Ivy Euridya of Nikodi,” a voice warbles, thin and yet seeming to reach me from several directions at once.
