Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

T here was a moment as they crossed when the already active magic of Aurora’s dagger flared to life around them. The ripples spread, the drops fell—and icy water soaked her clothes. The splash into the river was an unwelcome surprise. Rose swept her arms as she searched the river for Carter. He was swimming to the riverbank in his fae form.

A deep cold pulsed in her bones as the river rushed against her. Though they’d entered from a different location, the river appeared to be the same.

Hauling herself onto the riverbank next to Carter, Rose let her breathing return to normal. “That is not a welcoming entrance,” Rose said.

“Some would say it’s quite unwelcoming,” Carter said wryly. “It’s like she doesn’t want any visitors to make it into her realm. I’m shifting back. I want to be able to get us out of here at a moment’s notice,” he said. She didn’t have time to reply before a veil cat sat beside her.

Rose used her magic to squeeze water drops off both of them. Then she squinted to try to confirm if the magic of Aurora’s dagger was still working. It wasn’t as easily seen here as in the Norden library, but peering hard enough, Rose could see the ripples fanning out and the droplets around them obscuring their location.

The river might be the same but the bank was different than last time. They were still in a forest, but there was a structure in the distance she didn’t recognize. Rose pulled her compass from under her tunic and looked down. Her heart skipped a beat as the needle stopped its endless spinning. Having a direction to follow, she tugged gently on Carter’s scruff.

“ Luc?” She sent the thought out, hoping they could speak freely now that they were closer.

“Come here often?” His voice slipped into her head with all the tact his shameless pickup line deserved.

“I’m glad you’re in such good spirits. It looks like we have a bit of a walk—it’s time you tell me everything.”

Luc sighed. “We’re in her castle dungeon.”

Rose’s heart was in her throat instantly. “We?”

“Aterra and I. She found us as soon as we arrived, just like what happened with you and Carter. I’ll tell you the details later.”

Rose looked around again. The sizeable structure could certainly be a castle. Rose bet this was their destination. It would be a few hours’ walk.

“Carter, can you carry me for a bit?” It was an awkward question, but she wouldn’t ask if they had other options.

The veil cat nodded.

“I think you have time to show me now,” she pressed. They’d danced around the details of this connection. She wanted to test it—to see what they could do. If she went into the heart of her magic, could his mind shadow reach her? “Can you show me?”

Luc’s mind shadow was a gift few Suden had. He’d shown her scenes before. This seemed like the next step, since she could feel his magic on her skin in the lake. Could he show her his arrival through their connection, which usually required physical touch?

“We can try. ” She could the slight furrow of his brow as he spoke the words. As soon as she settled on Carter’s back and dove into the heart of her magic, Luc’s washed over. Rose felt herself fall into Luc’s memory just as she had in Loch.

Darkness surrounded her.

It was a darkness so complete Rose wondered if she’d ever see the light of day again. Lifting her hands, she felt for…something…anything as she wandered in the darkness. Nothing was available to touch, so Rose continued to meander. With her, she dragged a heavy weight, one that seemed to be struggling to free itself from her hold.

The path was unclear. Rose turned left and right, trying to find her way. Nothing guided her. She might be lost in this expanse forever.

Something pulled below her sternum—a heat flared that Rose was all too familiar with. It tugged her in the direction opposite of where she was headed. She sighed deeply and nodded to herself, continuing opposite the tug.

Rose landed with a splash. Icy water enveloped her before she could organize her thoughts. She moved her arms, treading water as she looked around. The river was, unfortunately, familiar at this point. She’d fallen into it enough times to realize it must be the entry point for all those passing beyond the veil. Pushing one hand through her hair, she noted it was black and much shorter than her own.

She was in Luc’s memory. That made her Luc for the time being.

If this was his entry beyond the veil, then where was…

Aterra was swimming toward the shore next to her. He appeared fully recovered from the stab of the Suden ring. Thinking of the ring, Rose didn’t see it on Luc’s finger. He must have had to remove it to pierce Aterra the way he did. Rose felt Luc’s arms move as he started swimming after the earth god.

The pair pulled themselves up on shore. Aterra glared at Luc.

“What do you think that accomplished, boy?” Aterra growled. “All you did was delay the inevitable.”

Luc’s mouth opened to respond, but no words came out, his gaze lifting over Aterra’s shoulder to a new threat. Rose barely had to process what she was seeing. It was all too familiar from her journey beyond the veil.

A host of veil cats surrounded them.

“I thought they were extinct,” Aterra whispered as he turned to face the new threat. If possible, these veil cats looked even less inviting than the ones that had greeted her and Carter. Aterra and Luc both got to their feet slowly.

“Did you have a plan from here, boy?” Aterra taunted.

Luc didn’t have to respond for Rose to know he did not. His one goal had been to get Aterra to a location where he couldn’t continue to cause chaos on the continent. The rest, she was sure, he planned to figure out as he went.

“I don’t mean you any harm,” Luc’s voice came from the body she inhabited. “He’s the one disrupting everything.” Luc shrugged in Aterra’s general direction.

“They’re animals. They can’t understand you,” Aterra growled. He took a few steps to the right, away from Luc, like he would try to run. The veil cats refused to allow the visitors beyond their reach, snapping and snarling as they held a half-circle around the pair.

Aterra looked over his shoulder. Only the icy river was behind them. He could jump back in, but odds were, the veil cats would be waiting for him wherever he emerged. His teeth clenched as he realized he’d have to fight past the beasts.

He hesitated. For the first time, she wondered how familiar Aterra was with the Lady of the Veil. Given Aterra’s penchant for destruction, attacking a host of veil cats with his earth magic didn’t seem like a tough decision for him. Rose watched his brow furrow, and his fingers clenched into fists as he considered his options. Unfortunately, it looked like he had none.

Pebbles danced on the ground as the earth began to shake. Aterra shook the meadow in a pattern that tried to move the veil cats into a huddle to his left. Rose understood his plan. If he could move the pack left, he could split the earth around them and create an escape route.

The fact that he didn’t open the earth beneath himself and slip through it made Rose wonder if that wasn’t an option in this realm. Rose had no concept of what was possible with each of their magics and what was not.

Herding the veil cats with the earth shakes seemed to be working. They clumped together just to the left of Aterra. The pathway was opening for the earth god to split the ground. Just as it was coming together, an avalanche of power rolled into the meadow.

The same roaring of magic that had tried to trap Rose—had forced her to choose to flee—she felt it now. Lady Cassandra rode in on a powerful horse. Unlike Rose and Carter’s visit, Luc and Aterra had nowhere to go. Roots shot from the ground to wrap around Luc and Aterra’s limbs.

Luc’s hands raised in surrender as the roots held him in place. Aterra seemed to realize he was running out of time. The veil cats weren’t far enough away for him to make a clean exit, but he no longer cared. He split the earth, causing one of the beasts to slide into the crack he created.

Cassandra’s roots reached to catch the veil cat, pulling it back to its pack. The already rolling thunder of her power echoed across the clearing. As she came more clearly into view, a blinding light erupted from where she rode.

The crack Aterra started filled with roots—a thick spider web he could not penetrate—pulling the earth back together. They wrapped themselves around Aterra just as quickly, freezing him in place.

“Will I never be free of the continent’s disasters?” Cassandra said as she dismounted. Rose felt even more justified in her decision to flee on her and Carter’s first trip, seeing what their fate would have been. The Lady of the Veil was terrifying. If those on the continent thought Luc’s power was immense, she couldn’t imagine what they would think of this ruler. There was a fire in her gaze as she stared down Aterra. “How dare you attack one of my own in my realm?”

Aterra said nothing. Some of the magic thick in the air around them started dissipating, and Aterra’s mouth opened as the roots peeled away just enough to let him speak. Aterra pointed at Luc. “He is the one who disturbs your peace. Not me.”

“So like a god of the continent,” Cassandra purred. “It’s never your fault, is it?”

Aterra opened his mouth to speak again, but Cassandra’s roots reemerged to hold it shut.

“Let me guess,” she said, her gaze turning to Luc. “He was poised to ruin the continent?”

Zrak stepped into view, responding before Luc could say anything. “Well, you are so well-adept at preventing ruin.”

She ignored Zrak, her gaze locked on Luc. “You. What makes you think my realm is the place to bring your problems?”

Luc sucked in a breath like he wasn’t quite sure how Cassandra knew the details of his situation so fully. He recovered quickly. “I apologize, Lady. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Well, that’s honest, at least.” She pushed her hair back over her shoulder. “How did you even make it through?”

Luc shook his head. “I’m not sure…” She felt him hesitate like he didn’t know how much to say.

As she opened her mouth to speak again, Zrak cut in. “His bound partner is on the continent… I’d guess he used all his strength to move away from her—from that connection. The opposite direction of that pull would lead him here,” he said smoothly.

Rose was stunned. How did Zrak know that she and Luc were bound? They had only just found out themselves, and there had been no Nebulus on the continent since Luc realized.

“I wasn’t asking you, Zrak,” she said coldly. Her gaze raked over both Luc and Aterra in evaluation. If Rose had to guess, Cassandra appeared to find them both wanting. She noted the lingering gaze on Aterra’s hand in his pocket.

“Interesting, isn’t it?” she continued. “Not quite what you led me to believe.” Her teeth clenched around the words. They were said with such quiet anger. Rose wasn’t sure they were meant for anyone but the Lost God.

“I haven’t failed yet,” Zrak replied. “Why are you here?” Zrak asked Luc. He appeared to be ignoring Aterra entirely.

“They are my prisoners, Zrak,” Cassandra growled. “You overstep. I did not give you leave to question them.”

At the word prisoner, the veil cats’ behavior shifted. While calmed by her presence, they quickly returned to the fierce guardians encountered on arrival. It gave Rose pause as if maybe the veil cats understood more than Aterra gave them credit for.

“Moving right to prisoners?” Zrak said, looking at Cassandra. “You don’t even want to know if he’ll work for you?”

Cassandra glared at Luc. “He’s not the one I need. He’s worse off than you were when you arrived.”

“Ah, but you let me work for you,” he said. Rose sensed this conversation wasn’t for Zrak’s benefit.

“You know you had to offer me more than simply your service,” Cassandra hissed. “And so far, you’ve failed to deliver on your other promises.” The look she gave him was pure rage.

“But the steps are in motion,” Zrak said, his lip curving into a smile.

Cassandra nodded begrudgingly. “Let’s return to the castle.”

She suspected Aterra couldn’t reach for his magic, or he definitely would have. The veil cats ushered Luc and Aterra forward, the roots licking at their feet with every step, showing their willingness to rebind the duo at a moment’s notice. Rose could only assume they were headed to the castle she was currently en route to. Rose’s head spun as she considered Zrak’s words. He knew more than should be possible. He’d offered them information they needed through this conversation, that he did more than work for Cassandra to remain beyond the veil during his exile. Something about a promise he would deliver on… It was almost like he knew Rose would see it.

Rose slid from Carter’s back as she returned from the memory. Their invisibility followed them as they moved, but Rose took a moment to replenish the few drops of blood on the dagger’s tip. Carter growled as she poked him.

“There is a lot to unpack there,” Rose said.

Luc’s laugh was a balm to her soul. “Where do you want to start?”

“We’ve never had trouble crossing,” Rose told Luc through the bond as she thought about everything else she’d seen in the memory.

“I don’t know how he knows, but Zrak was right. I felt the pull of your magic and went in the opposite direction. The space between realms is kind of terrifying.”

Rose agreed. “It seems Zrak knows a lot he shouldn’t, right?”

“Yes, it’s become increasingly clear he promised Cassandra that something would happen. I don’t know what it is or how he plans to fulfill his promise.”

Rose longed to see his face as he spoke. The worry lines on his sharp features. The crooked brow when he challenged her and his hand dragging down his face when he wasn’t sure how to proceed. This ability to communicate was one she was thankful for, but she wanted more.

“Do you know how she’s holding Aterra?” Rose asked.

“No, I don’t understand the magic here well. I can tell Aterra’s power doesn’t work the same as it did on the continent. I can even feel it’s somewhat diminished. But I can’t understand the magic of this realm.”

Rose looked down at Carter as he let out a low rumble, catching her attention. They were nearing the city gates. She pulled out her compass again to check the direction. It indicated continuing into the city, straight towards the center.

The castle there was large, taking up her entire view as they approached. Rose could make out a wooden drawbridge at the center of the town that led over a small body of water to the castle proper. The building was made of dark stone, and multiple towers stuck in the air, creating an imposing skyline.

Rose hoped their invisibility held. She pricked her finger again out of habit and poked Carter’s leg to replenish the magic. She let her conversation with Luc quiet. It was reassuring enough to know she could contact him when she wanted. Now, she needed to focus on getting to him.

“A little convenient, isn’t it?” Rose said before they had to stop speaking. “The connection from the Vesten property to beyond the veil leads directly to Cassandra’s doorstep?”

Carter looked up at her, suspicion evident in his feline eyes.

“I’m not the one that did it!” Rose said defensively. “I’m just saying it’s suspicious.”

The veil cat accepted that, and they continued walking. She had time for one more question before they entered the gate and needed to be silent. “What do you think we’re about to see?” Rose asked. Everyone here should be spirits. Rose wondered if they would be visible to her. Again, she asked Carter the last part out loud, knowing he couldn’t answer. He gave another low rumble as they walked into the city.

It was like any city on the continent. Homes lined the main pathway to the center of town. She chanced another whisper to Carter as she said, “Do spirits need homes?”

Carter looked at her with a glare that only a feline could produce.

Apparently, it was time for her to stop talking. She tugged his fur a little harder than necessary as they entered the village. The compass pointed straight toward the castle.

Rose couldn’t help but search her surroundings as they walked. This was her sneak peek into the afterlife, and while, hopefully, she and Luc had a long time before they arrived here, her curiosity was getting the best of her.

She tugged on Carter’s scruff to slow down when she finally saw someone. They looked…human—a woman carrying food. Rose noted eggs, bread, cheese, and other similar staples that one would purchase in a market on the continent. An odd light drew her eyes to the woman. The only unique feature was a glowing, fuzzy outline surrounding her. Was this the delineation of a spirit? Cassandra and her veil cats did not have such a glow when they saw them on their last visit.

Carter’s steps continued, pulling her forward. As they moved deeper into the settlement, Rose found more of the same. They were…people. People of all ages filled this village, going about their daily tasks. Some shopped, some had clothing for washing, others appeared on an afternoon stroll.

This was the afterlife? It appeared so…normal.

Everyone they passed seemed peaceful. Maybe it wasn’t bad, just a little mundane to Rose’s imagination. One thing didn’t add up though. There was nowhere near enough of them. When spirits came here, shouldn’t they exist indefinitely? This village should overflow with over five hundred years of the continent’s past inhabitants. How many other settlements existed? She was spiraling with questions. They were only a distraction as they got closer to the village center and the drawbridge that led to the castle. Her curiosity about the afterlife could wait. She was here for Luc.

Her gaze caught on an oddly familiar-looking face crossing the drawbridge. She couldn’t have claimed to know his features by heart, but having so recently seen him in Luc’s memory, she knew him immediately—Zrak.

He was tall and broad. His dark brown hair stood in contrast to his white skin. He strode across the bridge with purpose.

Rose must have thought something to Luc before she even acknowledged the shift in her plan herself.

“I’m not going anywhere, Rose. Follow him while you can. Please be careful.”

Rose nodded to herself in response, though she knew Luc couldn’t see it. She needed to know what Zrak’s plans were.