Chapter 32

The pile of dirt I've shaped and patted into place resembles a tiny mountain, like Mount Zallis that we learned about in primary school, the tallest point on earth, which magical creatures are rumored to inhabit. I stick a leaf in the top of the dirt, like I'm the first to reach its peak and claim the land.

Who knows? Maybe those creatures are real considering magic exists. It doesn't just exist—I harbor it. I'm considered an Heir, allegedly ordained by Mother Nature herself.

I crush the mountain with a fist.

"What are you smiling about?" Acker asks.

Looking up, I realize I am smiling as I watch him walk the perimeter of the makeshift campsite. He's been picking up random sticks, inspecting them, then placing them in specific locations in a circle around us.

"When that school of jellyfish surrounded you." He couldn't swim back to the boat any quicker if he had fins.

"It's a fond memory for you, is it?" he says, accent thicker around the edges.

Dusting off my hands, I fold my feet underneath me. "It's not my least favorite."

I catch a glimpse of his teeth as he tries and fails to hide his smile. He must deem the perimeter safe, or safe enough at least, because he issues me an order to stay put and disappears into the woods.

The last remnants of daylight dissipate, leaving the full moon to its full glory. Acker said a fire would draw attention, but he didn't say anything about magic.

I lift a palm face up. Taking a deep breath, I imagine it glowing like it did when I was afraid of the horse, but nothing happens. I close my eyes and search for that spot where Acker said magic resides and come up empty. Opening my eyes, I pout at the ordinary color of my skin.

A soft breeze catches me by surprise, and I shiver. Warmth envelopes me then, and I look up as Acker drapes a blanket over my shoulders.

"It's the Dark Forest," he says. "We're just beside its border."

It's obvious this forest and trolls are common knowledge that don't require explaining to most people. Acker settles on his bedroll, forearm braced over his knee as he picks through his own food reserves. They look even more abysmal than mine.

"It's a thatch of forest that sits in the middle of the border between Kenta and Roison." Goose bumps erupt along Acker's arms. "It senses we're near."

"Are you trying to scare me?"

He's picking through the dried fruit and berries until he finds one suitable for his liking. I find myself fascinated by the flex of his forearms, the tendons and muscles honed to perfection. Arms and hands used for killing, but also snacking.

"You're safe as long as you don't go in."

I can't help myself. I ask, "What happens if you go in?"

He crunches on a couple of nuts. "You don't come out. "

I pull my blanket tighter. "Why?"

"No one knows. People go in to never be seen again." He shoves the handful of food into his mouth, done with the conversation altogether. He folds an arm behind his head, twirling his stolen blade with the other as he settles in for the night. "Try to get some rest."

I wipe the crumbs from my hands and take a swig of water. Another draft of cool air creeps over the small clearing, and I get as comfortable as I can considering the ground is as hard as a rock.

We've been traveling for weeks and weeks, and we're less than a day away from our destination. Everything feels foreign, like I'm out of place and every leaf and blade of grass knows it. Kenta isn't my true home.

I feel a tickle of awareness, and I open my eyes, finding Acker looking at me. He's on his back with his head turned toward me. His hair has grown over the weeks, and it hangs over his brow.

I've wavered on revealing the mind jumps to him. I'm unsure how he'll take it given the violation I felt when the oracle, Vad, dug around in my mind. I've done my best to stay out of his head, but I've come to realize physical touch obliterates any barrier I'm able to erect between his mind and mine. Riding a horse together does little to help.

It's a near constant bombardment of his perspective colliding with my own. He has a particular interest in the place where my neck meets my shoulder. There have also been more than a few views when he's adjusting the reins around my legs and his eyes linger on my thighs.

Otherwise, I'm just viewing the land and sky through his gaze, nothing noteworthy. With the way he's looking at me now, I'm convinced he knows I'm harboring a dark secret between us.

"Why did the oracle try to kill me, only to give you the location of a healer to save me?"

He appears perplexed. By my question or his answer, I'm not sure. "Vad has been trying to see inside my mind for years without success. My mother had me train with an oracle friend since childhood, so he knew he wouldn't get in without leverage. Hanging your life on the line was probably his smartest tactic yet."

"What is it he wanted to see?"

"He searched for this memory I had with my father. After my mother died, he…" He takes a moment to swallow before continuing. "He invited me to have my first drink with him. It was in his sitting room I was never allowed in. He gave me a speech about handling heartbreak with vigor."

"That sounds…painful to have to relive."

He shrugs like he's indifferent. "Vad's like that. He likes to poke and prod inside people's minds to satisfy his own sick curiosities."

"How do you two know each other?"

"He was in training camp with me and Hallis." There's a moment where I think it's all he has to say on the matter, but he turns on his side to face me before continuing. "He's a son of a farmer, so no one expected him to awaken. He didn't tell anyone of his gift. That is until he betrayed us by giving away our battalion's location to the Roison rebels. They ambushed us in the middle of the night. They would have slaughtered us if our leading officers didn't sacrifice themselves by fighting inside Roison's ranks with explosives strapped to their backs." He doesn't look away, doesn't shy away from the truth or the hurt he carries from the memory of it. "Only a handful of us survived. Whatever childhood we had we lost that day, but with it came a bond like no other. There's no one else I'd rather have at my back than those five soldiers."

"And Hallis?" I dare to ask.

"Alive and well." Then he smirks. "Less a hand, but he's learned to make do just fine."

I lift a brow. "I'm somehow not surprised."

"He's an advisor and sometimes an instructor for the new recruits, but he fares better than most active soldiers in a sword fight."

The thought makes me smile. "I'm sure he holds a certain element of surprise."

Acker matches my smile. "You could say that."

We settle into our bedrolls. Closing my eyes, I let my imagination run wild with what my future will look like, the possibilities that lie before me. There's a chance my life will span two, three, or four times longer than I've ever thought possible. If nothing ill befalls me, anyway.

Sleep never comes. Minutes turn into hours.

I think of a comfy bed, endless art supplies. I've never painted—couldn't afford to—but I'm desperate to know what it feels like to place a wet brush against a canvas.

My mother remains a mystery. I don't know what she looks like or how she'll react to my return. I vacillate between expecting tears of joy with a warm embrace and cold indifference or awkwardness. Neither seem like the right fit.

Yawning, I allow myself to open my eyes for the first time since I closed them last. The stars peek through the canopy of trees like pinpricks of light shining over us. Turning over, I look for the horse. It is unmoving and asleep while standing up, a fact that was not covered during the years and years of lessons on land animals in primary school.

I rub the chill from my exposed arms as I sit up. Acker's eyes are closed, and his chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm. I'm surprised he's able to rest, but I drop the blanket and stand as quietly as I can, unable to take another minute of lying here.

I've just taken a step when Acker's arm shoots out, hand wrapping around my ankle to keep me in place. His eyes are clear and void of any sleep as he stares up at me. "Where are you going?"

I calm my racing heart with a hand against my chest. "I need to relieve myself," I lie. "Is that okay with you?"

"I'll come with you."

"You absolutely will not."

He makes a face like I'm being ridiculous. "Are we just going to pretend we didn't live stranded on a boat together?"

"Yes," I tell him, refusing to acknowledge the least savory aspects of that time.

After a few beats of neither of us wavering, he releases me. "Three minutes."

"Five."

"Three or I'm coming with you."

I roll my eyes. "Thanks so much for your generosity."

He has the nerve to smirk at me.

There's just enough light to see by as I venture past the nearest tree. These woods are denser than the ones closer to shore. Leaves crunch under my feet as I scope out the area. Now I'm just wasting time so I don't give Acker the satisfaction of knowing he's always two steps ahead of me .

There's the barest layer of fog covering the ground. I kick at it, creating small swirls of clouds before they dissipate and are replaced by more tufts of vapor. Deciding enough time has passed, I turn to return and come face to face with Acker.

I swallow my yelp. He's standing close enough to touch me, and goose bumps spread like a wave down my body.

I straighten my spine. "What are you doing?"

He doesn't answer at first. His eyes jump between mine, visible with just enough moonlight to see by. "Do you regret it?"

I shake my head at him, totally confused by his question.

"Do you regret leaving Alaha and coming with me?"

I'm completely caught off guard by his inquisition, and it takes me a moment to find my words. "No. I couldn't stay. Not knowing what I know."

His dark eyes hold mine, worry etched into his calm facade. "But…" he says, voice quiet in the dark night.

I shrug. "I don't know what my future looks like here."

Acker breathes deep, chest expanding before releasing. "Do you…see me in your future?"

My heart leaps straight into my throat. "I don't know," I say, honestly. "I don't know what you expect of me."

His brow furrows, revealing his own confusion. "Expect of you?"

"I don't…" I pause to gather my nerves. "You made a promise to my family to return me," I explain. "But that doesn't make you indebted to be my friend forever."

"Is that what you think?"

"I don't know what to think."

He says my name on an exhale, part disbelieving and part angry. "You still have no idea?" he says, almost accusingly. "I thought the awakening would make it evident." He licks his lips, a hint of nerves peeking through his demeanor. "I guess I'll have to show you."

Show me?

His answer to my unspoken question is to glide his hand from where it rests on my upper arm to the spot where my neck meets my shoulder, the spot I've caught him studying time and time again. My perspective leaps from looking up at him to looking down at myself, eyes focusing in on the way his thumb presses against the bottom of my chin to tilt my head up.

Then I'm back in my own head, but not by choice.

I was forced out.

Acker's gaze lingers on where he has his hand against the side of my neck. "How long have you been able to see inside my head?" His eyes ascend, meeting mine. There's not a hint of irritation in them, just an open vulnerability, asking me to be honest.

"During the awakening, I had a vision of you and Hallis, before you came to Alaha. You were both standing on a cliff, discussing strategy for how to get me out."

He recognizes the memory. "And since?"

I wrap my hand around his wrist, to balance myself, feeling off-kilter, but also to stop him from pulling away. "I've done my best to stay out, but sometimes…sometimes it traps me, like I'm in two places at once."

I can sense the thoughts running through his head as his eyes flit between mine.

"I was going to tell you after we got to Kenta," I say. "You said my powers were unlike anything you've seen before and— "

He cuts me off. "Jovie, I'm not mad."

I speak my biggest fear to him. "You don't think I'm like Vad?"

He shakes his head, so sure. "No. Not even a little."

I let out a small breath of relief.

He runs the pad of his thumb along my jaw, his eyes softening as he takes me in, gaze falling to my mouth. I stop breathing altogether at the realization he intends to kiss me. His eyes are questioning as he leans closer, and I have less than three heartbeats to decide whether or not I'm going to let this happen.

I shouldn't, right?

But also… why not ?

My mouth opens of its own accord, all too willing to participate, then Acker goes still. He looks to the side, though it's too dark to see further than a few feet. I know him well enough to follow his lead. When he puts his finger to his lips and pulls me behind a nearby tree, I do it without question.

He sinks to his haunches and pulls me down next to him. It's uncomfortable, but every move creates a disturbance in the soil and leaves beneath our feet. The grip Acker has on my shoulders tightens, letting me know to not budge. By any means necessary, do. Not. Move.

Then I see it. An animal as dark as the night surrounding it, slinking close to the ground as it moves. It's eerily quiet. Its only giveaway is the reflection of the moonlight on its black coat. A large cat of some kind. A panther, I believe. Bigger than Acker and me combined.

It sees the horse first. Its golden eyes narrow as it continues to move closer to our bedrolls, nostrils flaring when it catches our scent. The horse sees the cat and whinnies, yanking its head back in an attempt to flee.

The panther stands on its back legs. The muscles and bones shift and snap into place, contorting back into human form. The black hair retracts to reveal the smooth, fair skin of a young man. It sends the horse into a fright. He kicks and jerks until the lead that's tied around the limb of a felled tree gives, and he scatters into the forest.

The man turns in place, and I suck in a breath at the sight of Fia's son. Inspecting our makeshift camp for the night, he lifts his nose to the wind, bare chest expanding as he breathes deep.

"I know you're near," Sven says. He steps over our bedrolls. Stalking as he searches the nearby brush, each step as quiet as his feline steps were. "I can smell you."

The boyishness I observed in him when we were at the cabin is gone. As his gaze shifts, the moonlight reflects off his eyes, revealing the truth underneath—an unfettered predator.

"You see, my parents are under the belief that if you put good into the world, you'll receive good back," he says. "But for that to be true, the same must be said for the bad. Life gives you what you're willing to take." His smile sharpens into something off-putting. "And you, metal slinger, have killed a hundred times for what your head is worth. Why should you get to live with so much blood on your hands?"

He prowls along the perimeter, eyes cutting in every direction. He's within spitting distance when his attention rises upward, up toward the midnight blue bird in the tree.

I cover my mouth with my hand, but it's too late.

His head snaps in our direction. "There you are. "

Shit. I'm glowing.

Sven shifts again, but before he's able to return to all four paws, Blue dives in from above, changing course mid-flight.

Messer lands on his feet.

Acker and I cuss at the same time.

Motherfucker. You've got be fucking kidding me.

Messer spits out one word in our direction: "Run!" Then he shifts into a leopard that rivals the size of the panther.

The two cats pounce at the same time, colliding and rolling across the forest floor in a tangle of claws and teeth.

Acker jerks me to my feet. "We need to go."

But Messer—

The undeniable sound of claws tearing through flesh is followed by a piercing yowl.

I choke on his name. "Messer!"

The panther breaks free, his flaxen eyes fixating on us as he gets his footing, body crouched low in preparation to pounce. Acker all but shoves me out of the way right before the panther crashes through the thicket. It skids into a nearby bramble.

I look toward Messer. Streaks of blood line his body, but he's undeterred as he scales a tree.

Using our only chance of escape, we make a run for the border, or what I assume is the direction of Kenta. The forest seems to close in on us from all sides. Fog invades from all around. I keep my eyes on Acker and the leopard leaping through the cover of trees overhead, afraid I'll lose them if I look away. The chill from earlier returns with a vengeance.

"Halt!" Acker yells, throwing an arm out to stop me from going further.

It takes me a moment to realize, to see the change in the trees. Bark as white as bone covers the trunks of the thin trees as they stretch high into the canopy, creating a divide from these woods and whatever lies on the other side. Dense fog pours out from between the stalks, which are barren of any leaves. Nothing but pitch blackness can be seen from the other side.

The waft of disturbed fog and mist forewarns us a moment before the panther makes his appearance. We turn left, running parallel to the Dark Forest, the sound of snapping twigs and leaves on our tail.

We can't outrun him.

Coming to the same realization, Acker slows to a stop. "Give me your blade." I pull the weapon from my waist, and he magics it into his palm the next instant. "I'll hold him off. Follow the forest until you reach the border. You'll know it when you see it."

I shake my head. "No."

He's angry, gritting his teeth at my stubbornness, but we both know there's not enough time to argue. He shoves me behind him with a growl.

Sven is closing in fast. He's running at full speed with no intention of stopping. I grip the back of Acker's shirt in my fists, preparing for what is to come next, and I realize I trust this man unequivocally. I'm pretty sure I'd follow him anywhere, including to my own death.

But whatever I was expecting, it wasn't for Messer to wait until the last possible second to attack. He leaps onto the panther's back, the action sending my heart into my throat as their interlocked bodies tumble forward, the momentum sending them both through an opening between the trees of the Dark Forest. Their pitched screams end in abrupt silence.

No! I stumble out from behind Acker. He reaches out a hand to stop me.

"He's gone," he says, firm and undeniable. "There's nothing you can do to save him."

I struggle to tug his hand from my sleeve.

"Jovie. Stop."

I somehow manage to free myself from Acker's grasp and slip close enough to the white birch trees that Acker freezes in place, eyes going wide when I look at him.

"I have to try," I say, voice breaking. "I can't just leave him."

Acker's chest heaves with each breath. "Jovie," he says, pleading, hands outstretched in a placating manner. "Listen to me. If you go in there, you'll never come out."

Tears flood my vision as I'm confronted with a choice. "Come with me."

Acker cocks his head, disbelief and helplessness mirrored back at me in his gaze. He says my name, the two syllables breaking along with his voice.

"I trusted you. I followed you here," I tell him. "Now I'm asking you to do the same."

He swallows. "And if we're stuck in there forever?"

I give him a small smile in return. "Then at least we'll be stuck together?"

There's an imperceptible shake of his head, like he can't believe he's even considering this. I'm going whether he comes or not, but I'd much rather not do it alone.

Then he snaps his mouth shut, making a decision, and he closes the distance between us. Without speaking a single word, he wraps his arms around me and falls backward into the forest's open mouth.

Into the pitch-black beyond.