Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“ I am not your messenger!” Arie’s reply was predictable when Rose told him about his new assignment. It might have gone better if she’d asked him to go instead of telling him they had decided he’d go, but Rose enjoyed pushing his buttons.

She couldn’t hold back her laugh as she replied. “I know, Arie.” She put a hand on his arm. She’d found him once again in the kitchen when they returned. “It would help us a lot if you could work with Aaron on this. We need to know Celeste’s side of the story.” Annabeth hadn’t even been angry when Rose offered some of the pastries from the market. The cook seemed happy enough to see the house full again, her eyes lighting at the group of Compass Points and gods parading around her space.

“It could take Aaron weeks on his own. You could do it in days.”

His metaphorical feathers smoothed out at her words. “Fine, if you think I can help that much.”

Rose nodded. “He’ll be leaving shortly. It’d be great if you could either go straight to the house or wherever his father is to see if he has the book with him. Then you can bring it back to Aaron however far he’s made it on the trail behind you.”

Arie looked at Aurora. “I’ll be fine here, my love. We can be separated for a few days.”

He looked like he wanted to disagree, but Aurora arched a brow as if daring him to voice it. He didn’t.

“Everything okay in there?” Juliette asked from the dining room. Rose had let her and Carter start rereading the texts while she, Aurora, and Arie worked in the kitchen.

“We’re just about done. Tell Carter to clear away his stacks of books for now,” Rose called back. Arie and Annabeth had teamed up to make eggs and sausage when he saw the Compass Points returning. The warmed pastries were a nice bonus. Now, if they could just heat them briefly without letting it burn. Toasted was delicious. Burned was a travesty.

“Watch this like a hawk, Arie,” she said as she left to set the table. “If it burns, it’s your fault.” She swore she saw his body shake like it wanted to ruffle its feathers at her words. The flying would be good for him. He acted like he missed spending time in his favorite form.

Rose walked into the dining room with a stack of plates. Carter had not heeded her warning. She put the plates down and started stacking Carter’s books until he finally looked up. “Rose! That’s not how any of …” He was appalled that she’d ruined his organization, but he finally seemed to realize a meal was happening around him, and he was in the way. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I’ll get them.” He quickly stacked his books as if trying to move the pile before anyone else could disrupt his arrangement.

The table was set, the meal was ready, and Rose’s steps quickened as she returned to the kitchen to see Arie cursing and pulling the pan of pastries off the fire with his fingers.

“I told you to watch it!”

“I got distracted with the sausage. You knew I’d get distracted.”

Rose smothered a laugh with her hand. Annabeth shook her head as she went about other meal preparations. The tray wasn’t ruined but perfectly toasted. Arie caught it just in time.

This felt nice. The Compass Points, Arie, and Aurora. Yes, they were set back in coming up with their next plan. But being with the people here reminded her of why she was doing this. She liked working with them. She liked them . She wanted more of this future—she just needed Luc in it, too. Together, they could bring balance to the continent.

Her magic thrummed in her chest as she thought of the missing piece of her heart. She needed Luc. Though still a revelation that she could connect with him on such a level in the heart of her magic, it wasn’t the same as bringing him home. She wanted him here.

Being with the Compass Points and gods gave her hope for a future however. Hope for the continent they were fighting to preserve.

“You smelled like pine and cinnamon again this morning,” Aaron said as he walked out of Suden house. Rose flushed. She had no doubt why. Luc’s magic had been wrapped tightly around her when they’d met the night before. She wanted to explain the bond to Aaron but felt it was Luc’s news to share. Just thinking Luc’s name brought his voice to her head. After their physical connection last night, even communicating across realms seemed easier.

“You should tell him,” Luc said.

“It’s your news,” she hedged. “He’d want to hear it from you.”

“Where is he going?” Luc asked.

Rose filled him in on the next steps of their plan while Aaron readied his horse.

Luc sighed. “In an ideal world, I’d love to tell him, but I need him to do something for me, and the request won’t make sense unless you explain.”

Rose was intrigued, so she didn’t fight him. “Luc and I are bound.”

Aaron dropped his pack as he worked to secure it to his horse. It hit the ground with a slight squish.

“That’s not possible,” he said.

Luc laughed. “Figures that would be his first response.”

Arie, in bird form, chose that moment to land on her shoulder. He projected his speech for both Rose and Aaron to hear. “Rose is very good at making things possible that shouldn’t be.” She swore he winked at her, though it was challenging to confirm as a bird. “I’m Arctos, by the way. You can call me Arie. You must be Aaron.”

Luc couldn’t hold the laugh from his voice. “This is a lot for my brother.”

Rose agreed as Aaron looked up to the sky, likely contemplating if he wanted to continue the conversation with someone who was clearly—in his mind—delusional. Now, one of the gods of the continent was introducing himself.

Rose watched Aaron take a few deep breaths before returning his gaze to the pair. “It’s nice to meet you, Lord Arc…ie.” Rose saw his mouth trip over the informality of the god’s nickname. At least Luc had told his brother Lord Arctos traveled with them. He wasn’t nearly as shocked by the talking bird as he should be.

Aaron nodded, guessing Rose’s thoughts. “He might have mentioned a shapeshifting god before he left.”

“For the safety of the continent, of course, in case I didn’t return…” Luc said

“Honestly, it’s one less thing I have to convince you of,” Rose said. “Arie will travel with you to retrieve the book. You can pick wherever you think will be farther away and send him there to search. Then he can bring it back to you on the road.”

Aaron nodded. He bent to pick up his pack and finished securing it as he looked at Rose again. “Why did you tell me you were bound? It’s not something you’d share without reason.”

Rose smiled. “In a perfect world, I would have let Luc share with you in his own way.” She sighed. “I told you because I can speak with him—even while he’s beyond the veil. He wanted me to tell you because he has something else to ask of you on your trip.”

Aaron’s face gave nothing away as she spoke. Not disbelief. Not surprise. It was as if she’d shocked all emotion from his expression.

Luc spoke into her mind again, laying out his request. He was still worried about Aterra’s plan—how Aterra might use him. Rose wasn’t surprised he’d come up with a countermeasure. As Rose passed on Luc’s request, Aaron’s eyes widened.

“ What are you two up to, Rose?” Arie asked only into her mind.

Rose shook her head in response to Arie while Aaron seemed to weigh a decision. She couldn’t answer him now. This was too important. She had to ensure Aaron believed this was from Luc.

“You’re asking a lot,” he said, his eyes pinching as he glared at Rose. He rubbed his brow in indecision. “You smell like him, but…can I test you?”

“Oh, this will be good,” Luc said. “Bring it on.”

“He says yes.” She sighed. He sounded far too excited about it.

“Where did we spend our time when he got kicked out of school?”

Luc scoffed. “What an easy one. The tree out back.”

Rose repeated his words, and Aaron’s eyes widened impossibly further.

“Who was faster in a footrace?” Aaron asked, narrowing his eyes as if this one would get her.

“Oh, this is how he will get me to admit it? Fine, if that’s what it takes. Father always beat us both.”

Rose passed on Luc’s answer.

Aaron rubbed the back of his neck, considering. He only would have admitted that to prove a point. Rose didn’t say a word. Aaron was working through it all on his own. The less she tried to convince him, the better.

“Fine. I’ll do it. But I want to talk to Luc again when I return, before we do anything that can’t be undone.”

Rose beamed. “That sounds fair.” She also didn’t quite understand the why of it yet. But if Luc felt he needed backup, she wanted to ensure he had the flexibility to shift his plans. If he believed Aterra was still scheming, even in their imprisonment, she didn’t want Luc stuck with whatever Aterra sprung on him.

“ So, do you want to send me to your father?” Arie said, reinserting himself into the conversation. “ I should go wherever is farther away. Since I can fly faster than you can move.”

Aaron nodded. “Yes.” Aaron pulled a map from his bag and pointed to an area with few settlements farther south than Loch. “He said he was working in this area. Find the largest farms or farming communities, and he’ll be there. Usually in the center of everything.”

Arie nodded. “ Try to keep yourself out of trouble, Rose.”

“ I wrote my father a note you can give him.” He sifted through his pack to find a rolled-up piece of paper and handed it to Arie.

Arie clutched the piece of paper in his claw, and then he was off, wings flapping, taking him away from Compass Lake.

“Thanks for doing this,” Rose said as Aaron mounted his horse. “I know you don’t desire to be away from your family.”

Aaron nodded in acknowledgment. “You’re all doing so much. It’s the least I can do to help.” He coughed into his hand as if deciding whether to say his next thought. “I know you don’t need me to say it, but I believe you.”

“I don’t need it,” Rose said with a smile, “but it doesn’t hurt to hear.”

“Welcome to the family, Rose. We can celebrate more formally when you get Luc back.”