Chapter 41

41

LECTURE NOTES FROM GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTIONS:

The woodlands that make up a better part of Greenshire hold trees unique to the region. Not only are the trunks 2-3x the circumference of a typical tree, but the leaves remain green all year round.

T hessa shrunk in her seat. Rather than dining in shifts, the entire camp was present and bustling around the braziers. Hundreds squeezed around wooden tables, while the children found seats around the fire.

Jussal was in the middle of telling her how the tables and chairs here were made on sight. Woodworkers were responsible for rebuilding the dining space at each encampment, rather than carrying everything to a new location. Before the move, everything would be burned.

Instead of the usual frog stew or simple salad of nettles and ferns, tonight’s feast was celebratory. She’d smelt the rabbits smoking from the river .

Jussal went on to tell her that almost half the camp had joined in on today’s hunt, making the meal possible this evening—the night of the Blood Moon.

Thessa was seated at the table reserved for council, which she hated. It sat slightly higher due to the landscape, and tonight, hundreds of eyes lingered on her.

Sila nudged her to say, “Word’s spread about your powers. Half the camp’s fascinated, and the others deny it to be true.”

“But it is true,” Thessa said.

“Well, they haven’t seen it with their own eyes.”

“You haven’t either.”

“No, but I have,” Jussal countered, passing her the bowl of cauldron-boiled corn.

Sila whispered to her, “Soren wouldn’t have walked you into this camp if there wasn’t something special about you.”

Before she could reply, he showed up, sitting across from her with a grunt.

Tonight, casual attire was off the menu. Soren had swapped his usual black tunic for one with sheen. His chest peeked through too, showing off his slithering tattoo. Although his shoulders were pinned back, his eyes lacked their luster, like the night without its moon.

Fiddling with his empty water cup he flicked his gaze to hers. “You look nice.”

Thessa scowled. Not because she didn’t love the long skirt Sila had lent her, or the patches of net-like fabric covering her chest, but because she hated him.

Soren cleared his throat.

Can you really still hear me?

One look and she had her answer.

“Remind me to thank the hunters,” Thessa said to Jussal, forking her portion of rabbit in an attempt to ignore the snake sitting across from her .

Trays of mead splashed on each table as if it weren’t a question, rather an answer. She was drinking tonight.

“Son, when will you be delivering your speech?”

Thessa eyed Soren. Was this what he meant by needing to organize some things before dinner?

“I suppose, now,” he answered.

Thessa blinked and he was up, weaving through the spattering of tables. After a few long strides, he was standing at the very top of a boulder. The Blood Moon hovered above him, casting a chilling spotlight. Chatter quieted and children were shushed, as every head turned his way.

“Good evening to all,” Soren started. “I regret to inform you that tomorrow's relocation will not be in the southern forests.”

The crowd murmured questions.

“We’ll be moving north instead.”

There were gasps. “But this is our home!” Someone shouted.

How’d you think they would react?

Soren went on, “This is all of our homes, but the capital continues to send soldiers to what was my family’s property, as well as the McPorter’s. I’m pleased to report the spies we dispatched were not harmed, but the capital will not yield until they claim what they came for. I can assure everyone, there is no more hiding, and the time for battle is swiftly approaching.”

Half the crowd shuddered, and the others cheered for war.

Soren raised an arm, gesturing for silence.“Wayland McPorter was sent to warn the northern encampment a week and a half ago. They’re moving south at dawn. Our combat units have been preparing, and council will meet shortly after our arrival to be sure our plans are intact. ”

“We’ll sandwich the flaming bastards!” One oversized male called out while slamming his mug of mead down.

Soren cleared his throat, eyeing the crowd. “Which brings me to my second announcement. It’s important to remember not all those who carry flame … are bastards .”

Giggles swept through the crowd.

“We’ll be minimizing civilian losses by any means necessary. There will be no careless destruction either. You all know the Blood Moon calls for gathering. There will be innocent lives scattered across Gravenport the next few days.” His eyes met hers before continuing, “Consider it a crime to disobey this order. We’ll not give the Supremes another reason to undo our existence.”

Thessa managed a smile. Thank you.

A voice called out, “What of our children?”

Another voice rang. “Our innocents?”

Soren swept his gaze across the crowd. “Those who aren’t fighting will assist the healers and woodworkers. Gather whatever they need and as much they need. You’ll hunt, you’ll fetch water, and you’ll keep moving as long as you’re breathing. Our combat units are prepared to protect you. Which brings me to my third announcement; we have a new resource.”

Whispers moved. Several sets of eyes even darted toward Thessa. She tried to duck but it was useless. If he was about to announce her powers in front of everyone here, she may truly die before eating her last meal.

“As some of you’ve heard, the Hidden Grimoire of Eiliana is now in our possession.”

Cheers ripped through the tables before he could finish.

He waved for attention. “We’re searching through it daily, and there is promise … that I can say. We’ll be distributing a powerful Illusion Spell before our trip north. ”

Thessa exhaled the breath she’d been holding.

“Lastly, I’ll ask you all to remember.” Soren tapped a finger on his heart—the same spot where the two serpent heads that coursed along his upper body met. “Remember why you’re here and remember why we hide.”

Heads began nodding in unison.

“Remember why we fight and remember those who died.” His honey mead twinkled in the moonlight as he raised his glass high. “Remember.”

Glassware all around her clinked.

When the meal came to an end, Soren offered Thessa his hand. “Shall we?”

“This doesn’t mean I forgive you,” she warned him.

He had the nerve to smirk. “Of course not.”

A few goodbyes later, Soren was leading her to his tent. She limped along, using his calloused grip for balance.

“Echidna says, Hello , by the way.”

She frowned. I ’ m not talking about your pet right now.

A small laugh escaped him. “You made my father’s night when you agreed to finish reviewing the grimoire.”

“Well, he was persistent enough.” She’d taken one bite of her loin before Jussal had pressed them, as if she hadn’t just drowned.

“That, he’s always been.”

“Why would you tell the entire camp the book held promise?”

“It does,” he said. “We found the Illusion Spell, haven't we?

“That’s hardly promise,” she replied.

“They needed something. I know you’ll call it a lie, and call it what you will, but this is my role to fill. Maintaining the illusion of hope is better than offering none.”

Thessa quieted, unwilling to argue. It wasn’t her place to extinguish the hope of others, whether or not she disagreed with his tactics. “Why didn’t you mention my powers?”

“That’s not my announcement to make.”

She exhaled. “Thank you for not bringing it up tonight. It’s been?—”

“A hard couple of days. You don’t have to explain,” he finished her thought.

Soren’s tent was set so far from the bulk of the camp. They were less than halfway there when weakness prevailed. She groaned, slowing a little.

“What is it?”

“It’s just sore. I’ll be fine.”

“Your leg doesn’t need any more damage,” he told her. Without room to argue, he scooped her up like she was a child.

Thessa prayed the moonlight concealed her reddened cheeks. “Again, this doesn’t mean I forgive you,” she reminded him.

“Acknowledged,” he said, biting back that smirk.

Her muscles relaxed a bit, and she spent the rest of the walk listening to the hum of night insects.

“We’re home,” Soren blurted, breaching the threshold of his tent.

After setting her down she rolled her eyes. He had no idea how she felt about that word. “Let’s just get this over with.”

The old spellbook was perched on its tree stump.

“I’m surprised you left it unguarded.”

His eyes fixed on hers. “I’ve already found what I was looking for.”

She frowned at him before hobbling over and easing onto the floor. Soren tried to help her down, but she’d swatted his hand away.

Seated beside her, he opened the grimoire to their placeholder. Thessa shook her head while reading the page. Glamour Spells. “It’s a shame these only work on mortals, imagine glamouring the Elementals to burn themselves to a crisp? How simple.”

“You’re terrifying.”

“Thank you.” Flipping the page, she muttered, “You know … my spellcasting professor said the success of any spell depends on the will of the witch … I think Eiliana is what made this spellbook special, above anything else.”

“You may be right, but you’ve got more will than Hades.”

“Are you comparing me to my horse or a god?”

He flicked his gaze to meet hers. “Both.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment.”

He chuckled.

She shifted to a serious tone. “Is talking about Eiliana difficult?”

“Not as much as I thought it’d be.”

She refocused on the book, unsure why she’d bothered to ask. Cloaking Spells. “Forbidden, but useful.”

“Illusions will work better.”

She agreed. “There’s got to be more in here.” Flipping to the next page, she was greeted with a pair of ravens, one on each side with their beaks meeting in the center spine. “While her art is lovely, it’s also covering half the book. I’m not sure what everyone was fawning over for a century.”

Darkness swelled in his onyx eyes, like something was trapped within them, itching to get out. “I meant what I said, Thessa. What if I wasn’t meant to find the book, at all?”

Her brows twitched. “What do you mean?”

“What if I was meant to find its new owner instead? ”

Vague memories of the goddess rambling from her stupor resurfaced. Was her gift meant to bring them together? She was not willing to admit this was all some fated attraction. Rejecting the hypothesis with the shake of her head, she said, “To be fair, I found you. Then saved you. Which, by the way, you’ve yet to thank me for, so I guess that makes us even.”

Soren slapped a flat palm over the page. “Tell me you know how sorry I am.”

“Yes, Soren, I know you’re sorry. Does that make any of it okay? Does that make me feel better? It doesn’t. Stop worrying about your petulant feelings and focus on the grimoire. If you’re looking for support, perhaps your pet can provide that.”

His jaw ticked. “Okay, maybe I deserved that.”

“And more, although going on is only making my blood boil.”

“I promise, no secret will ever be worth losing you.”

“Why should I believe you now?”

He paused before whispering softly, “Because I’m falling in love with you.”

The words hit her like a jagged rock. “Why would you say that?”

Soren’s sigh sounded like a heartache in the wind. “There’s a reason why talking about Eiliana isn’t as hard as I’d thought it’d be. I spent a century searching for a shred of hope in the form of my late wife’s spellbook, only to stumble upon something far greater . You can pretend all you want, but this … us … we were meant to find each other. It’s not time that’s healed me, but you .”

Thessa swallowed, unsure how to control the bile working its way up her throat.

He continued, “Except I’ve been lying to myself too, Thessa. I’ll curse myself for taking so long to see how much you mean to me—I’ll do anything.” Drifting his hand to her knee, he squeezed, sending a wave of heat through her.

She began shifting in her seat.

“Do not bolt out of here,” he pleaded.

If she could, she would … but something wasn’t right. She felt too hot. Holding out her trembling fingers, she muttered, “I don’t feel so good.”

In an instant, pain shuddered through her. She screamed as her torso flew back.Soren swore, managing to catch her head before it crashed to the floor. He pinned an arm across her chest, while ripping open his other.

Warm blood dribbled onto her parted lips.

“Drink, Thessa.”

One taste and she instinctively pulled him closer. A few gulps in and the heat subsided … then the pain … then the trembling. She closed her eyes, drinking him in.

Slurpy, breathy sounds escaped her.

You taste so good.

“I’m going to need you to think about anything else, please.”

It’s impossible to think of anything else. Stop listening to my thoughts.

“I don’t actively try but when you’re attached to me, it’s impossible not to hear.”

Teach me how to hear you. I can focus on that.

“Part of it is quieting your own thoughts. The other part is accessing your power and channeling it to who you're connected with.”

It wasn’t possible. The taste was too intoxicating. She moaned on his forearm.

Soren groaned, “Please, try harder.”

Thessa breathed through her nose, but slower. She really tried this time. After a few rounds of controlled breathing, she felt her mind ease.

How do I channel my magic to you?

“You have to let me in.”

She tapped into her well of magic. A dark, depthless sea.

There’s nothing here but my magic. No doors. No windows.

“Focus.”

Thessa squinted to see something caging in her sea—so tall and dark she hadn’t seen them before. What she’d thought was infinite, was trapped. She’d been desperately keeping him out—everyone out—she realized, spending all this time, and all this energy, on walls .

“Let. Me. In.” He bit out each word.

I’m trying.

He was her antidote in more ways than one, had been. He not only deserved her forgiveness, but perhaps love in return.

Water splashed as her walls crumpled into the sea, and what felt like the weight of the moon lifted from her chest.

Something immediately caught her eye, rippling through the water. Her magical sea eddied along each side of the black serpent swimming up to meet her.

Its red tongue flicked once. You found me.

Why are you in this form?

Your mind manifests a sea. Mine manifests this.

You're a giant. Way larger than Echidna.

Thessa, I need you to listen.

I’m listening, aren’t I?

There’s no other way for me to tell you this so I’m just going to say it.

You’re making me nervous.

If I wanted to exhaust my magic, I could shift into what you see here, but my mind would shift too. I’d become a full serpent.

Is this how you exhausted your magic during the war?

His serpent head bobbed. You’re not afraid of me?

Never of you.

Thessa opened her eyes, gently pushing his bloodied arm away from her mouth. “Thank you for telling me.”

He nodded.

“So, what happened to make you shift?”

“Eiliana had just been killed, and we were running out of options. I did what I had to do. My father and a group of fighters managed to capture me before the Elementals did … leaving me inside a carriage, wounded and alone, for three days.”

“Three days, as a serpent?”

He nodded. “My father would open the door long enough to toss rabbits inside. That’s it.”

Thessa exhaled, listening.

“That’s when I finally accepted my bond with Echidna. I refused it up until that point. But she’s the one who helped me shift back. I’m not even sure how, but she helped me remember I was not meant to be a beast … at least not forever. Without her help, I’d be dead. I haven’t felt trapped like that since I was in the capital’s dungeon. I thought about shifting while I was in there—surprise the guards and go out with some dignity, but I’d given up all hope at that point. A hundred years of searching for a spellbook, for nothing, and my best friend was going out with me. I wanted to die.”

“So why leave with us? Why not stay and shift?” Her tone was sharp. She was aggravated that he cared so little for his own life.

“When I bled in that cell, you remained.”

“That’s because we share the same blood.”

“Well, it shook the nonsense out of me. You reminded me what I was searching for. Forgetting may be kinder to the mind, but it’s just another lie. ”

Thessa agreed.

Leaning closer, Soren lifted her chin and asked, “Please, may I kiss you?”

She rubbed her bloody lips together, inviting a soft, press of his lips.

Soren pulled back and said, “One moment,” before gathering a slew of cushions, and bundling them around her. Afterwards, he poured her a cup of lemon water. “Drink.”

“You’re fussing, Soren.” While she sipped, her eyes danced between the damage on both his forearms. “Maybe we could fetch a salve from Milanny?”

“She gave me one.”

“And why haven’t you used it?”

He shrugged.

Self-loathing fool. “Get the salve, Soren.”

“And I’m the one fussing?”

Thessa burst out a laugh, sputtering blood-tinged water.

Soren laughed too, spinning out of view. It wasn’t long before a damp cloth dangled in front of her eyes. “Clean yourself up.”

She did, then scooched over, pressing some cushions aside. “Come sit with me. And bring the grimoire.”

“We don’t have to finish tonight. My father will deal with it.”

“No. I want to.”

Setting the spellbook beside her, Soren sat and unscrewed the canister of salve. He dug a finger through the paste and waggled it before her. “You first.”

Sliding the fabric of her skirt up, Thessa exposed her punctures to him. They were healing and no longer oozing, which she supposed was a good thing.

His calloused fingers, so rough and deadly, nursed her wound gently. “Holes this deep will still scar, salves can’t help that, you know.”

“I know.”

I missed this.

I missed you, too.

Stop listening to my thoughts.

Stop listening to mine.

Thessa laughed again.

Soren spoke through his teeth. “You don’t know what that noise does to me.”

“When I’m feeling better, you can let me know.” Her lips curved.

He grinned, but it was short-lived. That serious, general face returned. “I want you to feed in the morning before we move north. If we’re separated and your symptoms return, I won’t forgive myself.”

“No need for theatrics, I’m fine with that.” She never wanted that pain to return.

“The venom shouldn’t last much longer.”

How it was possible for someone to be her death and savior at the same time, she wasn’t sure. “I know.”

Spreading the book between them, Thessa read aloud to quiet her thoughts. “Healing Spells, how fitting.”

Rubbing the salve between his wrists, Soren said, “If it comes to battle, spells like these aren’t possible time-wise. It’s best to shuffle the injured back to camp and let our healers take over.”

Thessa flipped the page. It was a map of Greenshire forest. “Eiliana knew this area well?”

“She grew up in those woods.”

“I hear it’s peaceful there.”

“It is.”

Flipping the page, Thessa muttered, “This can’t be real.” She read the two words once more, Astral Projection. “Soren, this could work. This could actually work.”

He leaned in, scanning the spell with scrutiny. “But for what purpose?”

“What if we don’t need to fight? What if I could speak with the Troika to demand change before conflict?”

“Thessa.” He shook his head. “We tried talking, they decided incinerating us was easier.”

“Not with this you didn’t. It’ll show us how they’ll react.”

“I refuse to speak with the Supremes.”

“That’s fine because I will.”

He clenched his fists. “I won’t let you do this.”

She raised a brow. “You may lead this army, but you do not lead me. I’m speaking to them, and that’s that.”

“It’s foolish and you know it.”

“We’ll have an army waiting and ready, won’t we? I need to try.”

Surrendering with an exhale, Soren gave up. “Fine.”

Thessa smirked in victory.

Head tilting, he asked, “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“The will of the witch, Soren.”

“Explain yourself.”

Shoving a palm against his chest, she said, “Sit back then, you’re making me tense.”