Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

A s much as she wanted to avoid this conversation, as much as she’d prefer to settle into Norden house, she knew she couldn’t. Luc’s brother deserved to know what he’d done and where he was.

Rose’s face must have said more than the words she couldn’t get out. Andrew opened the back door, and rather than greet Rose, he turned to yell into the house.

“Aaron, I think you have a meeting. The boys and I are going to get ready for bed.” He smiled gently as he left the door open for Rose and continued. “Boys, upstairs.”

“Noooo,” three voices whined in chorus.

Andrew ushered them away, not letting the young fae catch sight of Rose’s grief-stricken face. She was frozen in the entryway as Andrew followed his charges, leaving her alone. It had taken everything she had to knock on the door. The sun had set, making it later than socially acceptable to drop by unannounced, but she needed to talk to Aaron tonight. She tried to swallow around the emotion lodged thickly in her throat as bedtime preparation noises drifted down the stairs. She was thankful Aaron’s husband had shepherded the children away. Nothing could prepare her to tell Luc’s nephews that while she had returned, their uncle hadn’t. She barely believed she’d be able to tell his brother.

Aaron found her standing in the open doorway, looking like she might dart away at any second. Like Andrew, he only had to see her face before leading her into his study on the first floor. He handed her a glass of water as she sat in the plush chair opposite his desk. She hadn’t even realized he’d disappeared to retrieve it. Aaron walked around the large wooden desk and leaned forward, his palms resting on the surface, his head hanging, unwilling to meet her gaze as he asked the question she dreaded answering.

“Tell me,” he whispered, steeling himself for the answer. “Where is he? What did he do?”

Rose’s lip twitched in an attempted smile. His questions were so apt—questions only a brother would know to ask. This was hardly how she wanted to begin her relationship with Aaron. He already blamed her for Luc keeping secrets from the other Compass Points. Telling him his brother was gone wouldn’t endear her to him. Still… He deserved to know.

Aaron lifted his palms from the desk, one hand poised to drag down his face, a gesture so Luc, her heart cracked again in her chest.

She couldn’t do this.

She couldn’t tell him his brother had sacrificed himself for the continent—that he was now beyond the veil.

“Forgive me, Rose. I know you’ll come for me.” Luc’s words echoed through her entire being. They expressed an uncompromising faith in her as he leaped into the unknown. He didn’t doubt she would come for him. She swallowed a drink of water and glanced at the fae before her. Would he believe the same? Or would Aaron think his brother was gone?

Her breaths shortened, panic taking over. She closed her eyes, trying to suck air deep into her lungs. Unable to calm herself, she reached for her magic instead.

For ten years, she’d masked her power. Since embracing it and claiming her seat as the Norden Point, it became a strength she could rely on. But like her heart, her power was restless and untamed in Luc’s absence. The emptiness where Luc’s magic had taken up residence demanded to be felt. Rose sighed, nodding slowly to herself, acknowledging the loss.

This wasn’t helping.

A tear dripped down her cheek as she met Aaron’s gaze. His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. He’d anxiously moved back around the desk, giving the appearance of patience now as he sat on the corner. The way he crossed and uncrossed his muscled arms gave away his nerves.

Where did she even start?

“Luc is a demigod,” she blurted. This fact was shocking on its own. If he fought it, Rose would know how to temper the rest of the news she delivered. If he believed it? Rose hoped it would provide reassurance.

Aaron shook his head, unsure he’d heard her correctly. “Luc is…”

“A demigod. Yes.” She nodded. “Aterra is his natural father.”

The hand poised to drag itself down his face made its move. “What does that…”

She waited, letting him decide what to ask or what to say.

He let the sentence hang, unfinished.

Rose realized she didn’t have his patience. Now that she’d started, she needed to keep going. “It’s important for the rest of the story. I need you to hold on to that.”

Aaron nodded slowly, in a daze. He seemed aware he had no choice but to accept the information in Rose’s provided order.

“We were tracking Aterra. I don’t know how much Luc told you before we left, but I’m sure it was more than he should have.” Her lip tipped into a smile, knowing Luc would have told Aaron everything, even when it was confidential. It would help her now if he already had the context of what they’d been doing.

“The Compass Points knew Aterra had done something to disrupt the balance on the continent. We were unclear on what he had done. We’ve since learned that one of his sins was creating a demigod that would become the Suden Point.”

Aaron nodded again. Words still failing him.

“As you know, our purpose as Compass Points is to stop a god should they upset the balance. It was what we were created for, but the ability to do so had never been tested.” Rose shook her head. This missing piece of the gods’ plans was still a sore subject for her—one of the many grievances she would lay at Zrak’s feet if he answered their call. “We learned to work together, the four of us.”

Aaron’s brows raised a little at that. It was the most animated reaction she’d received from him yet. It was telling of the state of the fae courts that he could accept his half-brother was a demigod but was unsure he believed the Compass Points worked in cooperation.

She smirked at him. “I know. It’s difficult to believe.”

Even though he had more experience with lake politics than she did and had the right to suspect her words, he didn’t call her a liar. He seemed unwilling to stop her from getting to the heart of her story.

“We could hold Aterra when our powers merged—when we could trust each other enough to let our elements blend. Unfortunately, we fought Aterra in a location filled with wild magic that strengthened him.” She knotted her fingers together in her lap, providing a physical distraction as she relived her failure.

“We could hold him, but we had nowhere to put him.” Rose paused and took a deep breath. “We were out of options. So Luc came up with his own.”

“What does that mean, Rose?” Aaron asked. His arms were folded over his chest again as he perched on the desk’s edge, but he leaned forward to catch her every word.

“He used his power.” Her voice trembled as she held back tears. “He created a hole between realms. And he took Aterra into it.”

“Rose…” Aaron was on his feet now.

She paused, giving him time to respond. His jaw clenched as he paced. She could only guess what was going through his mind.

“I think he knew he could do it after the hole in Loch.”

Aaron stopped pacing and turned to look at her.

“In hindsight, Loch was a primer for what he did beneath the Lake of the Gods. He had a few more ways to enhance his power.” Her cheeks heated as she thought of the sword she’d made him. “But the concept was the same. His element didn’t just dig a hole, it tore through realms. He took Aterra beyond the veil.”

Aaron slumped into the chair beside hers. She understood the sentiment.

They sat in silence. Rose continued to mentally torment herself—trying to decide how much more to say. She focused on the Luc-shaped hole in her chest—the space where his magic should be.

Aaron’s nostrils flared again. Was he smelling her? She wasn’t using her magic, just reassuring herself it was there. No scent should be present. She mirrored his movement, sniffing herself. Her hygiene hadn’t been its best on their journey, but surely this wasn’t the most appropriate time to comment on it.

“You smell like him—his magic.”

Rose sucked in a breath. It wasn’t possible. Luc wasn’t here—he hadn’t been on the continent for days. His power was no longer connected to her. She opened her mouth to say so; she didn’t want Aaron to get the wrong idea.

“How are you going to get him back?” Aaron asked, cutting off the protest on her lips as he turned to face her. His stare was piercing as it met hers.

Relief that he believed it possible washed over her, followed quickly by anxiety at the expectation. She pushed down her worries. Getting Luc back was her priority, and she’d conquer every fear if it meant returning him to her side.

She met Aaron’s gaze unflinchingly. “I assure you, I have multiple plans to bring him back. I just found him. I don’t intend to let him go so easily.”

Aaron nodded once. “Good.” He stood again, moving back to his desk. When he turned, he looked like a different male than the one she’d just spoken to. The worried brother was gone. One responsible for the Suden fae in Luc’s absence stood in his place. “What do we tell the court? They will have questions with the Compass Points at the lake and the Suden Point missing.”

Rose was confused but not by the question about the Suden court, which was an appropriate discussion point. She was surprised they were moving on from the fact that Luc was beyond the veil. Her initial response hadn’t outlined a plan. It was a statement of intention. She expected Luc’s brother to press further.

“You don’t have any other questions about what Luc is, where he is, or how we will get him back?” she asked in bewilderment.

“I know I haven’t warmed to you yet, Rose,” he replied, “but I know Luc’s faith in you is absolute. He puts himself in danger—often”—a fond smile crossed his face—“but he’s never blatantly reckless.”

Rose begged to differ on that assessment, but she held her tongue as Aaron continued.

“He knows what losing him—really losing him—would do to his family.” Aaron stretched his neck to the side. His hand rubbed the back of it as if deciding how to phrase whatever else he had to say. “As I said, you smell like him—not like you’ve been around him recently—but more uniquely. His pine and cinnamon scent filled the room when you started to speak. Then again, after you told me where he was”—Aaron coughed—“knowing my brother, he wouldn’t have done what you say without being sure he could get back. Given the evidence, I assume he believes you will bring him back.” He nodded, almost to himself this time. “I will believe that, too, until you tell me otherwise.”

A burning flooded the back of Rose’s sinuses as, again, she fought back tears. She blinked rapidly, losing the war with herself, and nodded, unable to attain the same mask on her emotion Aaron had achieved. She took another deep breath, steadying herself to respond. “For now, we tell people he is working to stop the mist plague and bring balance back to the continent. He used to do such things before, while the other Compass Points remained at the lake.”

The absence of his magic’s reassuring hold felt like a physical ache inside her chest. She wanted it back. “It will buy us time. I don’t plan on letting him linger beyond the veil for long.”

Exhaustion threatened to pull Rose under as she finally arrived at the edge of Norden property. Letting her thoughts clear on the walk around Compass Lake had been the right move. Her magic longed to dive into the water and swim to her seat of power, but if she stood any chance of rest tonight, she needed to calm her racing mind.

Aaron could smell Luc’s magic on her. Both times he mentioned were when she’d acknowledged the emptiness inside her—where Luc’s magic should be.

The last time they were together was a jumble of heat, skin, and magic. Her core tightened as her thoughts lingered on his power, holding her to the workshop wall while he pleasured her. Their magic had come together as much as their bodies.

She was unsure what to make of it.

The way their magics reached for each other when near brought forth fairy tale imagery—stories of bound fae partners. She shook her head again. Bound fae were incredibly rare, if they existed at all. None of the stories spoke of partners that spanned fae courts.

A Norden and Suden could never be that.

The empty place in her chest where Luc’s magic used to take up space pulsed in disappointment at the thought. Before considering what it meant, her foot touched Norden soil.

It was waves crashing against rock, the ocean’s roar, and a rushing river as magic rolled through her—as she returned to her seat of power.

The imposing presence of Norden house loomed ahead. Its austere stone facade demanded her attention. The breath she felt like she’d been holding since she first saw the lake from the mountain pass released.

This was where she belonged.

She was glad her magic felt so at home because her palms were sweaty, and anxious energy filled her. It would be her first night sleeping at the house. The event should have excited her more than it did. To her, the House still represented secrecy and separation among the Compass Points.

Hoping to share this night with Luc was a secret she kept tucked away in her chest. It was no surprise she wanted a life with him at Compass Lake. No, the secret was that, in a world after the mist plague, when they restored balance to the continent, she imagined them coming and going between the two houses as easily as the breeze blew across the lake. In this future, one wouldn’t be hers and the other his. Instead, each house would feel equally like home to them as long as they were together. She liked the idea that such a public connection between her and Luc would allow more connections between Norden and Suden, or members of any court for that matter.

It was a beautiful dream. Yet, here she was, walking to Norden house alone.

The magic of the land rolled through her like a cresting wave with each step she took. She wasn’t away for long, but as the Compass Points had learned from the Vesten journals, their magic was never stronger than at Compass Lake.

Her mood fell further as she saw figures between her and the entrance. It may be dark, but identifying them didn’t take long. Meg and Catherine, the Norden elders she had dismissed after claiming her title, stood between her and the back door to the house. Samuel, the third elder, was noticeably missing.

While Samuel had proved willing to confess his wrongdoing regarding Aiden stealing the Norden Point seat, these two had been happy to remain complacent about his illegitimate reign.

This was the last thing she wanted to deal with tonight.

She briefly considered going around to the front of the house to avoid them, but she shook her head and continued forward. That wasn’t the kind of leader she would be. Rose would face her problems head-on.

“Meg, Catherine.” She acknowledged them each with a curt nod. “Can I help you with something?” Rose let her arms hang at her sides. She didn’t want to appear closed off by letting them cross her chest, no matter how she felt about these fae.

“What do you have to report?” Catherine asked. “We saw you return today with the Vesten and Osten Points. The Suden Point wasn’t with you.” The elder peered around Rose as if imagining Luc would pop out of the earth behind her.

Rose opened and closed her fists, giving her body something to do while she reached for the respect she would give to anyone in her court, even if Catherine’s tone left something to be desired. “The Suden Point still works to stop the mist plague, but the rest of us had to return, to continue with our plan to restore balance to the continent.”

Meg’s face pinched as her eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”

“We’ve isolated the immediate threat, and we seek a way to remove the mist plague while ensuring it doesn’t happen again,” Rose said. Given her current exhaustion, she was very proud of her response.

“And you’re not going to tell us anything more than that? Where did you go? Did you find Aiden?” Meg asked.

Rose let her hands fall open again. She should answer the question about Aiden directly. The Norden people deserved to know what happened to him, even if this was another topic she hadn’t entirely processed. “We did.”

“And…”

“Aiden understood the consequences of his actions in falsely claiming the Norden seat. He supported the Compass Points in fighting against a greater power that pursued imbalance.” She held Meg’s gaze as she finished. “He fell in battle.” She paused, giving those words the weight they deserved. “While his past actions can’t be undone, he did what he could to ensure a better future for the Norden.”

“A greater power?” Catherine pressed, giving no indication she cared about Aiden’s fate. “What power is greater…”

Catherine didn’t have to complete the sentence. She answered her own question. The only power greater than a Compass Point…was a god.

Rose hadn’t given them much, but Catherine’s awed expression said she had worked out enough. Letting them walk away with this assumption might not be her best idea, but honesty and transparency had gotten her this far. She wouldn’t stop now. If any of her people appeared on her doorstep asking questions, she’d do her best to answer them.

The details didn’t need to be shared. She didn’t tell them which god or the plan they’d hatched, but she let them correctly assume the Compass Points were dealing with a god-sized problem.

“Indeed,” Rose confirmed. “Anything else? Or may I go in?” She gestured to the door behind them—just out of her reach. “I’m quite tired from our travels, and we still have a lot of work to do.”

“You should tell us what is going on,” Meg said. “Give us the details, and we can advise you.”

Rose took another deep breath and landed on civility. The walk around the lake had done wonders for her racing mind. “I think we’re past that. You’ve been removed from your positions. I’m only paying you the respect I would any member of my court. The Compass Points will finish this. It is our purpose and our calling.”

“But you can’t trust them,” Catherine started. She didn’t appear at all phased at the reminder she was no longer an advisor to the Norden Point.

“Can’t trust them ?” Rose echoed, stunned as she tried to process the hypocrisy of the statement.

Catherine didn’t see the ocean storm raging in Rose’s gaze as she replied. “The other courts?—”

Rose cut her off. “I can trust them more than the elders who led our court astray for a decade,” Rose snapped. Catherine refused to be cowed. Her spine straightened at the accusation, but Rose pressed on. “I trust them enough to merge my magic with theirs, to learn from the Osten Point to use the wind magic that also runs through my veins.”

Meg’s hand covered her mouth.

“You can’t…” Catherine started.

The truth of her dual lines hadn’t been revealed to the Norden court before she took the seat. It was irrelevant since she’d passed the Norden test for power. Rose wanted the information out in the open nonetheless.

“I can, and I do.” Rose was leagues past a civil response. She was the Norden Point, but she also wielded the Osten element. There was no way she was the only one with such a lineage. She was confident many more fae of multiple lines hid themselves in plain sight. That wasn’t the kind of court she desired. If she couldn’t start the future she dreamed of with Luc tonight, she’d at least start down the path toward accepting all fae—no, all those with magic—now.

The elders seemed to have finally lost their bite against her resolve. She gave them a curt nod as she walked past them into Norden house.