49. Mira

forty-nine

Mira

The royal guards left in the city after the king departed numbers only about a handful, and apparently, they are all tasked with watching me. On the way into the city, Elora grabbed two others, including Amirah and a man I've never seen before. Each of the king's guard are channelers, I learned. Thankfully, they're no longer required to hold a Shield around me.

I march down to the westside row of inns where the woman, who is supposedly looking for me too, has been staying. It doesn't take long before Helena, the old innkeeper with a crush on Bobble, to spot me and lure me inside. She shoves a bowl of hot soup in front of me, telling me how she saw the other human not too long ago.

"When?" I ask between eager bites. It's delicious, but right now I'm ready to finish so I can run after her. If she just passed by…

"Yesterday. Said she's been looking for you, too. Something smells off about her, though. Be careful with that one."

The disappointment takes over, slowing my food intake by a hair. "Usually my granddaughter helps me in the back, but she's off with that no good boyfriend of hers again. Disappears for days, she does. And my old hands hurt too much when I bake the bread. Could I ask for your help kneading some loaves for me, deary?"

I thought I was coming down here to Nancy Drew this shit. Instead, somehow I find myself in the kitchens with Elora doing chores. Bobble would laugh so hard at me right now, but how could I tell that sweet old lady no?

Behind me, Elora hauls buckets of water to a huge pot hanging over the open hearth for tonight's rabbit stew. Amirah is upstairs somewhere cleaning the bricks of hearths. How Helena talked her into that, I'll never know.

I throw all of my weight into kneading a soft ball of dough, stretching and folding the way Helena taught me. Clearing my mind, I enjoy the sting in my arms as I focus entirely on kneading.

"What's that look for?" Elora asks, appearing over my shoulder to hover. "That's too hard. You'll make the bread tough doing that."

"How do you know?"

She gives a shrug and uses a dirty towel to wipe the sweat from her brow. "My da used to bake bread every day. I liked to watch. He'd never let me help, though. Always said I'd turn it to rubber." She gives me a sly grin. "Truth is, I would over-knead on purpose until he stopped asking. I hated doing it."

I smirk at her over my shoulder. "Devious. I didn't think you had it in you."

"You gonna tell me what that wistful look is all about, or are you just over here falling in love with bread making?"

My hearty laugh feels almost foreign in my throat, and my heart twists for Lisa. I love my mates, but no one made me laugh like she did. I guess it just goes to show you, even if you have everything you need from a man, you still need your girlfriends.

"I do enjoy this actually, but no. I'm just worried about my mates, but there's another one out there that I haven't talked to in a while. We're not bonded, so I can't even tell if he's alive."

The sting of betrayal lingers in my eyes, causing them to flicker and water. I have every reason to hate Tairyn. He lied to us, kept crucial information from us, and imprisoned me and Callum. His alliance with Malicryn and service to Yurghen only add fuel to the fire of my disdain for him. The thought of those two working together makes my skin crawl.

But then, there are moments when I catch a glimpse beneath his hardened exterior. It's as if he's trying so desperately to hide something, to mask his true self. I've seen a softness reserved only for me. When our eyes meet, it's like gazing out at the endless horizon of the ocean. There's a certain unknown quality to him, but also a passionate energy that courses through him.

And in those rare moments when we're alone, it feels like he has chosen me above all others. As if I am the only one allowed to see the depths of his being. It's then that I know he is more than just his ambition - he is complex and multi-faceted, with a depth that goes far beyond what anyone could imagine.

"What's it like? Having a mate bond?" Elora asks in a soft whisper, like she's ashamed to even wonder. I glance at the longing in her eye and am ashamed of myself. How unfair that most go their whole lives without ever finding their mate. Then I pout for only bonding three out of four.

"It's like walking around with a soft blanket over your shoulders and thick, cozy socks on a cold day. The safety and protection of their warmth wraps around you at all times, just knowing you're connected." I give a half shrug. "It's hard to explain."

But Elora nods with glassy eyes. She then refocuses on me, her calm face serious. "Then, I hope you find your fourth soon. No one should be without their mate."

With a quick turn, she exits through the backdoor into a dimly lit alleyway, the sound of her footsteps echoing against the brick walls. The empty bucket in her hand swings gently as she makes her way to the river to refill it. Despite the countless fae who have given me disdainful looks or eyed me with suspicion over the past few months, Elora's indifference towards my origins brings a wave of relief and warmth over me. Her acceptance is like a soothing balm for my weary soul in this unfamiliar land.

I turn back to my dough with a smile, eager to create the best bread I can.

For a few quiet moments, I hum to myself working away while the worries of the world drift away in the silence. Footsteps approach from behind, and I call to Elora, "Back so soon?"

"Mira?"

That voice…

I'd know that voice anywhere, but it can't be. I turn around, feeling a deep sense of nostalgia wash over me.

"Lisa?" Her name leaves my lips in a tremble, too afraid to believe it's true. She stands at the entrance of the kitchen, her eyes wide, a mix of surprise and joy etched onto her face. Her midnight hair is hidden beneath a scarf except a few strands framing her face, but her familiar brown eyes shine, even in the dim glow of the kitchen hearth.

Her face breaks into a huge smile, sparkling with mirth and unshed tears. "Of course you come to a magical world only to learn to bake bread by hand," she says, trying to sound nonchalant, but the hoarseness in her voice betrays her.

My legs sprout wings and my heart bursts with joy as I rush towards her, feeling the warmth of her body against mine as I embrace her with all my might. "How did you find me?"

"That old lady just grabbed me off the street like I was being kidnapped and told me to go to the kitchen."

"No, I mean, how'd you get to Illuemera?" I ask with a laugh, practically bouncing on my tippy toes with glee.

"I knew you weren't dead. There's just no way. And I went looking for you in Savannah. One minute I'm walking along the river, and the next I'm plummeting through the world's scariest magic water slide."

I pull back to stare at her. "Did you channel Chroma?"

She blinks at me for a moment, before realization blossoms. "Oh the magic? No… Why?"

"I-"

A deafening explosion rips through my eardrums and reverberates deep into my bones, causing the ground beneath us to convulse violently. My heart feels like it's being squeezed in a vice as terror engulfs me for a split second. Desperately, I clutch onto the nearest stable object - a table - to keep from falling and grab Lisa's arm to help steady her. The air is filled with piercing screams from all around, as the world seems to be crumbling apart. Then the shaking abruptly stops, replaced by the ominous tolling of bells throughout the city, signaling impending doom.

Elora races through the door, eyes wide with terror.

"We have to go. Now!"