Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

R ose let her mind wander as she watched Luc flex his magic. The tendrils sprawled across the field. They threw, dug, and filled—exercising all the classic Suden moves. His magic didn’t feel any less potent to her senses. He even exercised moves more unique to his magic. He lifted Rose and himself, using the earth as an anchor and pushing them away from it. She could watch him endlessly, and part of her wondered if that would truly be needed to exhaust it. He’d been at this for an hour, and his power hadn’t dampened.

She sighed as he threw another boulder. He didn’t trust his magic.

This was a foreign concept to Rose. Trusting her water magic was the same as trusting herself. She may have been taught to hide her wind, but even it, she trusted. She always described her wind as there to help her—to topple the item off the high shelf that she couldn’t reach—or push her higher and farther on a swing. It was tricky to wrap her head around Luc’s position. How could you distrust something that was so wholly connected to you?

Juliette and Carter walked in at the northern entrance. They saw Luc in the center of the grounds and headed toward him. Carter’s gaze searched the training grounds as if anticipating an attack. Juliette’s, though less obvious, was certainly cautious.

Rose wanted to laugh at what they read yesterday. How the gods thought they could force cooperation by making the Compass Points live together at the lake. She couldn’t imagine what the gods had been thinking trying to trap the four fae leaders together like that. It had taken a literal continent-threatening event to unite them. And they’d only started to trust each other after leaving the lake.

“Come on in,” Luc called. He spread his arms. “This is a much safer place to test our powers together than in a library filled with priceless books, right?”

“Thanks again, Luc,” Carter replied.

“We’re certainly going all in on this sharing among Compass Points thing, aren’t we?” Juliette added. Her tone was wry, but she was present, and she understood what they were there to do. She didn’t oppose it, and that was good enough for Rose.

“So,” Rose started. She might as well confirm everyone was okay with this once more. Not that they had any other options. “We all agree that we need to join elements? We all need to use our elements together to attempt what Juliette and I did to unite our wind?”

They each nodded. Luc’s magic flared and circled Rose. It called to her like no other power she had experienced before. She didn’t have to keep her magic leashed like Luc did, but she certainly felt a pull toward him—and she didn’t fight it.

“We should start by using our elements and ensuring I can see the door to Juliette’s magic.” Rose shrugged. She expected the first part to work. It was a simple thing they had missed but made all the sense in the world, given the gods’ goal. “But assuming that works, we should try to pair differing elements.”

“I’ll do it with Rose if she’s willing,” Luc said before anyone else could volunteer.

No matter what he said or thought about his magic, Rose wanted this. She trusted him and his power—completely. She knew they were one and the same whether he liked it or not.

“Of course,” she replied.

Carter seemed to expect nothing less. Juliette crossed her arms over her chest as if she wished there were another option, but she was unwilling to propose an alternative.

Rose hopped down from her perch and strode toward the center of the grounds. Juliette and Carter leaned against the wall where she’d sat.

“I’m very glad we picked this location instead of the library. I’d hate to have disrupted or ruined the books,” Rose murmured to Luc.

His smile was sinful again as he replied. “We are avoiding ruining them with our magic display. But, if you’re interested in breaking in there later tonight, I could be persuaded to disrupt the books in other ways.”

Rose’s face warmed at his taunt. “Play your cards right.”

“Less verbal foreplay, more magic merging,” Juliette called from the sidelines.

Carter coughed into his hand.

“Okay, let’s do the simple test first. Is everyone ready with their element?” Rose felt each Compass Point power come alive. Earth, fire, wind, and water—her water would finally get its chance to play. “I’m going to search for the connection to Juliette,” she said as she dove into her store of magic. Her internal lake was full, and the increasingly familiar wind blew across it. Even while calling her water, Rose didn’t have to follow the wind far to find the door. It was as easy as walking to a friend’s house. “I’ve got it.”

“That was fast,” Juliette commented.

“It’s a lot easier now that I know what I’m looking for.”

“What does that mean for finding connections to the others?” Juliette asked as she let her wind die down.

“I suppose that is what we need to test.” Rose looked at Luc. “It took multiple tries to familiarize myself with the connection to Juliette’s magic while using the same element. I might need a little longer to find a connection to yours.”

Luc nodded.

Rose laughed a little, nervous herself. “Ready?”

“With you? Always.” His smile was sinful as he raised his hands.

The sand in the opposite corner of the field started to lift. Coalescing into a spinning storm, it swirled its way over to them. Fire and wind flared over by the wall where Carter and Juliette stood.

“Well, that works.” Rose called her water again. All four elements active. She suspected their shared wind made it easier for Rose to find Juliette’s door. But Luc and Rose shared something deeper than an element. The core of their magics reached for each other at every opportunity. She didn’t want to say this in front of the others, in case she was wrong, but she didn’t think she’d have a problem finding a connection to Luc.

She closed her eyes and quickly found the lake at the center of her power. Observing the lake’s perimeter, she wasn’t sure exactly what she was looking for. Luc’s power was falling through a dark tunnel the one time she’d evaluated him—is that what she’d find? She felt him here, felt his magic reaching for hers. She only needed to find the source and open it.

No new doors or other connection points surrounded the lake. But she felt him nevertheless. It had to be close. She stared into the lake’s depths, thinking where else she could look. A slow smile crossed her face as she found her answer.

The lake was deeper than usual. A dark pit in the center where it was previously a deep blue. Luc wasn’t on the periphery of her power, he was a part of it. She dove into the lake without hesitation, needing to find a way to open the connection. Reaching the pit, the darkness didn’t seem to have an ending, an echo of the hole in Loch. There was no door to open, nothing to unlock. She wasn’t sure what the tunnel needed from her to allow power through.

Rose did the only thing she could, and threw herself from the comfort of her lake into the pit. She plummeted like the first time she fell through Luc’s magic. But she didn’t fall through his tunnel of memories. His power only needed her to cross the threshold willingly, to prove she wanted its connection. It held her at the precipice between their magics as Luc’s power flowed around her, overflowing her lake.

Rose opened her eyes, the sandstorm Luc had created still dancing across the training field. Power burst forth, echoing the first thing she’d seen. A spinning funnel of elements moved to meet Luc’s. Rose’s funnel was earth and water, the twisting forces of their elements intertwined and flowing through her.

Luc’s smile was pride mixed with caution. He hadn’t doubted Rose either. He was as much aware of their magic’s connection as she was. Luc didn’t drop his sandstorm, but he let her spinning mix of elements consume it, leading the merged elements left and then right across the field.

Their shared power was hers to control.

Pushing their connection, Rose wanted to see what else they could do. Luc’s power was bottomless as she flung herself further into the pit in her lake. No longer hovering between the powers, she wholly submerged herself into Luc’s.

The flashing images on the tunnel walls were back—moments, scenes, episodes of his life flying by as she fell. She opened her eyes, and instead of plummeting further into Luc’s magic, she was back on the training ground, floating above the field. She looked down and saw Juliette, Carter, and Luc staring up at her, their eyes wide. What was she?—

She was plummeting again. Not through magic, but literally toward the solid ground. Unable to grasp what was happening, she didn’t even think to call her wind. Luc stepped beneath her, raising his arms and magic to catch her. As he safely tucked Rose into his chest, she looked up at him. His brow furrowed, and his lips pressed tight together.

“That was fun,” she said.

His eyebrow lifted. His mouth opened like he was about to tell her how much the opposite of fun that was. This did not bode well for her getting another opportunity to work on his weapon. But before he could say anything, a black bird flew onto the field.

“ Never fear. Lord Arctos is here,” Arie said into Luc and Rose’s minds as he perched himself on the wall next to Carter and Juliette.

That was enough to break Luc from whatever he was about to say regarding Rose’s fall. “He did not just say that,” he murmured to Rose.

She couldn’t cover her laugh.

“There’s no need to be more disrespectful. I’m back, and I have news. Gather round, Compass Points.”

Luc set Rose down with a look that said they would continue the conversation later. They walked to where Arie had landed.

“Welcome back, Lord Arctos,” Carter said formally.

“I’ll speak to everyone, shall I?” Arie said into the minds of all the Compass Points as his bird head swiveled.

“Did you find Zrak?” Rose asked.

That caught Juliette’s attention. Her spine straightened as she waited for Arie’s answer.

“I located him, but we weren’t able to speak. I’m not sure how to get to him.”

“Where is he?” Luc asked.

“If you would stop interrupting and just let me tell you, we would all find out a lot sooner, wouldn’t we?” Arie said.

Carter’s mouth hung open as he watched the conversation. He must still be uncomfortable with such a casual exchange with Lord Arctos.

“Well, don’t leave us in suspense now,” Rose drawled.

The black bird peered down its beak at her, looking as imperious as an animal could. “Zrak is beyond the veil.”

Rose felt her lip curl up in a wry smile. “I think we knew that, actually. Though it’s good validation that you agree.” She winked at him.

Arie bristled, looking unconvinced that they might have solved this without him. “How?”

“Well…” Rose looked between Juliette and Carter, trying to decide whose secrets to spill first. Inspired by his patron’s appearance, Carter seemed inclined to his divulgence.

“I can see spirits.”

Juliette, more reluctantly, added her own confession. “I commune with Zrak. His artifact contains his blood, and I use it to strengthen him so that he may strengthen the Osten fae in return.”

Arie’s head swiveled between the two, unsure who to focus on.

“The key is both of these pieces of information together, though,” Rose said.

“Explain yourself.”

“Carter saw spirits gathering when the mist met us coming out of the woods south of Sandrin. He’s seen them every time the mist comes.” She glanced at Carter for his confirming nod. “But this time was heavier—there were more.” Her gaze moved to Juliette. “This was when you did the incomplete version of your ritual. I don’t think we can discount the fact that, though not complete, Zrak heard your call, and the Nebulus didn’t come. Whatever your connection, it was strong enough to thin the veil between planes—at least momentarily—so he could hear you. But that also allowed spirits access to the continent from beyond.”

The Compass Points pondered this idea.

“The timing works out,” Luc added. “Does that mean Juliette’s act is what thins the veil?”

“I don’t think it’s the act so much as the connection to Zrak,” Rose said.

“The ritual calls him to me and strengthens his power. While he uses that to strengthen the Osten fae, he may also be using it to thin the veil and send the mist.” Juliette didn’t look happy as she said it. “Outside of the forest, that was the first time I did the ritual anywhere other than the caves.” She paused, considering. “Zrak said the caves already held a wild sort of magic, and that made our connection easier to maintain. I’m not attuned to the veil like Carter is. I’m not sure I would have come to that conclusion on my own.”

Arie swiveled to face Juliette, his head tilting as she spoke about wild magic. Then he turned back to Carter. “You’ve all been running around with these powers for years and not done anything with them?” he asked, incredulous.

“You are hardly one to talk, Arie.” Rose glared at him. “We spent ten years hiding on an island.”

“I see your point.” The bird nipped at his feathers as if he couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to this conversation any longer.

“Do you think we can get Zrak back?” Juliette asked.

Arie’s head tilted to the other side. “I don’t think it should be your primary concern. But yes, I do think it’s possible.” He changed the topic. “What were you all doing when I arrived? Why was Rose falling from the sky?”

“We were trying to use our elemental magics together—combining our power to deal with Aterra,” Juliette answered.

“Very good,” Arie said.

“But that’s what we’re supposed to do?” Rose pressed. “Merge our powers?”

“Only the Compass Points can decide how to complete their goal. You should continue on that path if you’ve found something that worked. Though, why were you falling?”

Rose looked to Luc, whose hand was rubbing over his face. “I think Rose found her way back into the core of my power. It may have given her too much too fast—again.”

“Luc.” Rose turned to face him, ensuring he made eye contact and acknowledged her words. “I reached for more power. I pulled—it only did what I asked.” Her words were firm. Direct. “This was my mistake, again.” She smirked as she echoed his words. “One of many I’m sure we’ll make as we figure this out. It had nothing to do with your power overwhelming me.”

Luc opened his mouth to respond as Arie cut him off. “Sounds like progress to me. What’s next?”