Chapter 33

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

L uc wasn’t surprised to find Carter, Arie, and Juliette waiting by the water after they emerged from the workshop.

So much for testing this without everyone watching.

He tucked his chin and strode forward. No one would get the satisfaction of seeing him hesitate. The sword Rose made was still warm at his hip. The familiarity of his magic radiated through the steel.

He touched the sword hilt reverently. Her magic still lingered on it. He might like that most of all. It wasn’t so much a surprise as a confirmation of what he knew . He’d learned not to underestimate her—and he hadn’t—but he was sure their bond had driven her power to new heights.

It shouldn’t be possible—but there it was.

His finger caressed the sword hilt again as he walked. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was glad to have this weapon for the battle that was sure to come. No matter what he was to Aterra, or Aterra’s plans for him, he wanted his power to be a weapon the Compass Points could wield. The way the sword pulsed with a mix of his and Rose’s magic would only make that easier.

His magic reached toward the lake as his steps brought him closer to the island beach. As if it knew what this test would prove. Rosewood and vanilla hit his nose. Her magic reached for his. Her magic had just had him—all of him. His lip twitched in satisfaction as he realized it wanted more.

Her fingers intertwined with his, slowing his progress. He should have known Rose would be exactly where he needed her. She tugged him back, stopping his trek to the water. He got a minute to breathe without Carter, Juliette, and Arie staring at him and wondering if he was nervous. He turned to face her, and noted the sly smile lighting her face. She was most breathtaking when mischievous.

“Have you thought about what you will do if it works?” she asked. Her voice was low, loud enough only for him.

He shook his head. He was usually very thorough, but this had him out of sorts. He had given up wondering who his father was at the age of ten—convincing himself that his past no longer mattered when his future clearly held the position of Suden Point. He had been an idiot. And he was still suppressing his emotional turmoil now.

Thankfully, Rose knew it too.

“I thought not.” She took a deep breath. “We’re searching for something in the lake that can lead you elsewhere. It might be an entrance to a structure, but it could also be a portal. Let’s not rule anything out.”

Luc nodded. His gaze roamed to her lips as she spoke. He wanted to kiss them again, even though they still held a faint imprint of his teeth.

“I’m going to keep the water away from your head when you dive in, so you can breathe. This will last through anything except a portal. If you get transported away from the lake, my magic won’t hold. Think about that before diving into the unknown.”

Luc couldn’t stop the crooked grin from crossing his face. She was worried about him. Of course she would be. This was a scenario she wasn’t great with. She had to wait on the shore while he went exploring. She much preferred to do things for herself.

“Are you going to be okay?” he finally asked.

“I think I’m supposed to ask you that,” she said.

“We both know it’s harder to wait than to be the one with the next assignment.”

“I’ll be fine.” She glanced at the others. “Just make sure you come back as soon as you can.”

They were no longer speaking in hypotheticals. It wasn’t about what would happen if this worked. This would work—his blood would work—and he had to find where Aterra had taken Aurora before returning to her.

He nodded again. “I should go. One more check of the compass?”

She tugged the chain out and held the compass in her palm. It spun in a slow circle, not holding a final direction. “I don’t know what that means regarding where Aterra is.” She shrugged. “I’m no longer sure finding him is what I want most. I want you to do what you need to and return to me so we can end this together.”

Luc squeezed her hand.

“Find a way to bring us to whatever you discover.” She let out a breath.

Maybe this pause was for her as much as it was for him.

“Did I give you enough time to catch your breath?” She winked at him.

His lips turned up into a smirk as he replied, “I’m going to say this was for both of us.”

They walked hand in hand to the beach. Luc turned and gave Rose an all-too-brief kiss before stepping past the invisible barrier. His boot was wet from the lake before it even occurred to him that he should take it off. But that was just a tangent his brain was taking him down to avoid the main event.

He had stepped into the Lake of the Gods.

He was Aterra’s son.

His sword belt slung low on his waist, heavy with its prize, but he took off his cloak, boots, and top layer. With a final glance at Rose, he dove into the Lake of the Gods. Rose’s magic wrapped around his head, pushing the water far enough back to give him space to breathe. A cool wind brushed his mouth as her wind magic provided fresh air for his bubble. He sucked in another breath as he kicked deeper into the lake.

Her magic felt like an extension of his own. There was no hesitation in his strokes—he knew her power would keep him breathing. Was this what she felt about his magic? How could she when it was inherited from the god who had brought only devastation to her life? The god who had killed her family, who had tried to kill her? He shook his head as he swam further down.

She didn’t see him that way. His actions were his own, she had told him. He just needed to believe it.

He would do nothing to help Aterra further imbalance the continent. They had proved that a Compass Point could strengthen their patron, but only with the artifact, their blood, wild magic, and, importantly, their will. Luc was Aterra’s blood; he proved it by passing the Lake’s barrier, which meant their blood was already joined. The Lake of the Gods housed a wild magic like Juliette described, and Aterra had the Suden ring, his artifact. But Luc would never give his power voluntarily.

The thought made him sick—that Aterra had created him to make his power greater. If that was the case, why had he done so little to pursue Luc since he came into his power? That didn’t sit well with him. He remembered the scene he shared with Rose—the first time he met Aterra—he seemed to have nothing but patience. An unshakeable belief that they would put Luc’s power to better use—eventually. Maybe that was the timeline of gods. Luc had existed for thirty years, but Aterra had been planning this for hundreds.

He pushed the thoughts from his mind as he swam. The bottom of the lake was almost in sight. He wanted to search it and work his way back up.

Dark thoughts crept back in as his gaze roamed what he could only describe as an underwater mountain with Rose’s island sitting atop it. Was he even supposed to be Suden Point? He only existed because Aterra sought to disrupt the balance. Was there someone else on the continent with a more normal but respectable Suden power? Michael had retired early because his power had been so great. While Michael had said he wasn’t angry about that, Luc was never really sure. Most in power weren’t so happy to be pushed aside. But his claim was undeniable.

He thought of the Suden he met in Loch, the one whom the mist had displaced—Darren. His earth magic had been strong. How many others like him existed in Luc’s generation?

A new ache in his arms reminded him of how long he had been swimming. He moved toward the bottom of the underwater mountain. As far as he could see, it was the lake’s only feature below the surface. It was jagged, with dark areas that could easily be tunnels or holes holding portals. He would have to investigate each of them. If he were Aterra, he would hide an entrance to a prison somewhere in there. It provided plenty of natural cover, and from what he gathered of Arie’s story—there was once a cavern in the heart of Mount Bury—if any of it still existed, it would be inside this feature.

He kicked closer to the mountain, poking his head into every crevice. His earth magic sprawled, searching for any weak points or tunnels with hidden depths. It found something. A hole large enough to swim into. The tunnel narrowed, giving him less room to maneuver, but he knew this was what he was looking for.

The tunnel veered up, and he followed. His head finally breached the water. The cavern walls were dark, but his eyes locked on the shape of a door directly before him.

He shook himself dry as he walked across wet sand to the entrance. The wild magic of this place settled over him. His power flared, and his leash, no matter how tight, couldn’t contain it with the area’s influence. The air felt thin around him. This had to be the place Arie had shown Rose—big magic, explosive magic, was enacted here—the ramifications were palpable. What would Carter see here? Lore was unclear about where and how spirits passed beyond the veil. That was part of its mystery. But the connection here to something other was intense.

The hair on the back of his neck tingled as he reached for the door handle. A momentary hesitation had him wondering if this was what Rose feared—would this door be a portal through which she’d be unable to follow? He dismissed the thought as soon as it surfaced. Aterra wouldn’t go anywhere else. He would get a perverse feeling of power from being precisely beneath where Arctos had settled with Rose.

Gripping the handle, he twisted it open.