Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

T he heat from the forge slowly started to fan her face. It was so different from the makeshift forges she’d used on the road. Rose had stayed in the Suden quarter of Sandrin with Luc last night. Luc had offered to follow her to the Norden quarter, but she was too tired to introduce herself there and find accommodations. Luc’s already established residence was much easier. The sun had risen all too quickly, though, and with it, their responsibilities.

Working at the forge in the military school was a dream Rose had let die before it had even been voiced. The workspace was immaculate. It was well used, the most used among the Compass Point armories. Once the second generation of Compass Points had emerged, the game was more about politics than open physical confrontations, or so they had learned yesterday in their reading. It made sense, though, that the Compass Points had assigned things like military responsibilities to the Suden court.

Rose never dreamed she would be able to make a weapon here. A Norden working in a Suden forge was not an aspiration to be shared. Today was different. She brought change to the fae courts as she sank into her role as Norden Point—she also brought change in this small, selfish desire. And it felt good.

A cough sounded behind her, and she turned. “Carter, thanks for coming so early.” She smiled warmly. She was glad it had been Luc who’d pried free Carter’s secrets. Juliette was always so wary of Luc—his motivations and power—it was nice to see Carter overcome those concerns and share something of himself.

“It’s not every day a Vesten receives an invitation to the military school. As a former scholar, honestly, I was intrigued.”

Seeing him yesterday in the library, it fit. He probably would have been happy to live a quiet life as a scholar, just as Rose would have been content to live her life as a reclusive weapons-maker. Destiny had other ideas for the Compass Points.

“Feel free to look around. Luc saw to it that we won’t be disturbed.”

Carter glanced at the forge. “Don’t you need me to get started?”

She laughed. “I have to wait for this forge to heat up the old-fashioned way. Then we can get to work. It’s almost ready.”

Rose swore Carter’s cheeks flushed at the compliment to his flame. He busied himself wandering around the spacious room, looking at projects in progress and those finished waiting for use.

“It’s kind of silly when you think about it.”

“What?” Carter asked, his fingers carefully running down the length of a broadsword.

“I mean, this—this room, these weapons—are the heart of the continent’s defense strategy.” She lifted her arms, gesturing to the racks of weapons around them. “Yet, it seems quite useless against what we face.”

“We’ll find and stop Aterra. Think of everything we learned yesterday.”

“I admit, it gave me hope, and my hope had previously started waning. It should be easy enough to replicate what Juliette and I did if the key really is all our elements being used at once. The problem is a different one. In Loch, and when we fought Aterra, I didn’t sense any connections to your power, or Luc’s, like I did Juliette’s. And that part—is one line in a journal enough to ensure it works?”

“Well…” Carter paused. “You’ve taken your turn giving us all hope and trying to bring us together on this journey. As Luc chastised us the other night—you don’t have to do this alone. Maybe it’s time for the rest of us to convince you it can be done.”

Rose smiled in a way she was sure didn’t meet her eyes. Another idea she appreciated even as she was unsure of its practicality. “I think the fire is ready. Let’s get started.”

Carter moved to the space to her right, similar to the position she and Juliette had taken as Rose forged her daggers.

“Just use a bit of your fire. It doesn’t have to be strong, just active while I forge the ax head and spike.”

“What about my other powers?” Carter asked.

“Both your shifter essence and connection to the cycle of existence hit my magic in the face before I even started the traditional evaluation. I think we’ll be fine.”

“Do you need this?” Carter reached into his pocket and pulled out the coin.

Rose shook her head. “You hold on to it. It should make your power clearer.”

Carter nodded and called a flame to his palm. His eyes glowed the yellow-green she’d seen in the Burning Garden as they focused on the fire dancing along his skin. Rose wasn’t sure she had ever seen him look more like a predator.

The familiar rise and fall of her hammer was fast with this project. She’d started the ax head earlier this morning. The spear tip, she would borrow from the Suden forge. That freed her now to focus on harnessing Carter’s unique magic.

Chocolate and sandalwood filled the room. The scent of his element wasn’t enough, though. His flame was only a part of his power. What she’d learned about his shifter form came to the forefront of her mind. Unable to grasp it, the elusive nature fitting with her feline guess, was good enough.

Rose sent spirals of her magic toward him. It wrapped around Carter, seeking, sinking into his skin. Her power chased to the heart of the Vesten leader. She was unsurprised to find a campsite setting at the heart of his magic. A forest of trees so thick she was already lost. A small opening held a large willow tree. It’s draping branches pushed aside to show a bedroll beneath it and a fire just outside the perimeter of its branches. Carter’s core of magic was peaceful—solitary.

To Arie, she knew the shifting was freeing. He had a human form, but she had never seen it. He was comfortable when he could blend in and go unnoticed by others, who were not suspecting an animal with his kind of intelligence. It felt similar with Carter—Kenna’s journals indicated the same.

Her mind roamed over all the information they’d learned from Kenna’s journals, lingering on a piece they hadn’t yet discussed. Zrak said their power would be strongest at Compass Lake and that the gods would feel if they weakened. Did this allude to the connection between a god and the fae leader that Juliette described?

Rose pushed her thoughts to the magic before her. Carter’s magic was so different from the others, but so uniquely him. The strong yet sweet smell of his power balanced the heavy weight he carried. Seeing spirits, a constant connection to the cycle of life and death, to the existence of all on the continent. It was an honor, but she was also sure it was its own burden. They hadn’t even gotten to the part where she asked if he had to do anything to help the spirits find their way beyond the veil.

In the heart of Carter’s magic, the quiet of his campsite, Rose readied for the flashes, the feelings—but nothing came. That was an answer itself. The heart of Carter’s magic was solace from the world around him. It was escape from the weight of his power. While a weapon wasn’t ideal for that desire of his magic, in their situation, it was necessary. The spike between the ax heads would have to act as a pointer. As the Vesten leader, he could steer his court, and hopefully, the continent, to this quiet solace he craved.

She had her connections as she made the final few swings of her hammer, the ax head gleaming in the firelight. “Give me a little more magic,” Rose said as she spared a glance at Carter.

“No problem.” The small flame in his palm spread up his arm. The fire danced over his skin and clothes, leaving the fire wielder unharmed.

Her magic sealed the Vesten’s essence, with Carter’s specific talents, into the metal. She sent blasts of icy wind and cooling water around the ax heads. It was nice to be in the Suden forge for this, since his ax required some assembly. She reached for the wooden handle and the spike she had picked out, fitting them into place. This would be a finished project before they left the forge today. Pushing a little more of her wind around the ax, she nodded with satisfaction. The Vesten Point would have his defense against the mist plague.

The heat died down. Carter let go of his element. His eyes focused on her as she worked on the finishing touches.

“This should do it,” she said as she flipped the handle toward him. “Now Luc won’t have to drag you away from any other mist attacks we encounter.”

Carter flushed. “Thank you.”

“I should thank you for the opportunity,” Rose said. “It isn’t every day that I evaluate three powers so unique but so combined in a single person.”

“I’m sure we could say the same about being evaluated by the weapons master from Lake of the Gods.” Carter smiled back as he hoisted his ax over his shoulder, and they left the forge together.