35. LONNIE

35

LONNIE

THE ROAD TO OVERCAST

W ith the diamond in hand, we fled Nevermore.

The moment dawn broke and the horn sounded for the final time, Ambrose and I were already prepared to leave. We'd met Scion on the road, where he was already searching for us, and the three of us shadow walked off the island without returning to the keep.

After all, we'd gotten what we came for–albeit in a more violent and traumatic fashion than any of us would have liked. Cassinda was in possession of the jewel when she died, and we were able to collect it from her severed neck with very little fanfare.

In fact, there was no celebration at all.

We might have collected the second jewel, but it had cost all of us far too much.

Even the brand new bond between Ambrose and I was not enough to cheer me. I could feel it pulsing in my chest, somehow identical to the bond I shared with Scion and yet…not.

Now was not the time to consider it, however. Not when my brain was sluggish and every movement and thought felt like a chore.

It did not help that we hadn't slept. Hadn't eaten anything, and hadn't had a chance to bathe and wash the blood from our hands—both literally and metaphorically. We'd had to abandon our food and extra clothing in the keep, and worst of all, we lost Queen Celia's book.

"Don't worry, love," Ambrose said, with a forced confidence I was sure he didn't feel. "I've practically memorized that book. We'll be fine without it."

I didn't look at him when he said this. I didn't really want to know if he flinched at the pain of a lie.

To avoid being separated again, Ambrose guided both Scion and I through the shadows. Though he hadn't commented on it, it was obvious to me that Ambrose had some unusual measure of control over his shadow walking. Maybe that explained how he'd managed to be no where and somehow everywhere at once for the last ten years that Scion had searched for him. Maybe it didn't matter anymore as long as we were all on the same side.

Ambrose brought us to a small woodland inn along the northbound road between Overcast and Inbetwixt. We ate and bathed and slept a few unbroken hours before we had to leave again, pushing on toward Overcast.

In order to give Ambrose a break, we had bought horses from the innkeeper and set off at a leisurely pace towards the north. Despite the fact that it would still take us a full day and night to reach Overcast, we were in no particular hurry. We hadn't yet determined where the final jewel was located, and even though no one said it aloud, I could tell that both Scion and Ambrose were reluctant to face their family.

"I've been thinking a lot about the other night," I said that afternoon as we rode.

As he rode ahead, Ambrose turned his head to look back at me with a smirk. "Is that so, love?"

I felt my cheeks heat. "I meant about Cassinda."

Both my mates growled in displeasure. Scion had felt the moment that I was clawed by the bear, but hadn't been able to reach me in time for it to matter. I could tell the incident haunted him, and I only hoped his scowl would lessen with time.

"What about her?" Ambrose barked.

"When she mauled me. You said you thought I died. I'm starting to think maybe I did—at least for a moment."

I'd posed the statement as casually as I could, but still, both males yanked back on their reins, and turned around in their saddles to face me.

"Do you remember it?" Ambrose said, his voice brittle like broken glass.

"No," I began, but then mid word I realized that wasn't true. "I mean, yes. I do. Sort of. I think I was in Aftermath."

"You mean you dreamed about Aftermath?" Scion clarified after a long moment.

"No. I mean I think I was in Aftermath."

I told them both what I could remember of my strange dream or vision or whatever it was. About climbing up the mountain, about screaming at the flames, and how for a moment I could swear I was those flames.

When I finished, Ambrose frowned, looking worried. "I'm not sure what that means, love. Even if I could see your future, I don't know if I would know how to interpret that."

Scion looked more angry than worried. "It sounds a bit like your soul tried to return to the Source and the Source spit you back out."

I laughed, but stopped abruptly when I saw that he was serious. "That's impossible."

"I also would have said it was impossible to drop a baby into the Source and have it come out whole. There's a lot of magic in the world that we don't understand, especially in Aftermath."

I fell silent again. For some reason, at that moment, I missed Beal.

Of course, I missed Bael all the time. It was like a low hum in the back of my brain reminding me that I was still missing something vital. Like a severed limb.

But now I missed him for his perspective and his humor. I was sure he'd have taken me seriously about Aftermath, even if it sounded absurd.

Sometimes I needed Ambrose's pragmatism, or Scion's strength. At the moment, I needed Bael's flexibility.

As we rode further north, the dense canopy of trees began to thin, revealing a landscape of twisted and gnarled trunks, like a tangled web of knotted tree roots. The air grew damp and musty, reminiscent of a swamp, as the sunlight filtered through the sparse branches above. The ground beneath us became soft and squishy, the sound of our horses' hooves sinking into the muddy terrain. It was as if we were entering another world entirely, one where nature ruled with untamed chaos.

"Are we growing close?" I asked.

"Somewhat," Scion said evasively.

"We're still a good day's ride away, love. We should stop and make a camp, unless we want to ride all night."

Without speaking, we all came to the mutual decision that riding all night was not something we wanted to do.

After hours of riding through the muddy wetland, our horses were exhausted and in need of water. We finally came across a small stream with a grassy bank. We quickly dismounted and tied our horses to a nearby tree, allowing them to quench their thirst. As they drank, we set up camp on the soft grass.

I took it upon myself to make a fire, and gathered some nearby wood before putting out my hands to conjure a flame.

To my utter shock, the flame in my hand was enormous, at least twice the size as before, and it was more blue than orange, as if burning hotter.

"Look at this!" I yelled, afraid the flame might go out at any moment.

Both Ambrose and Scion came running. Ambrose drawing his sword, and Scion glaring as if he was more than ready and willing to inflict some pain on my imaginary attackers.

"What happened?" Scion demanded.

"I'm fine." I rolled my eyes. "But look at the flames!"

They both turned to look, but it was Scion who spoke first. "Is your power increasing?"

I cast a sideways look at Ambrose. "Maybe. Have any of yours?"

Scion waved his hands around, as if shooing flies, then shrugged. "I can't tell."

"What were you trying to do?" I asked.

Rather than answering, he pointed toward the stream. At first, I thought the horses were gone. But then, if I squinted, I could still make out the outlines.

"That almost worked on me," I told him. "So maybe you are stronger."

He shook his head. "If I am, I doubt that's proof of it, rebel. I think it's simply that I'm not trying to hurt you. Only combative magic doesn't work on you."

"And you?" I asked, turning to Ambrose. He was the one I was the most curious about, given that our mating bond was newer. I wasn't sure how a seer might draw on other's powers the way Scion or I did, but perhaps there was some benefit to him as well.

Ambrose scowled, though not as if he were mad at me. More as if he were thinking very hard and struggling to find an answer.

"I need to meditate," he said finally, shaking his head. "I can't wait until Bael is back with us so I can see again."

"Any idea when that will be?" I asked hopefully.

He began to shake his head, no. Then suddenly, his eyes rolled out of focus. I jumped startled, but Scion held me back.

"He's fine, rebel. Just being useful for a change."

I shot him a glare but he smiled, evidently meaning his comment in jest.

Ambrose focused back on me again, smiling now.

"Well?" I demanded. "Is he coming back?"

"I can't tell you that, love. Sorry.But I do have something useful. We're headed in the wrong direction. We need to go more west, toward the wanderlust marshes.

"Why?" Scion demanded.

"Because if we don't, we're going to run into trouble. Idris is in Overcast."