Page 52 of Treasured

“How long will you be gone?” Odette asked from the other side of the large table in the laboratory. Sebastian was in the hallway, testing the length of the Tether. The smell wasn’t as bad as yesterday, but he still found it insufferable.

“Hopefully, no longer than two days.” I ran my finger over the plant, tracing the ridges in the leaves. It had nearly doubled in size overnight. If I hadn’t known it was goddess-blessed, this abnormal growth would have been the proof we needed. “We have a general idea where we’re going.”

Genevieve had given us vague descriptions of where we could find the three items, but the exact locations were unknown.

Odette smiled. “I’ll keep an eye on things here and ensure things are running smoothly.” She eyed the potion, where the black mixture bubbled away. “It seems to be working.”

Something was definitely happening. I was too much of a scientist to put all my faith in an untested experiment, but even I couldn’t tamp down the hope stirring within me.

“When we return, it should be time to test it out,” I said.

“In the meantime, I’ll see what I can do about this plant.” Odette chewed on her lip. “It’s going to need a bigger pot.”

Sebastian’s presence brushed across my mind, a soothing touch against my mental barriers. It was a gentle caress but enough to remind me that time was short.

We had to go.

I said as much to Odette, adding, “You’ll keep an eye on my brother?”

I hated leaving Marius here while he was like this, but what else could we do? He couldn’t come with us in his current state.

The witch nodded. “Of course.”

Odette and I hadn’t known each other long, but I felt a kinship with her. There was a softness about the red-headed scientist that I enjoyed, and she reminded me of Kinthani.

Maybe one day, we would be true friends.

If Sebastian and I survived this.

My thoughts became morose, and grief for my family edged out of the box where I’d carefully placed it. It was always present, always waiting to take me by surprise.

I could not succumb to it. Not right now.

A hand landed on my hip, drawing me out of the darkness. “We have to go, Luna,” Sebastian said softly, his other hand covering his nose. It was more than a little funny that this dangerous prince found something as minute as an offensive smell so troublesome.

Smiling up at him, I nodded. “Alright.”

Picking up my satchel from the table, I slipped in three vials of the summons-muting tonic. We were bringing an extra tonic with us, just in case. The last thing we needed was for the summons to return in full force when we were away from Lightriver Abbey.

In the back of my mind, Keven’s prophecy was growing louder by the day. Soon, the moon would turn red, and then everything would come to pass.

We needed to break the bond before then.

* * *

A short while later, having bid farewell to Genevieve and a still-sleeping Marius, Sebastian and I shadowed to the courtyard outside the abbey. We both wore heavy fur-lined cloaks that had been gifted to us by the priestesses, along with boots that ran up to our knees. Mittens covered our hands, and Sebastian even wore a scarf.

When he put that on, I knew this would not be a pleasant trip.

Letting my wings unfurl, my back adjusted to their weight as I eyed Sebastian. “Where, exactly, does one find a sunfire owl?”

Would it be too much to ask for a warm location? Maybe these owls lived near water and enjoyed the sunlight. I didn’t need to go to the beach, but I would give almost anything to get out of the snow, even for a short while. Their name suggested they, like me, at least enjoyed some heat.

As if he knew where my thoughts had gone, he smirked. “They’re notorious for building their nests on the tallest peaks of the highest mountains. Unlike most owls that create their homes in holes, sunfire owls keep generational nests largely made of ice.”

So much for a trip to the beach.

“And I am assuming that these mountains are cold?” With my hopes thoroughly quashed, I didn’t even try to keep the displeasure out of my voice.

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